Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney are some of the stellar names in PPR’s luxury stable. The Paris-based group, run by CEO François-Henri Pinault, has Friday confirmed news of a company rebrand, in a shake-up designed to consolidate the company’s image in the eyes of consumers. From June 18, the business formerly known as PPR (originally Pinault-Printemps-Redoute) will be called Kering.
Kering (the word has its origins in the Breton language, meaning ‘house’ or ‘foyer’), also unveiled a visual identity includuing an owl logo with a heart-shaped face, and a new tagline “Empowering Imagination.”
“This is the first big change we have done on the name and identity of the group,” Chief Executive Francois-Henri Pinault told reporters.
Pinault said the new name draws on the company’s roots in France’s Brittany region but projects it internationally. “Ker” signifies home in Breton, Mr. Pinault said. The “ing” component of the name is meant to invoke action in the English language, such as “being” and “going”, Mr. Pinault said.
The pronunciation of the name, “caring”, signifies the group’s approach of cultivating its brands. “We are there to care for the brand and take care of the brand,” Pinault added.
Founded in 1963 by businessman François Pinault, the company is now run by his son and has been a publicly-traded entity since 1988. The transition to a luxury holding began with an investment in 1999 in the Italian leather goods specialist and fashion brand Gucci Group.
Kering also own sports brand Puma, and in January this year purchased a 51 percent stake in emerging London design talent Christopher Kane.