This is the most spectacular “plot twist” of the Fashion Sphere. This fashion brand, which was once classified in the “outdated” category, created a surprise in 2019. The most skeptical fashionistas are now won over by the brand.
If stories of sleeping beauties awakened thanks to the genius of an artistic director are common among established fashion houses (Balenciaga, Balmain or Schiaparelli, to name just a few success stories), never before have we witnessed such a turnaround. among the brands “hated” by the general public. This Iberian label has surprised more than one by showing itself on the most prominent it-girls of the moment, sweeping away all our stylistic prejudices about it, and dusting off its old-fashioned image to join the “before- guard”.
Known for its eccentric style bordering on kitsch, its ultra flashy colors, its floral patterns, its not very discreet and/or psychedelic prints that nothing predestined to be brought together due to an impossible aesthetic harmony, the label has long been mocked by fashionistas. Today, all that is over: he is finally dubbed by Gen Z who are full of praise for him: “I’m shocked at the development! Well done”, “I’m starting to like the brand”, can we read under his TikTok videos. You will have understood: the label in question is none other than Desigual, to the great dismay of those who wanted to see it disappear from our sight and our lives. What explains it?
Fashion is not limited to clothing alone: it is also based on marketing and storytelling. If Desigual succeeded in this Fashion “heist”, it is partly because it carried out a major overhaul of its image in 2019. The said strategy immediately bore fruit: its turnover increased to 589 million euros the same year, or 37% more than the previous year. As a reminder, the brand began to decline in mid-2015, with a decline in turnover of 14% in 2018.
“To continue being Desigual”, explains founder Thomas Meyer, the brand has chosen to move from “overloaded” to more “simplicity” in all aspects: graphics, merchandising, styling. The logo thus gets rid of its colored paint spots, the font becomes finer and refined.
The clothes are adorned with garish colors as well as more discreet ones, always covered in bold prints, but everything is more subtle and harmonious, and above all, is less painful to the eyes of fashionistas. Once considered unwearable, they are finally becoming possible in their daily lives. The objective of this 360° shift: to get out of its “niche” side, to gain new consumers, to rejuvenate its target. After all, this desire to reach as many people as possible makes sense when you know the brand’s inclusive DNA.
However, this democratization is double-edged: the label takes the risk of diluting the strong identity which had until now conquered its historical target of 45-49 year olds. But “consumers are less and less loyal”*recalls Guillaume Erner. If some Internet users deplore the lack of color in the new collections and believe that they are losing their former identity, in reality, Desigual’s DNA is not only embodied in clothing. It lies in transgression, impertinence, refusal of imposed normality; values which continue to be expressed in the tone deployed by its communication.
Indeed, Desigual always delights us with its undeniable patter, which allows it to turn the “bad taste” of which it is castigated into a real asset. The slogans are just as impertinent as before: “I’d never thought I’d wear Desigual”can we read for example in his Instagram captions.
The little extra is that the brand accepts the most virulent criticism and makes fun of it so much that it becomes cool and attractive. Self-deprecation at its peak, she even proudly claims them. To pursue her “kitsch pride”, she goes so far as to invest in areas deemed vulgar, like reality TV, and makes them as trendy as possible. She turns her weakness into real strength, and that is the whole secret of her success. In sociology, we would say that this is a successful “reversal of stigma”.
Celebrity plays a key role in the desirability of a piece or fashion brand. In recent years, the label has therefore chosen to surround itself with adored stars so that their popularity ends up affecting it through a “ripple effect”. He thus paid for the services of the most fashionable top model of the moment: Amelia Gray.
And as if that wasn’t enough, apart from advertising campaigns, it also appears on other stars: Rosalia in a total Desigual look at Paris Fashion Week in September, Jenna Ortega at the Venice Film Festival the same month, Sara Sampaio at Paris Fashion Week in 2023… All were spotted in outfits signed by the Spanish label. No doubt, the brand founded by Thomas Meyer knows how to surround itself, both in terms of visibility and in terms of creativity.
In addition to this strategic aspect focused on “regaining popularity”, there is also the “legitimacy” aspect. What Desigual has lacked since its beginnings is its “Fashion credibility” (at least, in the eyes of the people at the Fashion Sphere). To remedy this, the Iberian label has increased collaborations with renowned artistic directors, young emerging creators and/or popular artists: Christian Lacroix, Maîtrepierre, Collina Strada… The list is long. The spring-summer 2025 fashion show, which took place last June, completed this quest for credibility.
But it could well be that the accession to its trendy status is also a matter of timing. As you know, Fashion is an eternal beginning: trends come and go, often in cycles of 20 to 25 years.
Logically, the 2020s were marked by the return of the style of the 2000s, the famous “Y2K”. However, it is an aesthetic that infuses the Barcelona label. Desigual therefore actually experienced its (re)gain in popularity at the moment when what founded its identity became trendy. “The right label at the right time”. But until when? To be continued.
Sources:
*ERNER, Guillaume, “Victims of fashion? How we create it, why we follow it”, Editions La Découverte, 2004