Assignment On

Comparative study between Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana

Subject: Fashion Brand Management
Submitted By

Nitya Mishra Rupesh Rawat

Under the Supervision / Guidance Of

Prof. Santosh Tarai

Submitted To

Department of Fashion Management Studies,

National Institute of Fashion Technology,
Ministry of Textiles, Government of India,
Plot no.24,Opposite KIIT School of Management Chandaka Industrial Estate Bhubaneswar-751024,Odisha
Website: www.nift.ac.in 2012

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani, 74, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Armani Group and sole share holder of Giorgio Armani, one of the worlds leading fashion and lifestyle design houses, with 5,000 direct employees, 13 factories, and a direct network of 500 exclusive retail stores in 46 countries worldwide. Under Mr. Armanis direction, Giorgio Armani, today stands as one of the few remaining independent, privately-owned companies in its sector, with a proven business strategy that has capitalised on the worldwide power and potential of the Armani brand name. Born on July 11, 1934, Giorgio Armani grew up with his sister and brother in the northern Italian town of Piacenza. In 1957, following two years of study in medicine at the University of Piacenza, Giorgio Armani decided to leave in order to pursue his interest in fashion, accepting a job as a merchandiser at Milans well-known department store, La Rinascente. Thereafter, Mr. Armani worked as a fashion designer for Nino Cerruti, and then as a freelance designer for various companies, an experience that resulted in an exceptionally rich and varied evolution of his style. After several years of working as a freelance designer, Mr. Armani was ready to devote his energy to his own label and followed his partner Sergio Galeottis suggestion that they open a company together. On July 24, 1975, the two business partners founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A. and launched a mens and womens ready-to-wear line. There are many products under the name of Armani such as Giorgio Armani, Giorgio Armani Priv, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ | Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange,

Armani Teen, Armani Junior, Armani Baby, and Armani Casa home interiors, offering a choice of lifestyles to the marketplace. In beginning the products were sold under the name of Giorgio Armani i.e.(GA) and later on the company diversified it business in Armani Jeans, Emporio Armani. The companys product range includes womens and mens Clothing, Shoes and Bags, Watches, Eyewear, Jewellery, Fragrances and Cosmetics, Home Furnishings, Cell Phones. The Armani Group now also come with the Armani Hotels and Resorts under an agreement with Emaar Properties in May 2005. Recently Armani is also sponsoring for England Football team with their sports and casual dresses which is also a part of their marketing.

Dolce & gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house .The company was started by Italian designers Domenico Dolce (born 13 September 1958 in Polizzi Generosa, Sicily) and Stefano Gabbana (born 14 November 1962 in Venice). The two met in Milano in 1980 and worked for the same fashion house. In 1982 they established a designer consulting studio. In time it grew to become Dolce & Gabbana. They presented their first womens collection in 1985 in Milan. In 1989 they began designing underwear and swimming costumes. Dolce and Gabbana started to export their products to Japan and other countries like the U.S., where they founded their own showroom in 1990. The same year they presented their mens collections. They launched their first perfume Dolce & Gabbana in 1992. They won the

Woolmark award in 1991 and the prize most feminine flavor of the year in 1993. They won an Oscar for best male perfume in 1996. The duo have different brands under their label like Dolce&Gabbana, which specializes in luxury items influenced more by designers and is more formal and 'timeless'. t also sells sunglasses and corrective eye wear, purses, and watches. In April 2009 it launched its make-up range. It also has a set of fragrances for men and women.

Comparative Study

SWOT analysis of Giorgio Armani:

Strengths: It is the topmost brand in the fashion industry and a range of products are sold under the brand name which has been created over the years. The brand offers commitment to customer satisfaction and comforts. Weakness: The brand is priced on the higher side which caters only to the elite class. They are losing customers who are price conscious and opt for the competitors products. Opportunities: A large part of the Asian continent where Armani can penetrate into including India. Brand name created can be used to diversify into different sectors of business one of such initiative taken is to enter the hospitality industry.

Threats: Entry barriers in certain countries have stopped Armani from entering into a potential market which can act as cash cows for the company. And moreover competitors like FCUK, Christian Dior, Diesel, Gucci etc are entering the fashion market in a great way.

SWOT analysis of Dolce and Gabbana:

Strength: The brand has a strong brand image and enjoys loyal customers as well. Innovative and unique products suiting peoples taste for change and quality are launched frequently. The brand has a large portfolio of brands. Weakness: The brand offers highly priced products which limits its customer base to the elite and rich people. The brand is highly affected by the economic fluctuations and strong competition from other luxury brands is also a major cause of concern. Opportunities: The brand has potential opportunities like growing luxury markets with growth in economies like India and China. The brand has an opportunity to expand its product and services throughout the world. And with the constant technological upgradation the brand can come up with innovation in its products. Threats: Strong competitors competing in terms of innovation, style and elegance. Apart from this it is very difficult to break the loyalty of customers towards other brands. Another threat would be huge investments the brand puts in promotion of the brands.