Courrèges Bets on Cool Kids Generation for China Expansion
SHANGHAI — Aside from multiple store visits and a fragrance launch with Sephora China, Adrien Da Maia‘s China itinerary also includes partying with the coolest crowd in Shanghai.
Since being named Courrèges’ chief executive officer three years ago, Da Maia, together with the brand’s creative director Nicolas Di Felice, has found a younger and more fashion-forward crowd for the Space Age label, which is now owned by Artémis, the family holding company of French billionaire François Pinault.
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“My ambition for this trip is to understand what is happening in China, in Shanghai, so we can better connect with that culture, not just sell our products,” Da Maia said in an exclusive interview.
“We want to understand the trends here and what the new generation in China aspires to,” said Da Maia, who characterized Courrèges’ China audience as a group of forward-thinking cultural pioneers.
For its official China launch, Courrèges hosted an edgy techno party on Wednesday at Shanghai’s nightlife establishment All Club, headlined by Lin Feng, the Chinese electronic music producer, and Cora, a vital figure in the Chengdu underground music scene.
For the uninitiated Courrèges fan, who can easily recognize the brand’s logo on its signature vinyl jackets or knitwear, pronouncing its French name posed a challenging phonetic hurdle.
To help better spread the brand’s gospel in China, Courrèges partnered with the brand’s local creative agency to devise a catchy Chinese name for the brand.
Da Maia and the team ultimately landed on “Gu Wei Jie,” which can be directly translated into “past, future, world.” “We took a lot of time to choose a name that was beautiful in its pronunciation,” said Da Maia. “We chose this name because it also really echoes the legacy of the house, and an ambition to be innovative.”
China accounts for less than 5 percent of overall sales at Courrèges. Still, it has become the fastest-growing market for the house this year, with sales growing “incredibly fast” on the luxury e-commerce platform Farfetch.
Courrèges is stocked at 12 fashion retailers in China, including LMDS, SKP-S, Dover Street Market Beijing and SND. The brand is preparing for its official Tmall store launch this summer to expand its retail presence.
To further raise brand awareness, Courrèges has taken its fragrance collection to China after its initial launch almost two years ago. Five of the six scents are now stocked at all Sephora retail channels in China. “It’s really a good way to get to know who our customers are in many different cities in China,” Da Maia said.
Ultimately, the brand’s China ambition is to open a stand-alone store, which could happen very soon. “You can go a more traditional way and open in Shanghai, but you can also look at many different options,” Da Maia said.
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