Paris (AFP)
Still often synonymous with inexpensive clothing, "Made in China" is gradually gaining ground in luxury thanks to high-end Chinese brands which are establishing themselves in Paris, the fashion capital, to reach a more international clientele.
"We are showing a fashion that comes from China but is aimed at the whole world, by creating new references in this country. We are highlighting a new + Made in China + of quality and refinement", summarizes the AFP Frenchwoman Isabelle Capron, managing director of Icicle Paris.
Founded in Shanghai in 1997, this Chinese brand has 270 stores in China, for a business volume of 250 million euros. In September, it opened its very first international boutique in Paris, almost 500 m2 on avenue George V, in the heart of the "golden triangle" of luxury.
"It is a springboard for our internationalization. Paris is the fashion capital, and the objective is to give visibility to the brand", underlines the representative of the Chinese brand who had made herself known in France by buying the Carven fashion house in 2018.
Icicle's creed? Only natural materials - cashmere, silk, cotton, wool, linen - and vegetable dyes - onion, walnut bark, isatis flower, tea. The clothes are made in China in three factories owned by the group.
But even today, clothes stamped "Made in China" remain synonymous with poor quality for many French and European consumers.
"The stereotypes are very tenacious: seven years ago, when I said that I joined a Chinese group, some people looked at me with in mind this image that the Chinese + have no taste +, that + they do poor quality +. But today, there is a real shift, this new wave of Chinese brands is a bottom line ", judge Isabelle Capron.
"I never felt hostility towards me or a closure. On the contrary, there has always been quite a bit of interest," said Dawei, a 38-year-old Chinese designer parading since February for Paris Fashion Week with the label bearing his name, which claims production in China "with Italian, French, Japanese and Chinese materials".
"Maybe since I studied in Paris, did my internships in big houses like Balenciaga or John Galliano and created my brand in Paris, I was never really considered as a foreigner from China. I am a designer who lives and works in Paris and who is of Chinese origin ", he summarizes.
- "Chinese Chanel" -
Uma Wang, Masha Ma, Yang Li, Jarel Zhang ... Several Chinese designers appear on the official calendar of Paris Fashion Week, alongside the pioneer Shiatzy Chen, who arrived in 2009 and the first Chinese brand to have set up shop on the famous Montaigne avenue.
Why Paris? "Because it is the cradle of + couture +, and having a creative studio there allows us to explore western tailoring techniques, and also to be at the heart of the latest trends," said AFP Wang Chen. Tsai-Hsia, founder of Shiatzy Chen.
The house launched in 1978 in Taiwan, has 70 stores in Asia. The collections, made in Shanghai and Taipei, seduce by the mixture of traditional know-how and contemporary cuts.
"We use a lot of craftsmanship and we have always been careful to integrate Chinese elements into our creations", highlights Wang Chen Tsai-Hsia, whose brand is often described as "Chinese Chanel".
Icicle, for its part, relies on a more "international" style and the growing demand for "natural and sustainable fashion: our core target is young professionals who want a sleek and durable garment", summarizes Isabelle Capron, whose brand offers a cashmere sweater for 550 euros, or a wool and silk coat from 1.150 euros.
The brand is more than a showcase. "We have a real plan for Paris and Europe. We will open a second address at the end of 2020 in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district," announced Ms. Capron.
Because for luxury expert Eric Briones, "to be desirable, including its Chinese customers, a Chinese brand cannot be limited to shops in its country, you have to exist in Paris, which fascinates" the Chinese, representing today some 35% of consumers of luxury goods worldwide.
According to the co-founder of the fashion school "Paris School of Luxury", this "rise of a new + Made in China + is only the beginning of a revolution, initiated by the young Chinese generation who wants to consume Chinese. A a return of affection for local brands which first touched streetwear and are beginning to spread to luxury. "
© 2019 AFP