Luke Edward Hall Is Launching a Brand Powered by Wemanage Group
MILAN — British rising star Luke Edward Hall is launching a new brand next year in collaboration with Milan-based strategic consulting firm Wemanage, the label’s main investor.
Named Chateau Orlando, the lifestyle brand will cover a range of product categories, spanning from clothing to home decor.
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“I am inspired by an eclectic mix of influences: ancient and contemporary art, old houses and gardens, vintage clothing, ’80s pop music, folklore and mythology, flowers, books and travel. Much of what I attempt to evoke in my work is a sense of time and place, one that relates to my experiences but takes on an otherworldly aura in memory; Chateau Orlando is a new and exciting expansion of my universe,” said Hall, who at only 32 has already collaborated with several prestigious companies, including Burberry, Liberty and Ginori 1735.
“I am delighted to be working with Wemanage on our exciting new project. After working together previously on a project with Emporio Sirenuse, I had the idea that we would be able to create something special and filled with energy. Our aim is to create items for the person and the home that speak of optimism and joy, that have a story, and have been crafted responsibly.”
Founded in 2013 by a group including fashion communication and marketing veteran Marina Piano, Leonardo Arienti, Matteo Patalano and Paolo Ruggiero, Wemanage was established with the goal of assisting start-ups, as well as medium-sized brands, in the design, implementation and execution of market strategies and business development activities.
In 2016, Wemanage’s cofounders, responding to increasing requests from the market, decided to establish, with the support of Alessandro Manzi and Francesco Ferrari, K-448, a company specialized in the development of digital marketing strategies and creative content. Currently the fastest-growing division within the group, K-448 works not only with start-ups and small and medium labels, but also with larger brands, including Gucci and Bulgari.
A year after the foundation of K-448, Wemanage Group decided to launch Arebour which, headed by Manzi, a fashion designer, offers consultancy services for design and product development, while in 2019, Italian digital content creator Alessandra Airò, who is personally managed by Next, joined the group as creative director and partner of 1984, which focuses on digital PR and influencer marketing.
Courtesy of Luke Edward Hall
The group’s range of skills will be crucial, according to Piano, to the development of the Chateau Orlando brand. “After eight years in business, this is the first time that we invest in a brand,” she said, praising Hall’s diverse and versatile creativity.
The label will launch in February 2022 with the release of a spring knitwear collection, which will be immediately available at the brand’s online store. Named “Postcards from the Castle,” the lineup will include jumpers, cardigans, vests, polo shirts and picnic blankets.
“When creating our trellis, leaf and flower patterns, I imagined stumbling into a lost garden within the walls of a medieval castle on a brilliant spring afternoon, falling under its spell and setting up home there among the ancient trees and crenelations,” said Hall, revealing the mood of the collection.
According to Wemanage cofounder and partner Arienti, the brand will be distributed through an omnichannel strategy that, along with the directly operated e-commerce, will also include the creation of pop-up stores, “where Hall will be able to fully express his creative vision,” as Piano highlighted, adding that starting from the second collection, to be released in September 2022, Chateau Orlando will introduce homeware.
While the Milan group relies on in-house expertise, the team decided to collaborate with Studio Blanco, which works with leading labels in the fashion and design industries, to develop the brand’s visual and graphic concept.
“This decision really reflects our approach to business,” said Manzi. “We always aim at reaching the best results both in terms of aesthetic and execution. Our ability to pick the right talents for each project is definitely among our strengths.”
Wemanage Group, which employs around 50 people, closed 2020 with revenues of 1.4 million euros, up 40 percent compared to 2019. “In 2021, we expect our turnover to exceed 2 million euros and the goal for next year is to reach revenues of 4 million euros,” Arienti said.
Among the projects in the pipeline at the company is the opening of photo studios. “They will mainly be at the disposal of K-448 for its projects, but they also aspire at becoming a meeting point for international talents,” Arienti noted. The manager added that Wemanage aims to expand globally, mainly investing in small specialized companies located not only in key cities, such as London and New York, but also in more local destinations, including Athens, for example.
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