What works and what doesn't with fashion's diffusion lines Lines that expand the identity of a brand or dilute it?

There was a time when in the undergrowth of the fashion industry the so-called diffusion lines proliferated like ferns. The reason was simple: brands needed access to a wider audience and, in order not to contaminate the exclusivity of the main lines, created a series of sub-brands dedicated to alternative price ranges. Over time the phenomenon has evolved very varied, in a landscape rich in more or less successful experiments. On the one hand, the recent interruption of REDValentino, but also the decision to unify all Trussardi labels with the change of creative directors, which also took place with Versace three years ago, is an example of how, following the lockdown, many companies (including mega-conglomerates such as LVMH) have decided to reduce their operations to the bone; on the other hand, however, there is no shortage of functional diffusion lines: Emporio Armani is rapidly moving towards a new and higher positioning, becoming more or less like Miu Miu a label born as a "sister" to Prada but that was always indipendent; designers such as Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto have created entire galaxies of alternative labels while lines such as MM6 Maison Margiela and Rick Owens DRKSHDW continue to be successful and stand on their own legs and Vetements is said to be planning a rebranding to tackle their post-Demna life that could result in the opening of a diffusion line.  

When diffusion lines don't work

The two reasons for the survival of a diffusion line, therefore, can be sum-up considered or the perfect alignment with the identity of a mainline; or the ability to become an alternative identity of the brand – a type of identity, therefore, that does not represent a separate or diluted version. Lydia King, a Selfridges buyer, explained to Bussiness of Fashion the formula of diffusion lines success:

«Customers are aware if a diffusion brand doesn’t have integrity and the collection is just really a money earner on the side […]. To be a successful diffusion line and avoid confusion, all the boxes need to be ticked: design integrity, a separate product brief and a different pricing structure».

At the same time the scenery of contemporary fashion is very different from that of 2014, when Lydia King spoke. Thanks to the streetwear boom that took place around 2016, the fashion market has been filled with very varied labels, coming from all over the world, that play on the sense of exclusivity deriving from owning and appreciating products designed for a niche audience. In addition, the consolidation of heritage brands within industrial groups such as Kering and LVMH has led the major luxury brands to concentrate their production in a single mainline. It is no coincidence that among the brands that are part of the two French mega-groups only Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs have diffusion lines, respectively MCQ and The Marc Jacobs and Heaven, with different prices and products than the mainline ones; while Loewe has a collection parallel to the mainline dedicated to sustainability which, although formally separated, is an extension from the main collection. Everyone else, such as Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Celine, Louis Vuitton and so on, has chosen a model of unitary growth - and now Valentino is among them too.