From Sketch to Store: Inside the Fashion Supply Chain (Louis Vuitton & Saint Laurent Case Study)
365 days of fashion: the e-ncyclopedia of fashion
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
If you’ve ever walked into a Louis Vuitton boutique or clicked “Add to Bag” on Saint Laurent’s e-commerce site, you’ve likely admired the design, craftsmanship, or branding.
But have you ever asked yourself: How did this product get here?
Today, we’re going behind the scenes of the fashion supply chain — the often-invisible backbone that keeps the entire industry moving.
Spoiler: it's not just about shipping. It’s about control, speed, strategy, and millions of euros.
Let’s unpack it, step by step.
Step 1: Design & Planning
What happens here: This is where the concept is born. Designers sketch, creative directors shape the collection’s vision, and merchandisers and planners ensure it makes business sense.
Why it matters: A beautiful product that doesn’t sell isn’t a success. This step bridges creativity and commerciality, ensuring what’s being designed is also what consumers want.
Careers involved:
Fashion Designers – ideate, sketch, and develop prototypes.
Creative Directors – oversee the artistic vision (e.g., Nicolas Ghesquière at LV, Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent).
Fashion Merchandisers – analyze past sales, trends, pricing, and customer preferences.
Product Developers – plan the technical process of turning a sketch into a real product.
Examples:
Louis Vuitton’s Tyler, the Creator capsule (Spring 2024) introduced a playful twist on their monogram, designed outside the traditional seasonal calendar.
LV also releases Asia-exclusive Lunar New Year capsules, tailored to local tastes and timelines.
This is also when planners decide how many units will be produced, which markets they’ll go to, and at what price point, setting the whole chain in motion.