Latest news with #AmericanVintage
Fashion Network
06-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Thriving American Vintage fêtes 20th anniversary, plans international expansion
Twenty years 'is both a long and a short time,' quipped Michaël Azoulay, founder in 2005 of Marseilles-based ready-to-wear brand American Vintage, whose casual, colourful style has become a fixture in the French fashion landscape, and elsewhere too. 'We have grown from two to more than 1,000 employees, we have evolved from a single-product company (white T-shirts) to selling complete collections for men, women and children, and our French, monochannel brand has become global and multichannel,' he added, talking about two 'fantastic, rewarding' decades. In 2024, American Vintage generated revenue just shy of €200 million, up approximately 20% over 2023, and this year it is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a party in Paris and other events worldwide. An opportunity to chat with Azoulay about his company's trajectory and expansion plans, notably aimed at export growth. The self-taught American Vintage boss is pleased to have managed - with the help of his staff - to give continuity to the brand's collections, and to appeal to a 'transgenerational, cosmopolitan' clientèle with the brand's evergreen, laid-back wardrobe and broad colour palette. But the journey has been by no means easy. 'We have had to weather critical junctures and difficult years, such as the shift from wholesale to [direct] retail, the impact of Covid-19, the invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation. I have learned a lot, and I would like to think that our company is a great fashion retail university for the employees who are working there, or who have been with us.' China expansion American Vintage is based in Signes, between Marseilles and Toulon. It currently operates 138 monobrand stores, 34 corners, 21 outlet stores, and 19 affiliated stores, and serves nearly 1,500 multibrand retailers. In 2024, the brand opened its first store in China, a joint venture with a local business that has already been followed by several others. This year, new stores are slated to open in nine cities, including Beijing, Wuhan and Chengdu, making it approximately 15 addresses in a year. 'The business is becoming significant, but we don't want to see American Vintage stores crop up all over China like mushrooms. Our aim is to manage our expansion,' said Azoulay. Another two stores have opened in Macau in recent months. In the USA, where a first address was inaugurated in New York in 2021, American Vintage is expanding its footprint with three openings scheduled for 2025 in Palo Alto, Los Angeles (on Abbot Kinney) and Boston. All of them directly operated by the brand. A store in Stanford is also on the cards. Azoulay isn't concerned about the impact of the US administration's policies on his business in the country, describing it as still quite small-scale. In Europe, the pace has slowed down somewhat, but openings are planned in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and France (one soon in Annecy, for example). Store fleet expansion was not initially a declared objective. 'Retail wasn't a calling, but I've always dreamed of being busy and of travelling. We all have an inborn survival instinct, and I am fuelled by the desire to rise and grow,' said Azoulay, 46, who has been followed around for several months by a film-maker shooting a documentary that will be broadcast on American Vintage's e-shop and social media channels. Filming has also taken place in some of the countries where the products are manufactured, for example Tunisia, Portugal, and Bulgaria. In April, American Vintage dropped a 20th anniversary collection, featuring unisex looks big on logos, patches and oversize silhouettes. A second instalment will be unveiled at the start of the fall/winter season. 'We have worked a lot on branding. American Vintage used to be a no-logo brand, but in recent seasons the name has been prominently displayed on our clothes. This extra visibility has helped boost sales. The concept has been pushed to the max in the anniversary collection, which features 20 or so different labels and tags affirming who we are. We're 20 years old, we can afford it,' said Azoulay. The company is described as profitable, and is still led by a trio of family shareholders consisting of Azoulay, his brother and his sister. 'China and the USA are expensive markets, you can't enter them if the business isn't healthy,' he said. The next projects? In September, the brand will launch a first line of performance sportswear, tapping a growth segment while still 'going for a directional approach.' American Vintage is also planning to build 'a new automated and mechanised logistics warehouse within two to three years,' according to Azoulay, who expects revenue to increase again in 2025.
Fashion Network
06-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Thriving American Vintage fêtes 20th anniversary, plans international expansion
Twenty years 'is both a long and a short time,' quipped Michaël Azoulay, founder in 2005 of Marseilles-based ready-to-wear brand American Vintage, whose casual, colourful style has become a fixture in the French fashion landscape, and elsewhere too. 'We have grown from two to more than 1,000 employees, we have evolved from a single-product company (white T-shirts) to selling complete collections for men, women and children, and our French, monochannel brand has become global and multichannel,' he added, talking about two 'fantastic, rewarding' decades. In 2024, American Vintage generated revenue just shy of €200 million, up approximately 20% over 2023, and this year it is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a party in Paris and other events worldwide. An opportunity to chat with Azoulay about his company's trajectory and expansion plans, notably aimed at export growth. The self-taught American Vintage boss is pleased to have managed - with the help of his staff - to give continuity to the brand's collections, and to appeal to a 'transgenerational, cosmopolitan' clientèle with the brand's evergreen, laid-back wardrobe and broad colour palette. But the journey has been by no means easy. 'We have had to weather critical junctures and difficult years, such as the shift from wholesale to [direct] retail, the impact of Covid-19, the invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation. I have learned a lot, and I would like to think that our company is a great fashion retail university for the employees who are working there, or who have been with us.' China expansion American Vintage is based in Signes, between Marseilles and Toulon. It currently operates 138 monobrand stores, 34 corners, 21 outlet stores, and 19 affiliated stores, and serves nearly 1,500 multibrand retailers. In 2024, the brand opened its first store in China, a joint venture with a local business that has already been followed by several others. This year, new stores are slated to open in nine cities, including Beijing, Wuhan and Chengdu, making it approximately 15 addresses in a year. 'The business is becoming significant, but we don't want to see American Vintage stores crop up all over China like mushrooms. Our aim is to manage our expansion,' said Azoulay. Another two stores have opened in Macau in recent months. In the USA, where a first address was inaugurated in New York in 2021, American Vintage is expanding its footprint with three openings scheduled for 2025 in Palo Alto, Los Angeles (on Abbot Kinney) and Boston. All of them directly operated by the brand. A store in Stanford is also on the cards. Azoulay isn't concerned about the impact of the US administration's policies on his business in the country, describing it as still quite small-scale. In Europe, the pace has slowed down somewhat, but openings are planned in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and France (one soon in Annecy, for example). Store fleet expansion was not initially a declared objective. 'Retail wasn't a calling, but I've always dreamed of being busy and of travelling. We all have an inborn survival instinct, and I am fuelled by the desire to rise and grow,' said Azoulay, 46, who has been followed around for several months by a film-maker shooting a documentary that will be broadcast on American Vintage's e-shop and social media channels. Filming has also taken place in some of the countries where the products are manufactured, for example Tunisia, Portugal, and Bulgaria. In April, American Vintage dropped a 20th anniversary collection, featuring unisex looks big on logos, patches and oversize silhouettes. A second instalment will be unveiled at the start of the fall/winter season. 'We have worked a lot on branding. American Vintage used to be a no-logo brand, but in recent seasons the name has been prominently displayed on our clothes. This extra visibility has helped boost sales. The concept has been pushed to the max in the anniversary collection, which features 20 or so different labels and tags affirming who we are. We're 20 years old, we can afford it,' said Azoulay. The company is described as profitable, and is still led by a trio of family shareholders consisting of Azoulay, his brother and his sister. 'China and the USA are expensive markets, you can't enter them if the business isn't healthy,' he said. The next projects? In September, the brand will launch a first line of performance sportswear, tapping a growth segment while still 'going for a directional approach.' American Vintage is also planning to build 'a new automated and mechanised logistics warehouse within two to three years,' according to Azoulay, who expects revenue to increase again in 2025.
Fashion Network
06-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Thriving American Vintage fêtes 20th anniversary, plans international expansion
Twenty years 'is both a long and a short time,' quipped Michaël Azoulay, founder in 2005 of Marseilles-based ready-to-wear brand American Vintage, whose casual, colourful style has become a fixture in the French fashion landscape, and elsewhere too. 'We have grown from two to more than 1,000 employees, we have evolved from a single-product company (white T-shirts) to selling complete collections for men, women and children, and our French, monochannel brand has become global and multichannel,' he added, talking about two 'fantastic, rewarding' decades. In 2024, American Vintage generated revenue just shy of €200 million, up approximately 20% over 2023, and this year it is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a party in Paris and other events worldwide. An opportunity to chat with Azoulay about his company's trajectory and expansion plans, notably aimed at export growth. The self-taught American Vintage boss is pleased to have managed - with the help of his staff - to give continuity to the brand's collections, and to appeal to a 'transgenerational, cosmopolitan' clientèle with the brand's evergreen, laid-back wardrobe and broad colour palette. But the journey has been by no means easy. 'We have had to weather critical junctures and difficult years, such as the shift from wholesale to [direct] retail, the impact of Covid-19, the invasion of Ukraine and rising inflation. I have learned a lot, and I would like to think that our company is a great fashion retail university for the employees who are working there, or who have been with us.' China expansion American Vintage is based in Signes, between Marseilles and Toulon. It currently operates 138 monobrand stores, 34 corners, 21 outlet stores, and 19 affiliated stores, and serves nearly 1,500 multibrand retailers. In 2024, the brand opened its first store in China, a joint venture with a local business that has already been followed by several others. This year, new stores are slated to open in nine cities, including Beijing, Wuhan and Chengdu, making it approximately 15 addresses in a year. 'The business is becoming significant, but we don't want to see American Vintage stores crop up all over China like mushrooms. Our aim is to manage our expansion,' said Azoulay. Another two stores have opened in Macau in recent months. In the USA, where a first address was inaugurated in New York in 2021, American Vintage is expanding its footprint with three openings scheduled for 2025 in Palo Alto, Los Angeles (on Abbot Kinney) and Boston. All of them directly operated by the brand. A store in Stanford is also on the cards. Azoulay isn't concerned about the impact of the US administration's policies on his business in the country, describing it as still quite small-scale. In Europe, the pace has slowed down somewhat, but openings are planned in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and France (one soon in Annecy, for example). Store fleet expansion was not initially a declared objective. 'Retail wasn't a calling, but I've always dreamed of being busy and of travelling. We all have an inborn survival instinct, and I am fuelled by the desire to rise and grow,' said Azoulay, 46, who has been followed around for several months by a film-maker shooting a documentary that will be broadcast on American Vintage's e-shop and social media channels. Filming has also taken place in some of the countries where the products are manufactured, for example Tunisia, Portugal, and Bulgaria. In April, American Vintage dropped a 20th anniversary collection, featuring unisex looks big on logos, patches and oversize silhouettes. A second instalment will be unveiled at the start of the fall/winter season. 'We have worked a lot on branding. American Vintage used to be a no-logo brand, but in recent seasons the name has been prominently displayed on our clothes. This extra visibility has helped boost sales. The concept has been pushed to the max in the anniversary collection, which features 20 or so different labels and tags affirming who we are. We're 20 years old, we can afford it,' said Azoulay. The company is described as profitable, and is still led by a trio of family shareholders consisting of Azoulay, his brother and his sister. 'China and the USA are expensive markets, you can't enter them if the business isn't healthy,' he said. The next projects? In September, the brand will launch a first line of performance sportswear, tapping a growth segment while still 'going for a directional approach.' American Vintage is also planning to build 'a new automated and mechanised logistics warehouse within two to three years,' according to Azoulay, who expects revenue to increase again in 2025.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China Experts Say Retail-tainment, Key Opinion Sales and a Focus on Culture Are Winning Strategies
LONDON — Out of adversity comes opportunity. As major luxury players tighten their belts, the Chinese contemporary market is finding ways to prosper in a difficult market. More from WWD Roche Bobois Slightly Misses 2024 Revenue Guidance, Says China Boosted Q4 Wenjüe Lu Blends Art, Fashion and Philosophy Mithridate Boss Tina Jiang Talks Rebrand, and New Creative Director Daniel Fletcher They're grabbing prime retail spots left vacant by underperforming luxury brands, harnessing the power of Chinese social media, and building engaging local communities. They're also using China's sophisticated livestream industry and logistics systems to sell to consumers on the hunt for quality, competitively priced fashion. According to Elisa Harca, chief executive officer and cofounder of marketing agency Red Ant Asia, brands that are likely to succeed in China today will possess 'a clear and compelling' value proposition. 'It's about offering true value, from quality to storytelling to brand values. Given the overwhelming choices available, brands must establish a strong identity to stand out. The ones who aren't truly interesting and aren't really committed to understanding the Chinese consumer culture and embracing its nuances won't last very long,' said Harca, whose agency looks after brands such as Byredo, Creed, Charlotte Tilbury and Balmain for the China region. A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works for China. Harca said that one of her company's clients, American Vintage, has partnered with Zeying, which is led by seasoned retail expert Haiqing Wang. The partnership led American Vintage to open eight stores in key cities in 2024. The store count is set to double by the end of 2025. According to Harca, American Vintage stands out for its competitive pricing and its offline-first model in China's e-commerce-driven retail landscape. Prior to the mainland China expansion, American Vintage started in Hong Kong via a partnership with the Rue Madame Group, a contemporary fashion retail operator founded by Ariane Zagury. Harca's other brands have pursued different avenues to growth. Alexandra Spencer and Teale Talbot's cult dress brand Réalisation Par, first used Xiaohongshu (known as Red Note outside of China), to capture the attention of overseas Chinese consumers before opening online flagships on Tmall and Xiaoshonghu. Harca said the brand now focuses on dressing girls in China in order to build a stronger bond with the country. Harca believes that presence on Xiaohongshu is fundamental. It connects with the global Chinese consumer, and fills a space left open by TikTok, the future of which is uncertain. Xiaohongshu also recently launched Little Red Star initiatives, which links data from Xiaohongshu to Tmall. Brands can gain deeper insights into campaign performance, enabling them to fine-tune their strategies for measurable sales growth. The tool also dovetails with the emergence of 'key opinion sales' across social commerce platforms. One glance at Xiaohongshu and it becomes clear that brands including Bottega Veneta, Burberry and Bulgari are encouraging sales associates to create their own communities. They're turning everyday staff into trusted influencers, driving personal engagement — and boosting sales. Pooky Lee, fashion curator and codirector of creative marketing agency Poptag, sees great potential in both. His agency specializes in helping brands like Prada, Miu Miu, Max Mara and Rimowa to brainstorm and execute China-focused campaigns. 'Key opinion sales is a hot topic in China at the moment, and many brands are leveraging the influence of their content for customer acquisitions on social platforms. Little Red Star provides a solid way to track this part of the business,' said Lee, adding that brands increasingly favor user-generated original content, instead of assets from headquarters. Connie Lee, CEO and chief marketing officer of Chelsey House, a brand and retail management platform looking after Zimmermann, Mackage, R13 and Sporty & Rich in China, believes China remains one of the most exciting markets for building a brand. She added that to compete, offering a great product is not enough. 'It's about creating a brand that resonates deeply with its audience. Chinese consumers are dynamic and aspirational, and they are drawn to brands that reflect their lifestyle and offer emotional value. To stand out, brands must create seamless, personalized experiences that feel intentional and are consistently executed across every touchpoint. When a brand fosters a sense of belonging and builds a genuine community, consumers don't just notice the brand; they want to be part of it,' Lee said. She pointed to retail-tainment, which ranges from fashion shows to celebrity Q&As to interactive product showcases during livestreaming, as a key means of creating experiences and connections for consumers to feel engaged and valued. While China represents a monumental opportunity, Lee also agreed with Harca that there's no one-size-fits-all approach. 'Success lies in a culturally aware strategy that balances local insights with a global vision. In 2025, adaptability will be more critical than ever. Brands must stay agile, quickly responding to the evolving market landscape, macro-policies and shifting consumer needs,' she said. Lee added: 'In today's challenging retail environment, a carefully managed offline distribution strategy — focused on key destinations and in-store experiences — paired with an omnichannel approach, offers sustainable growth.' Coco Yu, cofounder of the Shanghai- and London-based communication agency Arc, whose clients include Lululemon and Penhaligon's, cautioned that newcomers should not be in a rush to establish a presence across every possible channel in China. 'Start small and stay focused, conduct precise explorations. Once you've identified the right target audience and their profile, you can scale with confidence. At the same time, brands need to genuinely understand their customers. It's about adding emotional value that resonates deeply. Of course, genius-level creativity always stands out — it's timeless and irreplaceable,' Yu added. Louis Liu, cofounder and creative director of the Shenzhen- and New York-based creative agency Sixsix Studio, whose clients include Nars, Versace and Zegna, said the collaboration between Lancôme and artist Cai Guo-Qiang for the Year of the Snake was a great example of 'genius-level' creativity. 'He created a gunpowder painting for the brand called 'Paris Rose.' What's brilliant about it is that it's painted by cAI, a custom-built AI model. It learns from Cai's artistic oeuvre, extensive writings, archival materials and documentation. To me, this collaboration is not only a commercialization attempt for the buzzy artificial intelligence boom, but also an in-depth exploration of Chinese culture and art,' Liu said. A seasoned marketing executive, Liu believes that on a macro-level brands need to adopt a Chinese, core brand narrative to succeed in the long run. Top-performing fashion brands are usually experts in the field. Loewe, for example, has worked on several high-profile projects involving Chinese traditional arts and crafts. Last year the brand hosted a master jade carvers' pendant series. This year it paid homage to the ancient craft of Chinese cloisonné to mark the Year of the Snake. The cloisonné technique, which began in the Yuan Dynasty more than 600 years ago, uses ultra-fine bent wires to create designs on a metal base, which is then filled with colored enamel, fired, polished and gilded. The brand partnered with master Xiong Songtao, a Chinese arts and crafts master and the youngest of six living masters of Chinese cloisonné, for a set of necklaces with cloisonné pendants featuring the auspicious snake, monkey and cloud motifs. Burberry, which is in the thick of a promising turnaround plan, also jumped on the traditional craft bandwagon for its Chinese New Year campaign. Burberry dressed brand ambassador Zhang Jingyi, models Zhang Lina and Alex Schlab in red and tweaked its 'B' logo to create a small snake. The brand also teamed with one of China's most celebrated bamboo-weaving artists, Qian Lihuai, to create nine bamboo art sculptures, as well as a series of screen savers. So far, it's been a hit with online spectators in China. 'These projects embody a deep understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, history, tradition and consumer psychology. They represent the best scenarios — aligning the brand's global core values with local cultural innovation to create a distinctive, creative expression that resonates with the modern Chinese consumer. While these projects target a specific holiday moment, the cultural impact they generate is timeless and unmeasurable,' he said. 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