SYNONYMOUS WITH CLOTHING CULTURE SYNONYMOUS WITH CLOTHING CULTURE
UNCOMPROMISING QUALITY CRITERIA COMBINED WITH INTERNATIONAL LIFESTYLE STANDARDS
HAVE MADE VAN LAACK A BRAND OF WORLD RENOWN. THE COMPANY'S DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN
CHARACTERISED BY SPECIAL DYNAMICS AT EVERY STAGE. AT PRESENT, THE FOCUS IS ON FURTHER
GLOBALIZATION AND PRODUCING THE TOTAL LOOK.
THE BRAND
THE EMBROIDERED VAN LAACK CROWN, OUR PATENTED THREE-HOLE BUTTON IN PRECIOUS
MOTHER-OF-PEARL AND ONLY THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF MATERIALS - INSIDERS RECOGNIZE
VAN LAACK
AT FIRST SIGHT WITHOUT ANY OBTRUSIVE SYMBOLS, WHICH WOULD ONLY INTERFERE WITH THE BRAND'S
UNDERSTATEMENT. OUR CORE PRODUCTS - VAN LAACK SHIRTS AND VAN LAACK BLOUSES - HAVE BECOME
STATUS SYMBOLS. THE PRESENT PRODUCT RANGE ALSO COMPRISES MEN'S WEAR WITH ACCESSORIES SUCH
AS BELTS AND NECKTIES, WOMEN'S WEAR INCLUDING SQUARES, SHAWLS AND BELTS AS WELL AS MEN'S
BODY/BEACHWEAR AND SLEEP/HOME WEAR. THE EVOLUTION OF THE BRAND INTO AN OUTFIT EXPERT IS
CLEARLY REFLECTED BY BOTH THE FIRM'S OWN STORES, FRANCHISE SHOPS, THE SHOP-IN-SHOP
CONCEPTS AND LAST NOT LEAST - BY THE COMPANY'S MARKETING.
COMPETENCE
WORLDWIDE, 'MADE BY VAN LAACK' STANDS FOR CONSISTENT STYLING AND COMPETENCE.
OPERATING SEVEN OF ITS OWN MANUFACTURING SITES IN FIVE COUNTRIES, THE VAN LAACK TEAM IS
OBSESSED WITH ACHIEVING UNPARALLELED QUALITY STANDARDS. A HIGH SHARE OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND
THE USE OF ONLY THE MOST PRECIOUS MATERIALS GUARANTEE THE HIGH CLASS OF THE COLLECTION.
THIS EXPERTISE IS EXTERIORIZED IN COOPERATION WITH SELECTED TRADING PARTNERS IN 30
COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE AS WELL AS IN VAN LAACK'S OWN EXCLUSIVE SHOPS. THIS EVOLUTION PROCESS
FROM A SEPARATES INTO AN OUTFIT PRODUCER HAS BEEN ACCOMPANIED BY DM 50 MILLION SPENDING
AIMED AT DOUBLING THE TURNOVER OF CURRENTLY DM 100 MILLION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
MARKETING
THE MESSAGE OF THE TOTAL LOOK SUPPLIER IS ALSO BACKED UP BY A CENTRALIZED VAN
LAACK DISTRIBUTION, WHICH ALSO HANDLES ALL LICENCE PRODUCTION. ALL OF THIS IS ACCOMPANIED
BY A POWERFUL MARKETING CAMPAIGN INCLUDING CONSUMER ADVERTISING. THE COMPANY IS
REPRESENTED IN THE MAJOR CITIES WORLDWIDE, EITHER WITH ITS OWN STORES, FRANCHISE SHOPS, OR
SHOP-IN-SHOPS. THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF THIS STRATEGY IS THE VAN LAACK STORE OPENED AT RUE
DE FAUBOURG IN PARIS LAST YEAR, STOCKING THE ENTIRE MEN'S AND WOMEN'S RANGE. EIGHT
SO-CALLED 'LIGHTHOUSE STORES' ARE PLANNED FOR EAST ASIAN METROPOLES, THREE OF WHICH
HAVE ALREADY OPENED.
GLOBALISATION
AT PRESENT, APPROXIMATELY 38% OF THE VAN LAACK OUTPUT IS EXPORTED TO 40
COUNTRIES ON FIVE CONTINENTS.
SO FAR GLOBALIZATION HAD BEEN FOCUSING ON THE FAR EAST, WHERE THE SITUATION HAS
CALMED DOWN AGAIN. FOR THREE YEARS VAN LAACK HAS BEEN WORKING WITH GREAT RIVER INDUSTRIES
IN JAKARTA, WHICH SUCCESSFULLY DISTRIBUTES THE PRODUCTS IN SINGAPORE, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA
AND BRUNEI. OPTIONAL DISTRIBUTION IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, THAILAND
AND THE PHILIPPINES. 100 SHOP-IN-SHOPS ARE PLANNED TO OPEN IN THIS REGION BY THE END OF
1999; 40 HAVE OPENED ALREADY. THE GREAT RIVER/VAN LAACK INDONESIA PRODUCTIONS (50/50 JOINT
VENTURE) HAS SEEN A PROMISING START.
THE COMPANY
STRIKING A HAPPY MEDIUM BETWEEN TRADITIONAL VALUES AND THE RESPONSE TO
CONTEMPORARY DYNAMICS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE KEY TO SUCCESS FOR THE COMPANY FOUNDED IN 1881 -
ONE OF THE FEW IN ITS INDUSTRY TO OVERCOME BOTH POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CRISES.
FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS HAVE BEEN LOCATED IN
M6NCHENGLADBACH AT A FACTORY DATING BACK TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. CAREFULLY
REFURBISHED, THESE HEADQUARTERS HAVE A STRIKINGLY AUTHENTIC LOOK. THE FEELING FOR
'ZEITGEIST' IS REFLECTED IN THE WORKING ATMOSPHERE AND THE CORPORATE CULTURE, JUST AS IT
IS IN EVERY LITTLE DESIGN FEATURE OF THE VAN LAACK PRODUCTS.
ACTION FOLLOWS ECOLOGY
ALL VAN LAACK ACTIVITIES ARE BASED ON A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM ACCORDING TO THE ECO-AUDIT ORDINANCE. THE HIGHEST QUALITY STANDARDS ARE ALSO KEPT
AS REGARDS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. LIKEWISE, ALL SUPPLIERS HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE
STRICT ECOLOGICAL QUALITY REQUIREMENTS. THUS, ECOLOGY AND ECONOMY ARE IN PERFECT HARMONY.
