French furrier Yves Salomon is increasing his attain within the menswear enterprise. After presenting his first full males’s line for fall 2023, the model’s first summer season assortment will launch in January throughout Paris Males’s Week.
It’s been a piece-by-piece development for the reason that model created its first outerwear for males in 2015 after it found guys have been shopping for military-inspired ladies’s parkas off the rack. Salomon has slowly added objects since then.
“We had loads of requests, so we determined to increase it,” Salomon stated. “Really, loads of males like the best way we strategy trend — particularly our winter clothes.”
The autumn assortment options slim-cut jackets, blue and khaki trousers with suspenders, cashmere sweaters and the sensible informal quarter-zip collar popularized by “Succession.” Shearling coats are additionally provided.
Though the light-weight nature of the summer season season initially introduced a dilemma for the corporate — “It was a problem as a result of there isn’t any fur and no shearling,” he stated — Salomon goes full steam forward with the ready-to-wear collections and sees the class as a major progress driver. Males’s represents about 10 p.c of gross sales now, however he sees that growing to 30 p.c inside two years.
To assist obtain that objective, the model has opened a nook in Paris’ Le Bon Marché, and can open a pop-up in London’s Harrods — the one division retailer in U.Okay. that also sells fur — in December. “We’re glad with the outcomes — it is without doubt one of the finest[sellers] on the ground,” stated Salomon of the Le Bon Marché nook.
Along with the ready-to-wear, the model has additionally developed a full males’s ski assortment, which is offered principally in its 15 company-owned shops, centered in resorts world wide. The ski line can even have a giant push in China the place the objective is promote in 1,000 ski resorts by 2030. “There may be big demand within the winter ski garment sector there,” he stated.
Salomon sources materials from Italy and Spain, with fur coming from Scandinavia, with nearly all of the collections produced in France. Salomon stated they’re “utilizing their know-how” from the ladies’s strains for the boys’s assortment, which is designed by a crew based mostly in Paris.
“There may be demand for a luxurious product that can be modern, comfy and carried out with lovely materials,” he stated. “There’s a little little bit of a vacuum available in the market.”
New merchandise within the males’s line embrace cashmere sweaters, which have initially offered properly and might be expanded. And it has developed a variety of fur-alternatives for retailers and platforms comparable to Mr Porter, which have moral insurance policies.
“As a result of we shouldn’t have massive distribution, we really feel now we have an enormous potential for enlargement,” he stated.
As a option to beef up its wholesale presence, Salomon will take part in January’s Pitti Uomo present in an effort to succeed in new consumers. “We’re going to be fairly aggressive commercially to increase our distribution.” The corporate’s means to now supply two full collections a yr also needs to assist the model attain its potential, he believes, as its beforehand restricted vary was an issue for retailers.
Items within the males’s line vary from 300 to three,000 euros for its signature fur-lined Military parka. Salomon believes this worth vary positions it competitively amongst luxurious manufacturers. “[Our target] is a person who can afford a ravishing, good garment,” he stated. “We’re fairly aggressive on worth and so it’s the man who’s on the lookout for a luxurious product and worth.”
Within the U.S., the model operates a retailer in Aspen and sells at Bergdorf Goodman in New York, however the nation is a significant progress goal for 2024. “We discover loads of nice potential there. For the second it’s not a giant market however we count on it to develop,” he stated, noting they’ll lengthen their attain by extra division and specialty retailer distribution as a substitute of opening extra standalone shops.
China is also a goal, as a result of rising reputation of snowboarding and snowsports. It’s out there by Lane Crawford and Salomon will work to increase distribution with specialty shops as properly. South Korea can be a goal for the model.
Whereas increasing wholesale is a key technique, direct-to-consumer can be a spotlight. Net gross sales account for round 20 p.c of gross sales and Salomon is searching for to greater than double that over the following two years. “We’re doubling the funding in communication and the crew can even be doubled,” he stated.
Regardless of many luxurious manufacturers goinng fur-free, together with Armani, Prada and all of the Kering homes together with Balenciaga, Gucci and Saint Laurent, Salomon will proceed to make use of fur, significantly in males’s.
“What’s fascinating is the perspective for males’s fur shouldn’t be as aggressive as ladies’s,” he stated. “I query myself every single day however I believe they really feel that their very own consolation is extra essential than the criticism they might get.”
