Our Legacy Has LVMH on Its Side. What's Next? (EXCLUSIVE)
Is Our Legacy the next Aimé Leon Dore? In a literal sense, no. But the two aren't so different in the big picture. In their own way, both brands represent organic hard-won success, soon at least partially fueled by LVMH.
In October, the Luxury Ventures Fund operated by luxury conglomerate LVMH acquired a minority stake in Our Legacy, the painfully stylish Swedish fashion brand.
“Our Legacy is the epitome of what we could call the 'Quiet Cool' tendency," said LVMH Luxury Ventures Advisors CEO Julie Bercovy in a press release. "I am resolutely convinced by its ability to push the boundaries of men’s and women’s fashion beyond its community of fans, while remaining true to its roots and identity.”
That last part is key.
When the announcement went wide on November 8, I saw plenty of consternation across social media about "prices" this and "ruin" that — on the contrary, everything fans love (and want to protect) about Our Legacy will remain intact.
Really, it's only going to get better.
"We will continue operating Our Legacy the way we have been, just with a slightly bigger tool box going forward." Jockum Hallin, Our Legacy co-founder, tells Highsnobiety. "[LVMH LV has] been very clear that they want us to remain true to our DNA and value our creativity highly. They´ve also stressed that our pricing is key and should not change."
Founded in 2005, Our Legacy began life as a proponent of the "Scandinavian Minimalism" menswear movement that included likeminded labels like Acne Studios and Norse Projects. These makers specialized in trim, plain menswear staples aligned with the intentionally ordinary French fare proffered by APC and Maison Kitsune.
But akin to how the Acne Studios of today is borderline unrecognizable from the denim brand it once was, Our Legacy has transformed itself with the times, evolving into an admirably avant designer brand grounded by commitment to uncomplicatedly cool clothing unbeholden to trend.
Despite being 10 years older, Our Legacy really has more in common with AURALEE: Like the buzzy Japanese brand, Our Legacy has honed a recognizable 'tude defined by exclusively sourced fabrics and imminently approachable garments cut with relaxed silhouettes.
But whereas AURALEE is wholly devoted to a sort of ageless maturity, Our Legacy is open to everything.
There's a streetwear edge in Our Legacy's graphic "Workshop" fare, for instance, which is what brought Our Legacy and Stüssy together on several occasions (and perhaps inspired the streetwear brand to grow up, stylistically). But OL will also embody a bit of prep, a bit of grunge, a bit of skatewear, a bit of tailoring, a bit of whatever's on the moodboard this season.
Collections are rich with clothes equally disparate and cohesive: Giant overshirts cut from suiting wool, boxy Harrington jackets, double-breasted blazers, workwear vests lined with faux shearling, denim jeans digitally printed with a different pair of pre-faded jeans.
This stylistic fluidity allows Our Legacy simultaneous entry into far-reaching retailer Dover Street Market and Brooklyn luxury store Ven.Space, emphatic of the brand's approachable, washed-out, lived-in luxury wardrobe.
This is the clear voice that allows Our Legacy to expand its oeuvre without losing itself, the same voice acknowledged by LVMH.
Yes, LVMH has a knack for finding these kinds of smart, singular talents on the rise.
Beyond the LVMH Prize, which has boosted influential creatives like Rokh, Doublet, and Marine Serre, various LVMH investment arms have separately invested in reliable winners like Aimé Leon Dore, as it did in 2021 — just before ALD took over the world — tacit and tangible affirmations that its charges are on the right path.
"Our Legacy has for almost two decades now been an independent self-financed organically growing designer brand," says Hallin. "Last three years has been intense though: We have grown almost 500 percent since the pandemic. Our position in the marketplace is pretty unique and we are global in many aspects but our own retail footprint is relatively small."
Hallin says that the LVMH investment will go towards opening Our Legacy flagship stores in "key cities like Paris, New York, and Tokyo," expanding from the three current Our Legacy stores in Europe and the UK, while "stabilizing growth and operations."
So to all the fans who love Our Legacy, the ones worried that they may be left behind in rapid expansion: Fear not.
"We would not be here today without our fans and our community," says Hallin. "We´ve been on this journey together and we want to continue progressing, exploring, pushing forward together."
