Kohl's Center for Retailing
Title slide introducing the Akris Brand Consulting Project. Includes names of four student presenters from UW-Madison.
Brand logo of the Akris brand spelled out in bold black font.

Akris: Honoring Craft and Heritage

The revitalization of an iconic heritage brand:

Develop a brand pitch and go-to-market plan for a luxury brand. That was the opportunity presented to four Human Ecology students through a collaboration with high-end Swiss fashion brand Akris and the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology Kohl’s Center for Retailing(KCR).

At the project kickoff, Akris executives shared with the student consulting team that the brand is interested in reaching a younger audience. After three months of translating interests and concepts into concrete marketing and merchandising ideas, the student team introduced strategies to help Akris connect with a younger customer demographic, focusing on handbags as an entry point.

"What really drew me to this project was the unique opportunity to work with a high-profile luxury brand and the challenge of navigating the balance between its heritage and voice with the expectations of the modern consumer”

Bridget Flannery, Consumer Behavior and Marketplace Studies '26

Honoring Craft & Empowering Women

The School of Human Ecology and Akris have a lot in common. Both the school and luxury brand came to be thanks to the efforts of women who advocated for a better future.

Inspired by Akris’ matriarch, the student consulting team leaned into the theme of women’s empowerment. The proposed marketing plan leads with storytelling, which includes the “It all started with Alice” bag campaign. By honoring and celebrating its woman-founded roots, the student team suggested that Akris can attract prospective customers who relate to being a woman in the workplace, leading with grace and confidence. Additional market plan aspects included creating new handbag accessories, such as a plush horse key ring charm, which pays homage to the brand’s extensive expertise in horsehair weaving.

Title slide introducing the Akris Brand Consulting Project. Includes names of four student presenters from UW-Madison.
Overview of the presentation structure, including executive summary, marketing plans, customer profiles, and appendix.
Project prompt and key recommendations for engaging new customers through storytelling, social media, and artist collaborations.
Two customer profiles, one that is age 50-70, one that is age 35-55 that includes their unique fashion preferences and shopping habits.
Competitive analysis between Hermes, Celine, Loewe, Jacquemus, The Row, Loro Piana, and Akris that compares their Instagram followers, and core age demographic. Chart highlights where each brand falls on a graph where the Y Axis is Instagram followers and the X axis is quality. Image on the slide shows an Instagram collage showcasing artisanal process and emotional storytelling.
Mood board of Akris brand elements and storytelling themes - craftsmanship, heritage, and empowering women.
Highlighting first "story to tell" - craft and heritage. Slide includes an Instagram mock-up featuring an embroidered Alice bag inspired by St. Gallen tradition.
Continuation of story to tell: craft and heritage. This slide includes an artistic photo of horsehair weaving and animation concept of Akris craftsmanship. The second photo on this slide is a creative photoshoot featuring contemporary art-inspired visuals aligned with Akris values.
Stories to tell: craft and heritage and empowering women. This slide contains a ballet-themed photoshoot with dancers holding Alice bags, highlighting elegance and movement.
Continuation of stories to tell - empowering women. This slide contains an archival photo of Akris blouse from 1953, and release photos from Kriemler family emphasizing brand heritage and women in business.
Brand market plan - social media campaign. This slide contains a collage of Akris wearers and Swiss fiber artists, promoting community and artistic collaboration.
Brand market plan - handbag accessories. This slide contains product mockups of Alice bag with horse key ring and customizable charm.
Brand market plan - handbag accessories. This slide contains celebrities Britt Lower and Tracee Ellis Ross featured with Alice bags as brand icons.
Brand market plan - events. This slide contains a "five to nine" event proposal featuring a picture from an Akris boutique cocktail hour, showing women networking and shopping.
Retail market plan - in-store installation. This slide contains a proposal for an Akris store at Saks Fifth Avenue, NYC, showcasing horsehair weaving and movement
Retail Market Plan - Window display. This slide contains a concept image for Akris boutique in Chicago with ballet-inspired textures and elegance
Retail market plan - fashion forward styling. This slide contains an editorial-style fashion shoot featuring bold styling with Alice bag and Spring 2025 collection
Wholesale market plan. This slide contains visuals of recommended wholesalers like The Webster and Dover Street Market with artistic retail environments.
Conclusion. This slide is the final presentation slide with collage of Akris branding, handbags, and storytelling themes.

"We all enjoyed this collaboration, the insights the team provided — some of which we will move to action — and would welcome the opportunity to collaborate on future projects."

Melissa Beste, Akris Global CEO, University of Wisconsin-Madison Alum '94

Retail Market Plan: Window Display

The student team mocked up a window display strategy that invites prospective customers into the new Akris store in Chicago with an exciting installation inspired by the elegance and strength of ballet dancers. Elements include textures and fabrics that showcase Akris craftsmanship.

Retail market plan - window display. This is a concept image for Akris boutique in Chicago with ballet-inspired textures and elegance.

In the News:

Luxury brand consultants: Students use coursework to propose innovative market plan

Akris points of differentiation. This slide contains a mood board of Akris brand elements and storytelling themes - craftsmanship, female empowerment.

"I’m so proud of the work and dedication from our students on this project. This experience allowed students to collaborate in new ways, gain exposure to their future profession, present to Akris and school leadership and create connections to start their careers."

Laura Hensen, Kohl's Center for Retailing Executive Director