We’ve re-examined why we’re doing this, and our purpose has changed. Whilst the ultimate aim is to revive genuine quality, empower craftsmen, and facilitate an ecosystem that allows individuals price-relevant access to own high-quality goods that last longer, the way we perceive the problem we are looking to solve has changed.
We started off with what we thought was a Goldilocks concept for retail, the ultimate product for the ultimate price. We saw all players across different consumer retail segments as the enemy, from DTC brands packaging up entry-level products and selling them as premium to high luxury players with restrictive price points and bloated supply chains. For years, we have led with the concept of cutting out the middleman when, for many of these brands, the middleman - distributors, retailers, etc - exists for a reason. Namely, the middle man adds value by helping with distribution and brand awareness, playing a significant role in getting the product into the hands of clients and future clients, and must, therefore, be paid for this ultimate service.
The fortunate decision we made was to create a brand that distributes directly to the customer with a focus on quality. We wanted to protect Archibald from the reckoning that other DTC brands are currently facing following a decade of advertising and promotion-driven sales - the customers they spent so much money attracting have “moved on” as the product delivered ultimately did not match the lofty promises of their marketing. The way we run this company it’s a focus on the product we deliver and the relationship we build with you directly. That is all.
We’ve made mistakes and realize how costly they are (the hand-welted shoe issue is one example). Along this journey, we’ve consistently tried to come up with a methodology that first minimizes our losses and then prevents mistakes with product development and production. It helps show us that the way forward is to consult where needed when we are not design experts (because one cannot be an expert in all categories, across all areas) and the importance of tapping into and garnering a loyal community we can interact with to validate certain choices so we are not simply reliant on the word of the person we are engaging to make the item.
We’ve been building out a platform for a community-powered brand without even realizing it until we got here and looked backward. Until we took a moment to reflect back on our journey to date. Pre-order, backed by you, made to order, all scattered across relevant categories. What we’re missing is the ability to consult with our customers in creating items; it's not just about delivering items at a better value but creating the correct product for our customers and brand.
Close to a decade has passed since the inception of this brand. We have been through good times and bad, on top of the metaphorical mountain and down the river. Looking at all the insights and learnings we have gathered along the way, we felt it was the appropriate time to consider our motivation now compared to what it was when we first established this brand. Much has changed, and both our business and perspective have undergone a slow, cohesive metamorphosis, forcing us to reconsider not just our products and their positioning but also our overriding ideology. Our dreams and aspirations are nothing if not bigger, bolder, and better supported by industry findings we have gained through first-hand experience and observation, and we would like to take the time to share our new mission as we move forward.
When we first started this journey, we thought the traditional way of doing things in the luxury industry was unfair. We preached that value, in this traditional world of retail, was not based on hard facts but on the perception of what an item seemed like it should cost. Knowing that retailers like Harrods or Bloomingdale, and Saks were responsible for markups in excess of 2-300% irked us, and it felt inappropriate and over the top. So, initially, we set out to show them that things had changed. We thought we knew a better way, and we wanted to show the world our truth. For years, we touted the concept that we didn’t have traditional markups and made that one of our core focus points. We alienated ourselves in many ways - a textbook example that you don’t always need to find the enemy when establishing a new business.
As the years passed and we began to expand our offering, grow our business, and build our product line, we found ourselves going on a journey with every single piece we developed. We went item by item across different categories with artisans all around the world, and we began to discover what it took to make each product to the high standard we determined we would hold ourselves to.
We encountered a lot of growing pains, which served to teach us valuable lessons, as frustrating as they were to encounter and resolve. Perhaps our biggest takeaway was never to become completely reliant on a craftsman in building out a category we are only vaguely familiar with. When in doubt, if we are not experts ourselves, we must involve consultants and design experts to ensure the quality and construction are correct. The other lightbulb moment we had was understanding the importance of building a loyal community. The importance of garnering customers with whom we can interact and build our business around, who give valid feedback we can use to build better products.
Considering all of the events that have transpired since the beginning of Archibald London, the triumphs and the letdowns, where we used to emphasize our departure from the traditional luxury retail model, we now find it is more important to focus on the products themselves. We don’t see the point in hammering home the fact that we didn't follow traditional markup - even if we don't. We don’t even want to talk about price points anymore, and we instead want to the price to be the surprise once the item is delivered.
Now, we find ourselves immersed in the world of quiet luxury, where true value rests within the integrity of the artisan, the quality of their work, and the caliber of the materials used. Products such as these - ours - are not flashy or riddled with embroidery or bedazzlement screaming “I’m expensive,” nor do they carry the obvious logos many customers gravitate towards. The value of our products, and those of all others designing and making in the same way, may not be perceptible at first glance, especially to those who are not well-acquainted with the concept. But the value is written into the DNA of every item we produce. The value is perceptible at first touch, first wear, and twenty years later when these pieces still look and feel the way they did at first.
We have come to the necessary conclusion that the luxury sector works the way it does for a reason. Brands charge you what they charge you - these prices we thought were bloated - because they have to. Factor in all of the requirements it takes to grow a large retail business successfully, and there is no real shortcut to it.. And with the way these brands sell their products, these prices become a necessity to protect their value and the bottom line of the company. At the end of the day, we realized the difference between other traditional luxury brands and us is how one chooses to distribute their goods, the narrative they form in the customers minds (which we have avoided) ,and how they plan their business accordingly. It doesn’t make us better, nor them worse - it simply is a business decision.
We no longer want to vilify or denounce other brands or retailers for how they run their businesses. In fact, doing it for so many years was rather cringe. We want to forge our own path, build our community, and allow those who believe in what we do to follow. We will always stand by some of the sentiments from our original mission statements and will always hold true to the core values that govern the brand, including our commitment to fairer prices and value. Furthermore, we will continue to search for and empower the special men and women who make the items. Nothing in the core genetic makeup of our products or approach to how we make them has ever moved an inch. Nor will it.
Our mission now has taken on a new focus built around our understanding of the luxury industry and how we want to function as a direct-to-consumer brand. What we aim to do, and are actively working towards, is creating a community that will grow with us as we grow. We want to introduce products that you want, and we want to hear what you want from you directly. We want to see you interact with one another and make group decisions around areas of key business importance to help us choose the direction we take next, ensuring our decisions are always valid and aligned with the interests of our customers.
Something we have always missed is the importance for a brand to be culturally relevant. This is what we have consistently missed.
Emotion is of key importance when anyone makes a purchase. But we want to expand the emotional connection between you and the product you purchase even further. We want to offer customers an emotional connection to our brand as a whole and highlight their role in bringing a product to life. In doing so, we believe we will protect our brand, our products, our craftsmen, and you simultaneously. Relationships are of utmost importance, and we want that to reflect in everything we do.
We started off with what we thought was a Goldilocks concept for retail, the ultimate product for the ultimate price. We saw all players across different consumer retail segments as the enemy, from DTC brands packaging up entry-level products and selling them as premium to high luxury players with restrictive price points and bloated supply chains. For years, we have led with the concept of cutting out the middleman when, for many of these brands, the middleman - distributors, retailers, etc - exists for a reason. Namely, the middle man adds value by helping with distribution and brand awareness, playing a significant role in getting the product into the hands of clients and future clients, and must, therefore, be paid for this ultimate service.
The fortunate decision we made was to create a brand that distributes directly to the customer with a focus on quality. We wanted to protect Archibald from the reckoning that other DTC brands are currently facing following a decade of advertising and promotion-driven sales - the customers they spent so much money attracting have “moved on” as the product delivered ultimately did not match the lofty promises of their marketing. The way we run this company it’s a focus on the product we deliver and the relationship we build with you directly. That is all.
We’ve made mistakes and realize how costly they are (the hand-welted shoe issue is one example). Along this journey, we’ve consistently tried to come up with a methodology that first minimizes our losses and then prevents mistakes with product development and production. It helps show us that the way forward is to consult where needed when we are not design experts (because one cannot be an expert in all categories, across all areas) and the importance of tapping into and garnering a loyal community we can interact with to validate certain choices so we are not simply reliant on the word of the person we are engaging to make the item.
We’ve been building out a platform for a community-powered brand without even realizing it until we got here and looked backward. Until we took a moment to reflect back on our journey to date. Pre-order, backed by you, made to order, all scattered across relevant categories. What we’re missing is the ability to consult with our customers in creating items; it's not just about delivering items at a better value but creating the correct product for our customers and brand.
Close to a decade has passed since the inception of this brand. We have been through good times and bad, on top of the metaphorical mountain and down the river. Looking at all the insights and learnings we have gathered along the way, we felt it was the appropriate time to consider our motivation now compared to what it was when we first established this brand. Much has changed, and both our business and perspective have undergone a slow, cohesive metamorphosis, forcing us to reconsider not just our products and their positioning but also our overriding ideology. Our dreams and aspirations are nothing if not bigger, bolder, and better supported by industry findings we have gained through first-hand experience and observation, and we would like to take the time to share our new mission as we move forward.
When we first started this journey, we thought the traditional way of doing things in the luxury industry was unfair. We preached that value, in this traditional world of retail, was not based on hard facts but on the perception of what an item seemed like it should cost. Knowing that retailers like Harrods or Bloomingdale, and Saks were responsible for markups in excess of 2-300% irked us, and it felt inappropriate and over the top. So, initially, we set out to show them that things had changed. We thought we knew a better way, and we wanted to show the world our truth. For years, we touted the concept that we didn’t have traditional markups and made that one of our core focus points. We alienated ourselves in many ways - a textbook example that you don’t always need to find the enemy when establishing a new business.
As the years passed and we began to expand our offering, grow our business, and build our product line, we found ourselves going on a journey with every single piece we developed. We went item by item across different categories with artisans all around the world, and we began to discover what it took to make each product to the high standard we determined we would hold ourselves to.
We encountered a lot of growing pains, which served to teach us valuable lessons, as frustrating as they were to encounter and resolve. Perhaps our biggest takeaway was never to become completely reliant on a craftsman in building out a category we are only vaguely familiar with. When in doubt, if we are not experts ourselves, we must involve consultants and design experts to ensure the quality and construction are correct. The other lightbulb moment we had was understanding the importance of building a loyal community. The importance of garnering customers with whom we can interact and build our business around, who give valid feedback we can use to build better products.
Considering all of the events that have transpired since the beginning of Archibald London, the triumphs and the letdowns, where we used to emphasize our departure from the traditional luxury retail model, we now find it is more important to focus on the products themselves. We don’t see the point in hammering home the fact that we didn't follow traditional markup - even if we don't. We don’t even want to talk about price points anymore, and we instead want to the price to be the surprise once the item is delivered.
Now, we find ourselves immersed in the world of quiet luxury, where true value rests within the integrity of the artisan, the quality of their work, and the caliber of the materials used. Products such as these - ours - are not flashy or riddled with embroidery or bedazzlement screaming “I’m expensive,” nor do they carry the obvious logos many customers gravitate towards. The value of our products, and those of all others designing and making in the same way, may not be perceptible at first glance, especially to those who are not well-acquainted with the concept. But the value is written into the DNA of every item we produce. The value is perceptible at first touch, first wear, and twenty years later when these pieces still look and feel the way they did at first.
We have come to the necessary conclusion that the luxury sector works the way it does for a reason. Brands charge you what they charge you - these prices we thought were bloated - because they have to. Factor in all of the requirements it takes to grow a large retail business successfully, and there is no real shortcut to it.. And with the way these brands sell their products, these prices become a necessity to protect their value and the bottom line of the company. At the end of the day, we realized the difference between other traditional luxury brands and us is how one chooses to distribute their goods, the narrative they form in the customers minds (which we have avoided) ,and how they plan their business accordingly. It doesn’t make us better, nor them worse - it simply is a business decision.
We no longer want to vilify or denounce other brands or retailers for how they run their businesses. In fact, doing it for so many years was rather cringe. We want to forge our own path, build our community, and allow those who believe in what we do to follow. We will always stand by some of the sentiments from our original mission statements and will always hold true to the core values that govern the brand, including our commitment to fairer prices and value. Furthermore, we will continue to search for and empower the special men and women who make the items. Nothing in the core genetic makeup of our products or approach to how we make them has ever moved an inch. Nor will it.
Our mission now has taken on a new focus built around our understanding of the luxury industry and how we want to function as a direct-to-consumer brand. What we aim to do, and are actively working towards, is creating a community that will grow with us as we grow. We want to introduce products that you want, and we want to hear what you want from you directly. We want to see you interact with one another and make group decisions around areas of key business importance to help us choose the direction we take next, ensuring our decisions are always valid and aligned with the interests of our customers.
Something we have always missed is the importance for a brand to be culturally relevant. This is what we have consistently missed.
Emotion is of key importance when anyone makes a purchase. But we want to expand the emotional connection between you and the product you purchase even further. We want to offer customers an emotional connection to our brand as a whole and highlight their role in bringing a product to life. In doing so, we believe we will protect our brand, our products, our craftsmen, and you simultaneously. Relationships are of utmost importance, and we want that to reflect in everything we do.
