Jacquemus: A Coming of Age Story

Summary

Summary of “Jacquemus: A Coming of Age Story” – The Business of Fashion Podcast

Episode Overview

In the November 22, 2024 episode of The Business of Fashion Podcast, host Imran Ahmed engages in an insightful conversation with Simon Porte Jacquemus, the visionary founder and CEO of the Jacquemus brand. Celebrated for his playful, surrealist designs inspired by the French New Wave and the sunny landscapes of southern France, Jacquemus has built an independent fashion empire boasting over €200 million in annual turnover. This episode delves into Simon’s journey, his strategies for maintaining an independent brand in a competitive industry, his innovative approaches to fashion shows and retail, the challenges posed by the recent luxury slowdown, and his search for investors to fuel global expansion.

---

1. Introduction and Brand Journey

Imran Ahmed opens the discussion by highlighting Jacquemus's meteoric rise since his brand burst onto the fashion scene in 2009. Building an independent business with a unique aesthetic, Jacquemus has staged fashion shows in unconventional locations like lavender fields and Chateau Versailles, garnering the kind of attention typically reserved for pop stars. Recent achievements include opening flagship stores in New York and London and managing rumors of being shortlisted for Chanel’s Creative Director position.

Simon Porte Jacquemus reflects on his brand’s visibility:

“I need to be visible. I need to make fun things. And I think there is a part of me that I love that.”
(01:08)

---

2. Building Visibility as an Independent Brand

Simon attributes the brand's success to his relentless pursuit of visibility, even with limited resources. Starting with just €1,500, he leveraged creativity and grassroots marketing to make a significant impact.

“I started with a thousand and thousand five hundred euro... I designed my website, I published it on Facebook. And a week after, I got called by the press because it went viral.”
(03:23)

His early exposure strategies, such as staging a strike outside a Dior show with his best friend to showcase his collection, set the foundation for the brand's recognizable presence.

---

3. Creative Processes and Fashion Shows

Jacquemus emphasizes the importance of fun and accessibility in his designs and presentations. Eschewing traditional fashion system constraints, he opts for unique venues that reflect his personal connection to the Mediterranean and southern France.

“I think it's going to be one of the answers of today. From my side, it's having fun. I think having fun is being creative is going one step aside and it's playing with the system.”
(07:29)

His commitment to creating immersive environments is evident in his meticulously chosen show locations, such as a precisely selected 360-degree lavender field inspired by a David Hockney painting.

---

4. Retail Expansion and Store Experience

Transitioning from runway innovation to retail, Jacquemus has strategically opened stores in prestigious locations like Avenue Montaigne and Bond Street. Unlike the often intimidating luxury stores, he aims to create a welcoming, home-like atmosphere that embodies the Jacquemus lifestyle.

“When I design the store and partner with oma, I want them to feel like a home, like a South France home... I hope people don't feel this way [intimidated].”
(11:17)

By infusing elements reminiscent of a Provencal home, such as old beds and linen displays, Jacquemus distinguishes his stores from conventional luxury retail environments.

---

5. Balancing Business Management and Creativity

As the CEO, Simon balances the creative aspects of his brand with rigorous business management. He prioritizes maintaining financial stability to ensure the brand’s sustainability and independence.

“I wake up every morning looking at the sales... because I want that my work becomes something real and realistic.”
(12:13)

This dual focus has been pivotal in scaling the business while preserving its creative integrity.

---

6. Impact of Market Slowdown and Challenges

The recent luxury market slowdown, marked by widespread discounting and aggressive sales by competitors, posed significant challenges for Jacquemus. Despite these hurdles, Simon acknowledges the strength of their e-tail and brick-and-mortar shops.

“This was super tough because even some partner, it was like, you know, and you can't control their price... being independent and not having the power of like a big group, it's... that's what's tougher this year.”
(13:45)

Navigating these challenges highlighted the vulnerabilities of independent brands in volatile markets.

---

7. Seeking Investors and Future Plans

Simon discusses his ongoing search for minority investors to support an ambitious global retail expansion. He emphasizes the importance of finding partners who share the brand’s values and vision.

“A long term partnership first, like it means like a beautiful value that I share... I want to have this value in front of me that is share your values.”
(18:57)

He explores various investment options, preferring strategic partners with industry expertise over private equity, which often demands rapid returns.

---

8. Speculation on a Potential Role at Chanel

Addressing rumors of being a candidate for Chanel’s Creative Director, Simon admits the idea is intriguing but acknowledges the immense commitment required to lead a major fashion house.

“My week are really busy even picking like the furniture inside the store... it's like, I feel my job is like, infinity, in a way. It's insane.”
(21:35)

Imran Ahmed shares skepticism, noting that Simon’s devotion to his own brand makes such a transition unlikely.

---

9. Advice to Emerging Designers

In concluding the episode, Simon offers valuable advice to young designers navigating the fashion industry:

“Listen yourself, I think. Listen yourself and don't lie because people feel it. Don't force yourself to do social if you're not an expert. If you are super comfortable, do it. And try to be visible... But being real and tell your own story.”
(23:40)

He underscores the importance of authenticity, visibility, and building a genuine connection with one’s community.

---

Key Takeaways

• Visibility is Crucial: Simon’s unwavering focus on making his brand visible from the outset was instrumental in Jacquemus’s success.
• Creativity and Fun: Embracing creativity and maintaining a sense of fun sets Jacquemus apart in a competitive industry.
• Authentic Retail Experience: By creating welcoming, home-like stores, Jacquemus challenges the traditional luxury retail model.
• Balancing Act: Successfully managing both the creative and business sides is essential for sustaining an independent brand.
• Navigating Challenges: Independent brands face significant challenges during market downturns, particularly regarding pricing and competition.
• Strategic Investments: Finding the right investor, one who aligns with the brand’s values, is critical for future growth.
• Authenticity Matters: Emerging designers should prioritize authenticity and storytelling to build a loyal community.

---

Notable Quotes

• On Visibility:

  “I need to be visible. I need to make fun things. And I think there is a part of me that I love that.”
  (01:08)

• On Creativity:

  “I think having fun is being creative is going one step aside and it's playing with the system.”
  (07:29)

• On Store Design:

  “I want them to feel like a home, like a South France home... So I hope people don't feel this way [intimidated].”
  (11:17)

• On Investment:

  “A long term partnership first... I want to have this value in front of me that is share your values.”
  (18:57)

• Advice to Designers:

  “Listen yourself and don't lie because people feel it... try to be visible but real and tell your own story.”
  (23:40)

---

Conclusion

Simon Porte Jacquemus’s journey is a testament to the power of creativity, visibility, and authenticity in building a successful independent fashion brand. Despite facing industry challenges and market slowdowns, Jacquemus remains committed to his vision, continuously seeking innovative ways to engage his community and expand his global presence. His insights offer valuable lessons for emerging designers and entrepreneurs aspiring to make their mark in the fashion world.

Transcript

[Imran Ahmed]

Foreign.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

This is Imran Ahmed, founder and CEO of the Business of Fashion. Welcome to the BoF podcast. It's Friday, November 22nd. When Simon Port Jacquemus first came onto the fashion scene in 2009, he did so with a bang. His brand's playful surrealist creations inspired by the French New Wave, 20th century sculpture and sunny afternoons in the south of France became a viral sensation, leading him to build an independent business with more than 200 million euros in annual turnover. His highly visual fashion shows have been staged off schedule in sprawling lavender fields, modernist villas and even the Chateau Versailles. Recently, he has opened his first stores in New York and London, drawing the kind of crowds that are more often associated with pop stars. Meanwhile, there have been rumors that he was shortlisted to become the new Creative Director of Chanel. And he recently confirmed he is seeking an investor to help finance an ambitious global retail rollout.

I don't have time to be snob. I can't. When you're independent, you have to make noise. I would love to be Haydn in my Provencal castle. I didn't have the opportunity to, you know, I need to be visible. I need to make fun things. And I think there is a part of me that I love that.

At BoF Voices 2024, I spoke with Simon to learn how he has built a successful independent business in such a competitive environment, understand his plans for the future and settle some of the rumors and speculation. Here's Simon Porte Jacquemus on the BoF podcast.

Hello.

[Imran Ahmed]

Hi.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

How are you?

[Imran Ahmed]

Good. How are you?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Very, very good. Mongeau. Hello, everyone.

[Imran Ahmed]

This isn't your normal environment, Simon. You prefer the Mediterranean, you told me.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yeah, I do.

[Imran Ahmed]

What are your impressions of the English countryside?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I feel home. You know, I grew up in a farm, so I was like, oh, we're back. We're back to the countryside.

[Imran Ahmed]

Okay. Well, there is a lot to discuss and you have been a very, very busy. I want to start. You know, we've just heard this conversation with a few independent designers. We've heard this theme over the course of voice. Yeah. If you're looking back now, how many years have you been in business now?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

15 years.

[Imran Ahmed]

15 years.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I started 19 years old.

[Imran Ahmed]

Okay. What do you think are the core drivers of success for your brand? Why has it endured? Why has it lasted 15 years? Why is it 200 million years?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I think when I start, my kind of naivety was helping me. And I only have one rules. Like, when I start, I need to be visible. I start to do strike in front of dior show going into Avenue Montaigne and like showing my collection with my best friend. And this was my rules. The next show needs to be more visible, I need to have more visibility. People need to know my name. That was my only rules.

[Imran Ahmed]

So that was kind of a goal to build a brand that people would recognize from the start but you didn't have the resources to do so.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I started with a thousand and thousand five hundred euro. I went to a sewing machine lady and I asked her to make a skirt for €100 and she said yes. And I started the collection the next day. I designed my website, I published it on Facebook. And a week after, I got called by the press because it went viral.

[Imran Ahmed]

So your ability to go viral, it's kind of innate in you?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

My mother let me too much time in front of the TV in front of Sex and the City at 9 years old. And it was a culture pube. It was a TV show referencing only like TV ads. So I'm kind of obsessed with images. It's so also the thing that make me want to do fashion. I wanted to build images and to create the sensation of this young boy looking at magazine.

[Imran Ahmed]

So tell me when you're coming up with. We have some of these campaigns, by the way. I mean, I'm sure everybody has seen some of these. How do you come up with these ideas? I mean, these are cgi, right?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

And so it was a year and something and it went like 100 million view and it became a big reference in the AI. I came to the office and I say, oh, guys, can we have just a bag rolling in the street? And we recite it and like half of the team was like, oh, it's a bit cheap, I don't know. And I watched and I was like, I love everyone calling. Even my grandmother was like, oh, I saw your little bag in the street, like in our own company. They were like, oh, wow. I didn't know you were doing bags in Paris. I was like, wow. And comments were like, crazy. So it went viral.

[Imran Ahmed]

Well, so you know when you said. You know when you said just now.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I love.

[Imran Ahmed]

Yeah, I love, like, so why did you. How do you know it's fun?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I don't have time to be snob. I can't. When you're independent, you have to make noise. I would love to be Haydn in my Provencal castle and being like, I can't. I didn't have the opportunity to, you know, I need to be visible, I need to make fun things. And I think there is a Part of me that I love that. But I think my brand, the value and the authentic we share are not a luxury code. I think it's more or less beauty.

[Imran Ahmed]

Well, talk to me about the codes because you and I had a little lunch in your new office in Paris earlier this year when we were first talking about this talk. And we talked about just a few of the running threads that come through everything that you do. What are the codes of the Jacquemus brand? When you want to explain the concept, it's easy.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

When I start at 19 years old, I was feeling that there is so much boundaries between creative and the audience.

[Imran Ahmed]

What do you mean by that?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

It was too far. It was always so dark, so full of concepts and my grandmother couldn't get them.

[Imran Ahmed]

You mean from the big luxury brand?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yes. It was too complex. So I was like, let's do something that everyone can understand. Like the post guy, my grandmother, but as well having reference of more like niche thing. But people need to enter in my world. So I was imagining just collection with French name and a big smile. I think it was important to be so positive and the person I am as well, like. So I will say solar and open.

[Imran Ahmed]

The other thing that comes through and we were seeing some of the images of your shows is that there's this whole Mediterranean. You said you love the sea, so you really inject your own personal things that you just personally are drawn to. You somehow make it part of what you do. And you decided to stage these shows completely outside the fashion system. Right. Most. Most fashion brands, a lot of emerging fashion brands, they die to show on the Paris schedule or the London schedule or the New York schedule, because it's a statement of having been approved or arrived in the system. You never did that.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I think it's going to be one of the answers of today. From my side, it's having fun. I think having fun is being creative is going one step aside and it's playing with the system. I was obsessed to have a 360 lavender field as like a David Hockney painting. I was obsessed with one painting in particular. And I went there and I went there with a car and I passed days and days to find it. I didn't want a field like this. I wanted a field like this. So it was really precise.

[Imran Ahmed]

Why did you want a field like this?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Because I want everyone to be360 inside the Jacques Mousse world. Like Infinity model coming up and down, but with an infinite immersion feeling.

[Imran Ahmed]

And are you seeing how that's going to look on social media in your head, is that part of what helps to influence.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

When I was 13, 14 years old, I had a blog that was famous in France, and I was shooting myself, like, in my garage, thinking I was like a part of Eddie Sliman campaign. The next day, I was shooting my little cousin in oversized jacket, barefoot with flower heels that I was doing. And then I was thinking I was doing a Mar Jacobs campaign. I always have the image very accessible for me. So this is a continuity, I guess.

[Imran Ahmed]

Okay, so on the one hand, when it comes to the fashion shows, you did your own thing, you chose your own way. You created a huge impact. When it came to retail, though, you decided to go straight into the heart of the system. So you opened in Avenue Montaigne. You're opening in Bond Street. You know, you're going straight inside the domain of those luxury houses and you're saying, I'm here. Why is it important for you?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

People say, oh, it was strategic. No, it was just a dream. When I was 18 years old, I was coming in Paris with my best friend, going to all the shop and asking Lookbooks, as we all did, I'm sure, like asking free lookbook. And I was like, oh, that's the street. I want to open my store. And you need more cash, more money to do it than just wanted. So it took time, but it was important. When I look back, and their first year was strong, so we were happy queuing. We have the queue every day, kind of. So it was. Now it's becoming a problem to have the queue. But back in the day was cute.

[Imran Ahmed]

Yeah, it was cool to have a queue there. And now it's not cool?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

No, now it's not cool.

[Imran Ahmed]

But when someone walks into a Jacquemus store, like the one you're opening in London on Bond street on Friday, or the one on Avenue Montaigne, how do you want it to feel different from some of those maybe more intimidating luxury store environments that are your neighbors?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yeah, I mean, I didn't think so much of that. I hope we are very solar and we give a big smile and we. And we can showcase the Jacquemus lifestyle in it. But I don't know what exactly you mean.

[Imran Ahmed]

Well, what I mean is, you know, I do my regular visits to Bond street and Avenue Montaigne and Fifth Avenue and these places when I travel because I just want to kind of get the sense of what the customer experiences. And I go incognito. And I walk into these stores and sometimes I just find them very unwelcoming.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yeah.

[Imran Ahmed]

You know, they have these very long queues outside them. Sometimes you have someone following you around everywhere in the store, which is so annoying because they're like, no, we want to help you. I'm like, no, if I want your help, I'll ask for your help. Often the experience in those stores, the way they're designed, is designed to kind of intimidate. There's a security guard outside. There's a lot of things that make that experience.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

When I design the store and in partner with oma, it's. I want them to feel like a home, like a South France home. Like, you can see the materiality, like the windows is just an old Provencal bank with like a piece of linen and a yellow bag there in London. This is going to be more like a bed, an old bed that you have in South France, a bit like a metal broken bed. So I hope people don't feel this way.

[Imran Ahmed]

Okay. On top of all of these creative things that you're leading, the marketing, the design, selecting the fashion show locations and, you know, thinking about the store experience, you are also the CEO of your business and you've been working on a brand and product elevation strategy. You know, you're leading your search for an investor, which we'll talk about a bit later. But how is it that you're balancing this?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Sometimes it's unfair. The balance is way more business and then fashion. So you need to control that. What is true is that recipe helped me to build this brand. Like to have half every time, you know, very balance. I'm interested in everything. You know, I wake up every morning looking at the sales, not because I love money, but because I want that my work becomes something real and realistic. And because I'm independent as well. Like, you know, to finance my third collection, my second need to be shipped produce. So it was one fabric, you know, so we arrived to that. Because I also think that to arrive to that point without anyone. When we talk to banks and they like, oh, you lied. There was some like, you have a rich uncle or something, you know, and it was always that in mind to, you know, to build and to be balanced. So sometimes it's harder than.

[Imran Ahmed]

Yeah. To do both. Right.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yeah.

[Imran Ahmed]

The luxury slowdown or the, you know, the fashion slowdown that we've been talking about a lot at this voices. How is it impacting your business?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

What? It was odd this year. It was, I think the. The war we were seeing on with the wolf sale and the etailer. So when one is starting to have sales the other one were aligning themselves.

[Imran Ahmed]

So this was lots of discounting.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

This was super tough because even some partner, it was like, you know, and you can't control their price. This is illegal. It was something you know and you can see that being independent and not having the power of like a big group, it's. That's what's tougher this year. It's how I felt this way. So yes, on that part we lost some point. But I'm happy that we were very strong on our etail on our shop.

We'll be right back with more on the BoF podcast.

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[Imran Ahmed]

Talk about the role that this retail rollout. You know you've been on kind of a mission this year. You already have the store in Paris.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

You've now Opened your Paris, Saint Tropez, New York, Courchevel, London.

[Imran Ahmed]

How does this fit into your strategy? Is that in part to take more control over business?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yeah, it's a dream. It's not the same journey, it's not the same. It's a part or so of my personal, like since last January, you might see the show and the elevation of the product and it was like two years work that have been done. So it's a part of the process.

[Imran Ahmed]

So in order to do all of that, in order to build all of those stores and I know you want to open more stores, I know that's part of your ambition.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I don't want just like replicate and having all the good big city and having store there. Like when I say expand the retail, I want to have a lot of fun. Like this thing at Selfridges, I loved. This was incredible. Like the Galerie Lafayette takeover, like for the first time they let us all the windows that was, you know, 24 hour, 24 hour bag shop in Milan. Like, I want to have a lot of fun next year.

[Imran Ahmed]

It seems to be the key running theme.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yes.

[Imran Ahmed]

How much fun is it? Looking for an investor.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Good one. Well, it was not supposed to be public first, you know, I was not trying to make a post like, oh, I'm looking for someone, you know, so that was fun first to have like this sort of drama. But no, it's, it's good. I'm looking for a minority. So for me, my mood today, it's like, it's insane to be at this stage without anyone. That's insane in a way. Now I'm 34 years old and I realize that it's a bit crazy.

[Imran Ahmed]

Yeah. So when you're sitting down with investors, I think a conversation with an investor is always interesting. Right. Because part of it is they're trying to ask you all these questions about your business. But at the same time, it's a really great opportunity for you to learn about that investor. Because anytime the proverbial, as we say in English, the proverbial shit hits the fan or something goes wrong or there's challenges. That's the person or the people that you're going to be sitting in front of to navigate those challenges ahead. What are you looking for in an investor? What are the attributes? It's not just about money, it's about people who can help you. So what are you looking for?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

A long term partnership first, like it means like a beautiful value that I share. You know, like if you come in the office and you came like, everyone is really surprised by the spirit of the house. So I want to have this value in front of me that is share your values.

[Imran Ahmed]

Have you thought about a strategic partner, like a big group versus a private equity partner? And like, what, that many options? Yeah, but what do you think is better for you?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

It's a good question, but what do you think? You.

[Imran Ahmed]

What do I think?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yeah.

[Imran Ahmed]

I wasn't expecting.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

No, but it's true.

[Imran Ahmed]

Listen, I think a lot of it depends on what your long term ambition is. Like when you choose one of those strategic partners, it really is for the long term because, you know, you get an LVMH or a Kering or another big group to buy into your brand, and that's pretty much almost a lifelong decision because it's very hard to unwind those things. But also, those groups can bring a lot of expertise, right? They can help you with retail, they can give you advice. On the other hand, you take money from private equity and they are like chomping down. They're on you every day saying, where are the sales? Where's the growth? They want to sell it in three to five years. They want to know triple or quadruple, you know, that what their investment. So you don't want the private equity.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I mean, there is maybe other options.

[Imran Ahmed]

Okay.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

That you didn't mention, but could be like an angel coming from the sky.

[Imran Ahmed]

Okay.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

You never know in fashion.

[Imran Ahmed]

Well, the third option, you know, we saw recently the row, you know, they took a. They did a investment deal, right. Which was not private equity, not a big group, but people from the industry with expertise, done at a very healthy valuation where they still maintain, I think, a majority stake, like you want to do. But there's people, expertise. That's what you want to do. Is that what you do?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I will do. Yeah.

[Imran Ahmed]

Yeah. Okay. So at least we learned that today. That's good to know because I think.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

That is not negotiable. We're talking about minoritaire.

[Imran Ahmed]

Okay. The other big speculation, which I'm sure you're tired of talking about, but I have to ask about it, is you're this very busy guy. You're running the business side, the creative side. You know, you're driving to Lavender Fields looking for the right location because you care about everything. And some people think that you could be a candidate for the creative director of a big house like Chanel. Is that even possible with the time that you have?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Yeah, that's a good question. No, that's a good question. Like, my week are really busy even picking like the furniture inside the store, you cannot be precise and you cannot make it all, you know, like, also, that's why I stopped Beauty, like, three years ago to focus on my leather and to, you know, move all the factory to Italy in the best place. Like, there is so much to do. It's like, I feel my job is like, infinity, in a way. It's insane. You. The same question. Who you think will go to Chanel? Because I would love to hear from you.

[Imran Ahmed]

I actually will. I have some theories, but I actually'll be very honest. When I heard your name, I said, well, that's just not possible, because I've met the guy. He is incessantly focused on his business, as he should be. He's built something of real value. Why would he distract himself from something he's building on his own to go work at something that someone else owns? That's what I thought. What are your reactions?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Wait, I'm just connecting things. Yeah, you're probably right. Maybe I'm too busy.

[Imran Ahmed]

Yeah. This is one of the funnest interviews I've ever done.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

I listen you, you know.

[Imran Ahmed]

No, I know. Well, okay. This is the part of the interview we're almost out of time where I get to ask a bit of your advice. One of the running themes of BoF Voices 2024 has been how tough it is to navigate this environment. The reason your name comes up in all those surveys where people want to hear from you is people are keen to understand what advice do you have to offer, you know, to a designer that's 19 years old and, you know, is obsessed with. Maybe you were obsessed with watching television advertisements. Like someone's obsessed with something else. What's the advice you have to offer?

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Before, I was getting the advice of no advice because I was always pissed off when I was going to someone like, oh, any advice for a pr, Because I want to work with Lucien Pages. Oh, no, you're too small. And I was like, no, I actually want. So I was always, like, taking my own decision and my balls, you know, and like, let's go. I'm gonna. So listen yourself, I think. Listen yourself and don't lie because people feel it. Don't force yourself to do social if you're not an expert. If you are super comfortable, do it. Because sometimes also people, they don't want to play and. Yeah. And try to be visible. I think it's really important. And nowadays. I heard, like, the interview before, it was great to hear that, yes, we can be visible. We can be there. We. That Is super important.

[Imran Ahmed]

Why is that visibility so essential for a small brand? Because that's one thing. That's like having fun is one thing like that. Visibility, breaking out, getting attention. When the big media, the big fashion companies.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Now you create your community what is super strong and you see like, we are one of the top 10 brand of the world, most liked on Instagram, for example, with Porsche, Nike and a lot highest engagement. Yes. Because I talked to a community since like 15 years. You know, it's a true relationship and people want that. They want to feel like something is authentic and makes sense, you know, so that is super important to be visible but real. Not being visible for being visible, that won't last. But being real and tell your own story. I think people love to see the awaking, can we say, of a maison, of a new house in Paris. I think it's what they love to see. They don't care if I open a shop in New York. It's like literally. But this sea that I'm opening my first shop in New York as an independent brand that they follow since 15 years, that difference. It's not like, okay, maybe in three stories we'll be like, oh, Salah, we understand.

[Imran Ahmed]

Well, we'll find out on Friday. Yes, we'll see what happens. But even when we post something Simon, about you on our Instagram, I can't explain it. The engagement is just off the charts. So it's not just your community. I think the broader fashion community, like the people who follow BOF on Instagram, people are very interested in what you do. And I want to congratulate you because what you've done in 15 years is pretty remarkable. Thank you so much and very, very impressive. And I wish you the best of luck for that search for your investor. Thank you for that and I'm really glad to hear you're not going to go work for Chanel.

[Simon Porte Jacquemus]

Thank you. Thank you for the company.

The BoF podcast is edited and produced by Olivia Davies and Eric Brea Foreign.

[Unknown]

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