When French luxury goes to conquer deep America

When French luxury goes to conquer deep America

"Fashionable city, Austin is becoming a fashion city"»»»»»»»

Populated by 843.000 inhabitants (excluding the suburbs), more than Marseille, the capital of Texas is a young and offbeat city.Not only because it houses the largest urban colony in bats (around 1.5 million), a Strange museum (with zombies and haunted houses) or an annual festival where we learn Levitation...Urban and sophisticated more than a peasant, she turns her back on what made cowboy culture and offers herself as a democratic oasis in a state renowned very conservative.Thanks to high-tech industries and oil profits, it was not very affected by the recession.The city also has a university campus of 55.000 young heads, one of the largest in the country.Called Silicon Hills, he extends for thirty kilometers and neighbor with the national seats of Hewlett-Packard and Texas Instruments, among others.Quentin Tarantino, a local native, even created a film festival that makes jealous in Hollywood.In addition to a fashionable city, Austin is becoming a fashion city.

An evolution that has not escaped the big names in luxury.For experts from this particular market, such as the Boston Consulting Group, the United States paradoxically remains "an emerging market".While the French brands have already refueled the two coasts or in Florida and, at the same time, their sales in China are more disappointing than expected, they no longer aim only New York (the Brooklyn district is saturated with signschic), Los Angeles or Miami, but smaller, almost "provincial" cities.Thus, LVMH now has a regional office in Austin.

Among the first ten brands sold in the United States in 2013, the Consulting Milloward Brown firm has listed several French brands: Vuitton, Hermès, Chanel, Gucci and Cartier.And the movement is not about to interrupt.The United States has between 30 and 40% of the planet millionaires.It is the world's leading world market, but it is not yet as developed as it could.And if income from the sector had collapsed after the 2008 stock market crash, since 2012 they have returned to a level higher than the pre-crisis period.In 2013, numbers 1 and 3 of world luxury groups, LVMH and Kering, for the first time recorded larger growth rates in the United States than in China.On themselves, Louis Vuitton saddlery products leaping 14%.Hermès displays the same progression while, at the same time, the French market has drastically reduced.

Back to Austin.Matt Culmo is the owner there, with his wife Katy, by By George, a store located at the corner of the 6 Eet in Lamar Boulevard, whose windows mix local creations and large labels like Lanvin, Ysl or Céline.Between a meeting with a sales manager for APC, the most boho Parisian brand, and the booking of plane tickets to go shopping with Katy at Paris Fashion Week, Matt Culmo has busy days."This city, historically populated by originals and hippies, is inventing its own style, quite distinct from that of New York or Los Angeles.»»»»»»»»

"Vuitton, Burberry, Tiffany...The Domain, the Mall of Austin, evokes Avenue Montaigne "»»»»»»»

Quand le luxe français part à la conquête de l'Amérique profonde

A style that seems compatible with clothing drawn by French creators.This is the case of bcbgmaxazria of Franco-Tunisian Azria, established in the United States for years.In the fall of 2014, he launched a collection called Parisiennes, women who have, dixit the catalog, "their own I don't know"»»»».And it works !This brand, refined as much as relaxed, dresses young people (in a joint venture with Miley Cyrus for Walmart), but also Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Alicia Keys and Sharon Stone.Installed in the heart of The Domain, the gigantic Austin shopping center, the large BCBGMAXAZRIA boutique is not full.To see the neighboring brands, such as Vuitton, Burberry, Tiffany or L’Occitane, one would think in Paris, near Avenue Montaigne. Sauf qu’on y trouve aussi une sandwicherie Subway, des boutiques de bijoux fantaisie, un H&M et des magasins beaucoup moins luxueux.

Placed on the heights of the city at Century Oaks Terrace, The Domain is a typically American Mall: a space closed on itself and overprotected by vigils, but which resembles a small village, with its voluntarily low buildings, organized in neighborhoods, avenues planted with trees and bordered by benches as on the Promenade des Anglais, small Italian taverns, and a musical atmosphere Jazz Cool.Behind the promoter's reception desk Simon Property, one of the biggest in the country, Antoine Jeffrey, native of the corner, tells us about the history of the place.In 2007, the promoter acquired from IBM, compared to some three hundred million dollars, this space ideally located near the rich residential areas. «On n’aurait jamais pu faire ça en centre-ville»»»»»»»», confie-t-il.But does the promiscuity of all these brands not be a problem?Do they agree without hesitation to find themselves side by side?Antoine Elude with a smile: "We make sure to maintain a harmonious climate...»»»»»»»»

Chez Louis Vuitton, «malletier à Paris»»»»»»»», Jennifer, la responsable, semble peu à l’aise pour s’exprimer sur la question."The store has existed for seven years," she ends up conceding.It completes a distribution network that has been deployed since the 1980s.Before Austin, Louis Vuitton was already present in other major urban centers like Houston and Dallas.»»»»»»"At the other end of the avenue, in the Occitan, Meghann, the very young owner, is satisfied with the results displayed by her little business.Neighborhood problems?"It may exist.But as our brand makes the bridge between luxury customers and younger and more modest perfume consumers, we are frankly not affected.Our Domain store is never that one more among the hundred we have in the United States.»»»»»»»»

"In the USA, sellers are distinguished by their sense of service"»»»»»»»

Another important point for French brands: here, there are more easily formed for sale than in other emerging markets. «La vendeuse américaine est plus sympa que la Française, y compris dans les boutiques de luxe»»»»»»»», assure Camille.This 26-year-old Franco-American first worked as a saleswoman for a prestigious brand in a department store, before leaving prospecting the South American market, from California to Arizona via Colorado."Here, a saleswoman always comes to meet the customer, presents herself by his first name, asks how she can help.But, above all, it is distinguished by her sense of service: we can spend two hours in the fitting room, she will not find anything to complain about it even if we buy nothing.»»»»»»»Despite everything, the game is not won in advance for French luxury giants."Here, we value design more than designers, and creations more than signatures, warns Matt Culmo by by George.Young people are less attracted by the image conveyed by a garment than by the immediate pleasure of carrying it.»»»»»»»Clearly, unlike Asian markets, luxury brands cannot be satisfied here to sell any product simply because it carries a prestigious logo. D’autant plus que, face à la «french invasion»»»»»»»», les créateurs du Sud profond, jeunes pour la plupart, organisent la résistance, leur Fort Alamo.

Southern culture obliges, local creators believe that they have no lessons to receive from Paris, especially when it comes to making cowboys hats with assorted boots, like those found, for example, on Congress avenue at the excellent allens boots, unbeatable in the genre.Some are very clever to create the mix between extreme elegance and local culture.Dominating the others in this category, Billy Reid, creator from Louisiana, is also installed Downtown, in a warm wood and stone shop that looks like a ranch.There are clothes resolutely western, but of high quality. Réputé pour son travail sur le cuir, Reid a reçu en 2010 le prix du meilleur designer de l’année du magazine masculin «GQ»»»»»»»» et a habillé James Bond dans «Skyfall»»»»»»»».While waiting to find yourself avenue Montaigne, between Chanel and Vuitton?

Illustrations: Mstay/Getty Images

Emile Lafaurie: the little Frenchman to assault the United States

It is almost twenty years ago, the New Yorker Sean Cassidy, then publisher, enters the Emile Lafaurie store rue de Birague, in Paris, attracted by his "French Cachet"»»»»»»».Seduced by fluid jackets and poplin or linen shirts at reasonable prices, he comes out of the brand, with the mission of promoting it in his country.The first Lafaurie brand was inaugurated in 1997 in Soho.Since then, another has opened in San Francisco and the Frenchman thinks he is expanding.All without advertising.

SP E.Lafaurie/DR

Smuggler: he puts on made in France to conquer New York

When Gilles Attaf buys Smuggler, fifteen years ago, the brand, specializing in half-measures, is on the verge of bankruptcy.Building on Made in France, it keeps the Limoges factory and its 30 seamstresses.Today they are 120.A success that earned him the sympathy of Arnaud Montebourg, then Minister of Productive Recovery.Gilles Attaf now dreams of exporting to the United States. Seul obstacle, son nom : en anglais, «smuggler»»»»»»»» signifie trafiquant...

Thomas L.Duclert

Pascal Dupont