CALVIN KLEIN is a global lifestyle brand that exemplifies bold, progressive ideals and a seductive, and often minimal, aesthetic. We seek to thrill and inspire our audience while using provocative imagery and striking designs to ignite the senses.

Founded in 1968 by Calvin Klein and his business partner Barry Schwartz, we have built our reputation as a leader in American fashion through our clean aesthetic and innovative designs. Global retail sales of CALVIN KLEIN brand products exceeded $9 billion in 2017 and were distributed in over 110 countries. Calvin Klein employs over 10,000 associates globally. We were acquired by PVH Corp. in 2003.

Influential, innovative and progressive, Gucci is reinventing a wholly modern approach to fashion. Under the new vision of creative director Alessandro Michele, the House has redefined luxury for the 21st century, further reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most desirable fashion houses. Eclectic, contemporary, romantic—Gucci products represent the pinnacle of Italian craftsmanship and are unsurpassed for their quality and attention to detail.

Gucci is part of the Kering Group. A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watches.

A CULTURE OF PURPOSE

Gucci Equilibrium, is a collection of all our values, positive instincts and ambitions. It’s a balance of the aesthetics of the things we produce with the ethics in which we believe. We are driven by our Culture of Purpose (central to everything you’ll find here at Gucci Equilibrium).

A sense of purpose defines and articulates the values that make us who we are. Everything we do is for a reason. We know that our brand and our people are committed agents of social and environmental change and we take that seriously.

A Culture of Purpose means that we can answer the expectations of our customers, our employees, our suppliers and everyone in the wider Gucci family. But, in order to have real purpose, you need to demonstrate that you have integrity. Integrity is what we value most at Gucci.

As a company, we strive to manage the planet’s finite resources, and build a culture of respect. At the same time, our people are also free to innovate, create, and grow.

We call this state of affairs ‘Equilibrium’ – a balance of the aesthetic of what we do, with the ethics in which we believe.

Navigating Equilibrium:

Here we invite you to go deeper into our culture of purpose and find out what drives us and defines us at Gucci. We’ll constantly update you on our progress in ensuring that every decision we make is the right one on behalf of people and the planet. We’ll report on the way we are letting planet earth set the limits and how we are applying innovation and cutting-edge science to find new ways to manage our impact.

We’ll also explain how we account for our actions, helping to shift the way that society values companies to make them more sustainable. Equilibrium means that we are committed to bringing the very best quality to our customers, while maintaining positive environmental and social impact. We search out sustainable materials, find the least invasive processes, dream up innovative solutions and, importantly, look after the people who help us to achieve all this.

Beware Gucci Equilibrium is designed to inspire and motivate. After all that’s what it’s all about. This is the place where we set out our goals and we celebrate the concrete actions that are making a difference.

This is where we balance our desires and our ambitions with our values and our commitment to a responsible future.

Working together we are stronger. Working together we are in unison.

Thank you for joining us on this journey towards greater Equilibrium.

CSR DEEP DIVE

To take a deeper dive into how we manage sustainability within our business, click through to read about our Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility Policy

You can find the most important international standards, guidelines and procedures here too.

Gucci is one of a number of world-leading fashion brands that make up the Kering luxury group. By ‘empowering imagination’ Kering encourages its brands to reach their potential, in the most sustainable manner possible (as you can see, at Gucci we have taken this challenge literally!).

Gucci adopts the Kering Code of Ethics, which states our values as well as the ethical principles that must be adhered to wherever we operate. At all times, Gucci acts in accordance with our statement on Modern Slavery Act.

Placing ethics at the heart of our business conduct is a powerful moral commitment, and the principle of trust is essential to the sustainable development of our business. This culture of integrity is of course based on compliance with laws and regulations, but equally on commitment to the values of the Group. It must be embodied by every one of Kering’s employees in their daily activities, whatever their nationality, location, position or seniority in the business.

Since 2005, when our Code of ethics replaced the Ethics Charter which we drew up in 1996, our Code of ethics has defined the major principles which frame and guide our daily actions. This Code provides a framework for what is expected from each of us in our professional activities, and when we are in contact with our employees, customers, shareholders and business partners. It also defines our commitment to the environment, which we are dedicated to protecting and on which we wish to minimize our impact, and to society at large, in which we intend to fully play our part as a good corporate citizen, engaged and responsible.

This is the fourth edition of our Code of ethics since 2005 and it provides us with the  opportunity  to  restate  what  shapes  our ethical approach, at a time when our transformation into a pure player in the luxury sector has been achieved.The Code of ethics powerfully reaffirms our commitment to respect for human rights, not only for all our employees, but also for all those who work in our supply chains and contribute to our value creation. We mobilize all our energy and vigilance to combat child labor, forced labor, human trafficking and the exploitation of the most vulnerable groups, in particular migrants, as well as to combat all violence and discrimination, especially against women.

This updated version also enables us to recall all the progress made in better preventing and detecting corruption and influence-peddling, in particular since 2015, the setting up of our Compliance Organization and the international network of Brand Compliance Officers within our Houses. They oversee strict compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in this area by defining the necessary policies and procedures, and supporting all our employees accordingly. We practice zero tolerance towards corruption, influence-peddling and any form of fraud, and it is vital that each and every one of us is aware of this.

Finally, it is particularly important to recall here that the ethical whistleblowing system that Kering set up several years ago, and which enables any individual to report a violation or suspected breach of our Code and its principles, is now available not only to Kering employees, but also to external and temporary staff working for the Group in all service providers and external partners with whom we have a contractual relationship. This mechanism is essential, and enables us to identify any possible shortcomings in adhering to our principles, as well as the remedial steps necessary. Protecting those who report such shortcomings to us selflessly, and in good faith, is an essential commitment throughout the Group.

This Code is a guide intended to provide a framework for all our activities, and to protect Kering, its success and longevity. I trust that you will familiarize yourself with it and apply it on a daily basis. Everything has been set up within the Group to support and help you fulfil this requirement; I am counting on you.

Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton or shortened to LV, is a French fashion house and luxury retail company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses and books. Louis Vuitton is one of the world's leading international fashion houses; it sells its products through standalone boutiques, lease departments in high-end department stores, and through the e-commerce section of its website.[5][6] For six consecutive years (2006–2012), Louis Vuitton was named the world's most valuable luxury brand. Its 2012 valuation was US$25.9 billion. The 2013 valuation of the brand was US$28.4 billion with revenue of US$9.4 billion. The company operates in 50 countries with more than 460 stores worldwide.

The Louis Vuitton label was founded by Vuitton in 1854 on Rue Neuve des Capucines in Paris, France. Louis Vuitton had observed that the HJ Cave Osilite trunk could be easily stacked. In 1858, Vuitton introduced his flat-topped trunks with trianon canvas, making them lightweight and airtight. Before the introduction of Vuitton's trunks, rounded-top trunks were used, generally to promote water runoff, and thus could not be stacked. It was Vuitton's gray Trianon canvas flat trunk that allowed the ability to stack them on top of another with ease for voyages. Many other luggage makers later imitated LV's style and design.

The company participated in the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1871, Ōyama Iwao became the first recorded Japanese customer, ordering a set of luggage while in Paris as a military observer during the Franco-Prussian War. To protect against the duplication of his look, Vuitton changed the Trianon design to a beige and brown stripes design in 1876. By 1885, the company opened its first store in London on Oxford Street. Soon thereafter, due to the continuing imitation of his look, in 1888, Vuitton created the Damier Canvas pattern, which bore a logo that reads "marque L. Vuitton déposée", which translates into "L. Vuitton registered trademark". In 1892, Louis Vuitton died, and the company's management passed to his son.

Ad for Louis Vuitton luggage, 1898

After the death of his father, Georges Vuitton began a campaign to build the company into a worldwide corporation, exhibiting the company's products at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. In 1896, the company launched the signature Monogram Canvas and made the worldwide patents on it. Its graphic symbols, including quatrefoils and flowers (as well as the LV monogram), were based on the trend of using Japanese Mon designs in the late Victorian era. The patents later proved to be successful in stopping counterfeiting. In this same year, Georges travelled to the United States, where he toured cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, selling Vuitton products. In 1901, the Louis Vuitton Company introduced the Steamer Bag, a smaller piece of luggage designed to be kept inside Vuitton luggage trunks.

By 1913, the Louis Vuitton Building opened on the Champs-Elysees. It was the largest travel-goods store in the world at the time. Stores also opened in New York, Bombay, Washington, London, Alexandria, and Buenos Aires as World War I began. Afterwards, in 1930, the Keepall bag was introduced. During 1932, LV introduced the Noé bag. This bag was originally made for champagne vintners to transport bottles. Soon thereafter, the Louis Vuitton Speedy bag was introduced (both are still manufactured today).[10] In 1936 Georges Vuitton died, and his son, Gaston-Louis Vuitton, assumed control of the company.

Collaboration

During World War II, Louis Vuitton collaborated with the Nazis during the German occupation of France. The French book Louis Vuitton, A French Saga, authored by French journalist Stephanie Bonvicini and published by Paris-based Editions Fayard tells how members of the Vuitton family actively aided the puppet government led by Marshal Philippe Pétain and increased their wealth from their business affairs with the Germans. The family set up a factory dedicated to producing artefacts glorifying Pétain, including more than 2,500 busts.

Caroline Babulle, a spokeswoman for the publisher, Fayard, said: "They have not contested anything in the book, but they are trying to bury it by pretending it doesn't exist." Responding to the book's release in 2004, a spokesman for LVMH said: "This is ancient history. The book covers a period when it was family-run and long before it became part of LVMH. We are diverse, tolerant and all the things a modern company should be." An LVMH spokesman told the satirical magazine Le Canard Enchaîné: "We don't deny the facts, but regrettably the author has exaggerated the Vichy episode. We haven't put any pressure on anyone. If the journalists want to censor themselves, then that suits us fine." That publication was the only French periodical to mention the book, LVMH is the country's biggest advertiser in the press.

1945 through 2000

During this period, Louis Vuitton began to incorporate leather into most of its products, which ranged from small purses and wallets to larger pieces of luggage. In order to broaden its line, the company revamped its signature Monogram Canvas in 1959 to make it more supple, allowing it to be used for purses, bags, and wallets. It is believed that in the 1920s, counterfeiting returned as a greater issue to continue on into the 21st century. In 1966, the Papillon was launched (a cylindrical bag that is still popular today). By 1977 with annual revenue up to 70 million Francs ($14.27 million US$). A year later, the label opened its first stores in Japan: in Tokyo and Osaka. In 1983, the company joined with America's Cup to form the Louis Vuitton Cup, a preliminary competition (known as an eliminatory regatta) for the yacht race. Louis Vuitton later expanded its presence in Asia with the opening of a store in Taipei, Taiwan in 1983 and Seoul, South Korea in 1984. In the following year, 1985, the Epi leather line was introduced.

1987 saw the creation of LVMH. Moët et Chandon and Hennessy, leading manufacturers of champagne and cognac, merged respectively with Louis Vuitton to form the luxury goods conglomerate. Profits for 1988 were reported to have been up by 49% more than in 1987. By 1989, Louis Vuitton came to operate 130 stores worldwide. Entering the 1990s, Yves Carcelle was named president of LV, and in 1992, his brand opened its first Chinese location at the Palace Hotel in Beijing. Further products became introduced such as the Taiga leather line in 1993, and the literature collection of Voyager Avec... in 1994. In 1996, the celebration of the Centennial of the Monogram Canvas was held in seven cities worldwide.

In 1997, Louis Vuitton made Marc Jacobs its Artistic Director. In March of the following year, he designed and introduced the company's first "prêt-à-porter" line of clothing for men and women. Also in this year products introduced included the Monogram Vernis line, the LV scrapbooks, and the Louis Vuitton City Guide.

The last events in the 20th century were the release of the mini monogram line in 1999, the opening of the first store in Africa in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2000, and finally, the auction at the International Film Festival in Venice, Italy, where the vanity case "amfAR" designed by Sharon Stone was sold, with the proceeds going to the Foundation for AIDS Research (also in 2000).

2001 to 2011

By 2001, Stephen Sprouse, in collaboration with Marc Jacobs, designed a limited-edition line of Vuitton bags that featured graffiti written over the monogram pattern. The graffiti read Louis Vuitton and, on certain bags, the name of the bag (such as Keepall and Speedy). Certain pieces, which featured the graffiti without the Monogram Canvas background, were only available on Louis Vuitton's V.I.P. customer list. Jacobs also created the charm bracelet, the first-ever piece of jewellery from LV, within the same year.

In 2002, the Tambour watch collection was introduced. During this year, the LV building in Tokyo's Ginza district was opened, and the brand collaborated with Bob Wilson for its Christmas windows scenography. In 2003, Takashi Murakami, in collaboration with Marc Jacobs, masterminded the new Monogram Multicolore canvas range of handbags and accessories. This range included the monograms of the standard Monogram Canvas but in 33 different colors on either a white or black background. (The classic canvas features gold monograms on a brown background.) Murakami also created the Cherry Blossom pattern, in which smiling cartoon faces in the middle of pink and yellow flowers were sporadically placed atop the Monogram Canvas. This pattern appeared on a limited number of pieces. The production of this limited-edition run was discontinued in June 2003. Within 2003, the stores in Moscow, Russia and in New Delhi, India were opened, the Utah and Suhali leather lines were released, and the 20th anniversary of the LV Cup was held.

In 2004, Louis Vuitton celebrated its 150th anniversary. The brand also inaugurated stores in New York City (on Fifth Avenue), São Paulo, Mexico City, Cancun and Johannesburg. It also opened its first global store in Shanghai. By 2005, Louis Vuitton reopened its Champs-Élysées store in Paris designed by the American Architect Eric Carlson and released the Speedy watch collection. In 2006, LV held the inauguration of the Espace Louis Vuitton on its 7th floor.[10] In 2008, Louis Vuitton released the Damier Graphite canvas. The canvas features the classic Damier pattern but in black and grey, giving it a masculine look and urban feel. Also in 2008, Pharrell Williams co-designed a series of jewellery ("Blason") and glasses for Louis Vuitton.[18]

In 2010, Louis Vuitton opened what it described as their most luxurious store in London.

In early 2011, Louis Vuitton hired Kim Jones as its "Men Ready-to-Wear Studio and Style Director". He became the lead designer of menswear while working under the company-wide artistic directorship of Marc Jacobs.

On 17 September 2011, the company opened its Louis Vuitton Island Maison at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

2012 to present

As of September 2013, the company hired Darren Spaziani to lead its accessory collection.

On 4 November 2013, the company confirmed that Nicolas Ghesquière had been hired to replace Marc Jacobs as artistic director of women's collections. Ghesquière's first line for the company was shown in Paris in March 2014.

On 7 April 2014, Edouard Schneider became the head of press and public relations at Louis Vuitton under Frédéric Winckler, who is Vuitton's communications and events director.

On 26 March 2018, Virgil Abloh was named artistic director of men's wear, replacing Kim Jones who had departed for Dior[25]—he is the label's first African-American artistic director and one of few black designers of a major European fashion house.[26] His debut show was held at the 2018 Paris Men's Fashion Week and staged in the historical Palais-Royal gardens' courtyard.[27][28]

Brand

The Louis Vuitton brand and the LV monogram are among the world's most valuable brands. According to a Millward Brown 2010 study, Louis Vuitton was then the world's 19th most valuable brand, and was estimated to be worth over US$19 billion.[30] For six consecutive years, Louis Vuitton was number one of the 10 most powerful brands list published by the Millward Brown Optimor's 2011 BrandZ study with value of $24.3 billion. It was more than double the value of the second ranking brand.

A Louis Vuitton "Sarah Wallet"

Louis Vuitton is one of the most counterfeited brands in the fashion world due to its image as a status symbol. Ironically, the signature Monogram Canvas was created to prevent counterfeiting. In 2004, Louis Vuitton fakes accounted for 18% of counterfeit accessories seized in the European Union.

The company actively seeks to eradicate counterfeiting, and employs a team of lawyers and special investigation agencies to pursue offenders through the courts worldwide. The company allocates approximately half of its communications budget to counteract counterfeiting of its goods. LVMH, Vuitton's parent company, has described "Some 60 people at various levels of responsibility working full-time on anti-counterfeiting in collaboration with a wide network of outside investigators and a team of lawyers." The company closely controls the distribution of its products. Until the 1980s, Vuitton products were widely sold in department stores, such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Today, Vuitton products are primarily available at company-owned Louis Vuitton boutiques, with a small number of exceptions noted in upscale shopping districts or inside luxury department stores. Company boutiques within department stores operate independently, and are operated by company managers and employees. LV has an official online store, through its main website.

In 2006, the company filed a lawsuit against Colorado-based Manifest Information Services Ltd. (aka Manifest Hostmaster and Manifest.com), through WIPO, in order to compel Manifest transfer the domain name LV.com to Louis Vuitton; the legal action failed and the domain was subsequently acquired by Liverpool Victoria (LV=), England's largest fraternal insurance company.

Several high-profile rap music artists have mentioned the company in song lyrics, most notably: Bohemia, Kanye West, Juicy J, and Wiz Khalifa.

Products

Louis Vuitton shopwindow (2019) Houston, United States

Since the 19th century, Louis Vuitton trunks have been made by hand. Contemporary Fashion gives a preview of the creation of the LV trunks: "The craftsmen line up the leather and canvas, tapping in the tiny nails one by one and securing the five-letter solid pick-proof brass locks with an individual handmade key, designed to allow the traveler to have only one key for all of his or her luggage. The wooden frames of each trunk are made of 30-year-old poplar that has been allowed to dry for at least four years. Each trunk has a serial number and can take up to 60 hours to make, and a suitcase as many as 15 hours."

Iconic bags of Louis Vuitton include the Speedy bag and Neverfull bags. Each season Louis Vuitton produces rare, limited edition bags that are generally only available by reservation through larger Louis Vuitton stores.

Many of the company's products utilize the brown Damier and Monogram Canvas materials, both of which were first used in the late 19th century. All of the company's products exhibit the eponymous LV initials. The company markets its product through its own stores located throughout the world, which allows it to control product quality and pricing. It also allows LV to prevent counterfeit products entering its distribution channels. In addition, the company distributes its products through the company's own website, LouisVuitton.com.

Advertising campaigns

The Louis Vuitton company cultivates a celebrity following and has featured famous models, musicians and actors, such as Jennifer Lopez, Keith Richards, Madonna, Sean Connery, Matthias Schoenaerts, Angelina Jolie, Gisele Bündchen, Mikhail Gorbachev, and David Bowie in its marketing campaigns.

The company commonly uses print ads in magazines and billboards in cosmopolitan cities. Louis Vuitton Posters by Razzia were popular in the 1980s. It previously relied on selected press for its advertising campaigns (frequently involving prestigious stars like Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi and Catherine Deneuve) shot by Annie Leibovitz. However, Antoine Arnault, director of the communication department, has recently decided to enter the world of television and cinema: The commercial (90 seconds) is exploring the theme "Where will life take you?" and is translated into 13 different languages. This is the first Vuitton commercial ad ever and was directed by renowned French ad director Bruno Aveillan.

In 2002, president and CEO of LVMH Watches Daniel Lalonde (later, global CEO for LVMH brands Moët and Dom Pérignon) recruited celebrities, such as Maria Sharapova, Brad Pitt, Tiger Woods, and Uma Thurman, for advertising campaigns photographed by Patrick Demarchelier. Ads featuring Woods reportedly led to a 30% boost in sales, resulting in TAG Heuer being rated as the No. 2 luxury watch brand in America by 2005.

Michael Kors is a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready-to-wear. His namesake company, established in 1981, currently produces a range of products under his signature Michael Kors Collection, MICHAEL Michael Kors and Michael Kors Mens labels. These products include accessories, footwear, watches, jewelry, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, wearable technology, eyewear and a full line of fragrance products.

Michael Kors stores are operated, either directly or through licensing partners, in some of the most prestigious cities in the world, including New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago, London, Milan, Paris, Munich, Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Rio de Janeiro. The company prides itself on hiring and retaining diverse talent and providing an inclusive work environment for all, while celebrating global events and cultures that reflect the diversity, experiences and perspectives of people around the world.

Behind this burgeoning empire stands a singular designer with an innate sense of glamour and an unfailing eye for timeless chic. Michael Kors has won numerous accolades within the fashion industry, been honored for his philanthropy, and earned the respect and affection of millions. Wholly dedicated to a vision of style that is as sophisticated as it is indulgent, as iconic as it is modern, he has created an enduring luxury lifestyle empire with a global reach.

“I design for women and men who need clothing and accessories that can keep up with their fast-paced lives and make them feel like their best selves.”

MICHAEL'S STORY

Designer Michael Kors was raised in Merrick, Long Island, a suburban town 23 miles from New York City. His keen eye for fashion was evident at a young age: at five, he advised his mother, Joan, to cut the bows off her wedding dress for her second marriage. She removed the bows.

Kors graduated from high school in 1977 and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. He also took a job at Lothar’s, a trendsetting boutique on West 57th Street, where his talents were noticed by Dawn Mello, then executive vice president of Bergdorf Goodman. Mello encouraged Kors to contact her if he ever designed a collection. Kors did just that, and in 1981 officially launched his own line. He held his first runway show in 1984, sending Iman down the runway in a turtleneck and gray flannels.

Kors was successful from the start, designing chic, luxurious sportswear that was both glamorous and effortless. He built a reputation as a designer who understands how women live and how they want feel in their clothes—confident, at ease, indulged and in control. By combining pragmatism with an unerring sense of chic, Kors’ unique take on “all American sportswear” would eventually go global.

“People think of sportswear as uniquely American, but women around the world love playing with separates because they can put their own spin on them,” Kors has said. “The creative thinking behind sportswear is the same no matter where you are—it’s all about great pieces that women can wear every day.”

From 1997 to 2004, as he continued to build his own business, Michael Kors also served as creative director of Céline, the renowned French luxury brand. The appointment was notable—few American designers had headed up French brands—and his impact was significant. Kors is widely credited with restoring the brand’s luster, reestablishing it as a major European fashion house. During that same period, he launched Michael Kors Mens (2002) and MICHAEL Michael Kors (2004).

Despite the demands of running a global fashion house, Kors has always focused on giving back. For over 25 years he has been a passionate supporter of God’s Love We Deliver, a non-profit organization that cooks and delivers nutritious meals to people living with serious illnesses in and around New York City. In 2013 Michael Kors launched “Watch Hunger Stop,” partnering with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help fight world hunger. To date, Michael Kors has helped WFP deliver over 17 million meals to hungry children. In 2015 the designer was named Global Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme.

MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION

Michael Kors launched his all-American sportswear label in 1981, earning countless awards, an A-list clientele and global recognition for his luxurious take on sophisticated clothes designed for a woman’s everyday life. Synonymous with easy glamour, timelessness and a jet set lifestyle, the collection includes sophisticated separates and eveningwear as well as shoes, handbags and other accessories.

EXPLORE MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION

MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS

MICHAEL Michael Kors is a cool collection with a strong fashion identity, featuring a fresh mix of trends, colors, fabrics, prints and silhouettes that are always of-the-moment, that are sporty in feel but urban in attitude, conjuring a jet set lifestyle. It offers a piece for every occasion, accessible luxury with a hint of the unexpected, modern glamour with an element of ease.

EXPLORE MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS

MICHAEL KORS MENS

Michael Kors menswear is an innovative collection with a modern American style—cool, sporty, sophisticated. Its signature sensibility is rooted in rich sportswear, sleek tailoring and essential luxury. It offers the perfect balance of polish and ease, with silhouettes that are casual yet luxurious, comfortable yet sharp, urban yet rugged.