Karl Lagerfeld to go online in 97 markets

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is to enter 97 international markets online.

The move marks a dramatic expansion of the company’s current online strategy which is to partner with leading department store brands, such as Harvey Nichols and Harrods, and selected online-only retailers Stylebob.com, Luisviaroma.com and Zalando.com.

Now, Karl Lagerfeld is opening online stores under its own name in a raft of countries yet to be listed, but definitely including Japan.

The brand, founded by the 82 year old French-based German designer and photographer, just two years ago commenced a physical store rollout and now has 20 directly operated and another 20 franchised in markets as diverse as China (eight stores), the Middle East (six) and, of course, Europe. Over the next few years it aims to expand that network to about 100 globally.

Karl Lagerfeld Group CEO Pier Paolo Righi says online sales already represent “a significant part of the business” and he expects the new program with Italy’s Yoox Net-a-porter Group to soon account for a double digit share of the fashion group’s total revenues.

The new websites will launch in early November offering broader ranges than its pages on existing partner websites – a broad collection of womenswear along with licensed products including watches, fragrances and eyewear.