Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

How the French Do DTC

Sézane, Rouje and Polène are leading a wave of French direct-to-consumer labels that are gaining global traction with products that trade on the country’s style authority at a fraction of luxury prices; brand identities that are distinctive, but rarely niche; savvy community building; and a mix of physical and digital retail.

Sézane is a leader among the wave of DTC players trading on France's style authority with products priced at a fraction of those from luxury and designer names. (Sézane)

Simone Stern Carbone

14 January 2025

BoF PROFESSIONAL

On a freezing Monday night in Madrid’s upscale Salamanca neighbourhood, a long line of shoppers wait outside Spain’s only Sézane store. The scene – reminiscent of shoppers queuing outside luxury boutiques post-pandemic – is not unique to Sézane, but rather a testament to the appeal of new wave French DTC brands. Customers regularly wait hours to enter handbag-maker Polène’s stoles; Rouje’s first Paris location, opened in 2019, was packed from day one.

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With a new heavyweight backer in Italian firm Style Capital — which helped Zimmermann secure a billion dollar valuation — the French contemporary womenswear brand has ambitions to go global. But it sits in a competitive and hard-to-crack category.

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About the author

Simone Stern Carbone

Simone Stern Carbone is Luxury Correspondent at the Business of Fashion. She is based in Zurich and Paris and covers fashion and beauty, with a focus on the dynamic luxury sector.

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