The fashion industry is known for its fast pace and ever-changing features, readily receiving and swiftly shedding an array of trends and styles at any given moment. Yet countless brands - such as Lacoste, Lyle and Scott, and Fred Perry - have endured the demands of the chameleon-like industry, moulding to its necessities while maintaining a host of defining qualities. Many of these brands are well established, with some initially emerging in the mid to late 1800s; yet a lot of names in the industry continue to flourish by combining and balancing a range of qualities - ranging from "old" brand appeal to modern and innovative trends.
While many now-established fashion brands might have once focused on practicality, consumers today seek style, comfort, and quality - in addition to practicality - in the fashions they wear. Many brands have successfully established distinctive and classic styles over the years, but it's taken much more to keep today's consumers coming back. Targeted consumer marketing, dedicated product collections, and a commitment to modern consumer trends are all now a part of creating and maintaining a strong brand.
Many established brands exemplify this model. So what is it that makes these brands just as popular today as they were when they were initially launched? For starters, all of them own an enduring and memorable brand logo - for example, Lacoste's crocodile or Lyle and Scott's American eagle - which is essential in upholding a strong product brand. Each of them has also upheld their original, distinctive styles - whether with regard to Lacoste's famous soft knit polo shirts, or Lyle and Scott's characteristic lambswool V-neck jumpers.
However, keeping to classic and often simple styles hasn't kept these companies from expanding their product lines or extending their products to a wider consumer base. For example, Lyle and Scott - founded in 1874 - have applied their style to special collections, including vintage and accessory lines, which have attracted younger customers and celebrities such as Dermot O'Leary, Tim Lovejoy, and Pete Doherty, as well as young bands like the Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian. Yet the same Scottish company also clearly values tradition, offering a golfing collection that coincides with the brand's own heritage. Of course, no company - new or established - can overlook the increasing importance of modern consumer trends and processes, like a growing tendency to shop online, or an expectation for services like international shipping.
So, while it's important to maintain traditions responsible for establishing a company, its products, its logo and image - for example, classic Lyle and Scott jumpers with the American eagle logo - it's also smart for older brands to grow alongside changing consumer tastes and evolving fashion trends.