French Connection, the UK fashion brand, has announced that it will rebrand its Australian operations to ‘Unison’, a fashion label that embodies a relaxed modern aesthetic. The Hong Kong-listed company stated in a press release that the new Unison fashion label will deliver effortless everyday style that captures the essence of Australia’s relaxed modern lifestyle. Created in Melbourne with a firm dedication to excellence, the label will offer Unison Essentials for both genders, serving as the cornerstone of its product collection. Additionally, there will be monthly capsule collections showcasing curated seasonal updates.
Peter Halkett, CEO of Brandbank Group, the operator of French Connection in Australia, expressed his excitement about the relaunch of French Connection Australia into Unison, stating that it marks an exciting new chapter in their journey. The choice to undergo a rebranding as Unison was motivated by their aspiration to redefine themselves as a distinctive, vertically integrated, Australian-owned fashion label. Halkett believes that this new direction will provide greater opportunities for the brand to align with their strategic vision.
Unison encompasses a modern and progressive brand strategy, seeking to offer clientele an enhanced retail encounter, both in physical locations and through digital channels. Their ethos is centred around empowering customers to express their unique identities. The new identity will be unveiled across Unison’s stores and online platforms on August 24th.
This announcement from French Connection follows shortly after luxury fashion brand Paco Rabanne’s rebrand to simply ‘Rabanne’. The decision to rebrand is becoming increasingly common in the fashion industry as brands seek to adapt and evolve in a rapidly changing market. By rebranding, companies can redefine their image, mission, and target audience, allowing them to stay relevant and competitive.
Rebranding can be an effective strategy for fashion brands looking to differentiate themselves and capture new market segments. It allows them to refresh their brand identity, attract new customers, and reignite interest from existing customers. Rebranding also offers an opportunity for brands to align their image with their evolving strategic vision and values.
However, rebranding is not without its challenges. It requires significant investment in marketing, advertising, and communication efforts to ensure that the new brand identity is effectively communicated to consumers. Additionally, there is a risk of alienating existing customers who were loyal to the previous brand.
In the case of French Connection and Paco Rabanne, their decision to rebrand reflects their desire to adapt to changing consumer preferences, reposition their brands, and reignite interest in their offerings. Time will tell whether these rebranding efforts will be successful and contribute to the long-term growth and success of these fashion brands.
