Interview丨ISABEL MARANT Founder: How to Maintain Evergreen for 30 Years?

“Frankly, there are not many designers like me who can still stay deeply involved in the brand they founded,” lamented the famous French fashion designer Isabel Marant in an exclusive interview with Luxe.co.

Thirty years ago, she founded the eponymous brand with two friends, experiencing the most prosperous 30 years of the global fashion industry. During this period, many designers of Isabel’s generation or younger established their personal brands. However, after experiencing highs and lows, many of them have abandoned or left their brands, a trend that has become especially common in the past few years post-pandemic.

During our face-to-face interview with Isabel, we had a great conversation and sincerely admired her—after 30 years of entrepreneurial trials, she still maintains an excellent personal state, her signature French chic and effortless style as enduring as ever.

During the interview, she wore a draped, slightly worn T-shirt and shorts, her gray hair tied up in a bun, and laughed heartily, embodying chic simplicity and relaxation. Accompanying her was Anouck Duranteau-Loeper, the brand’s CEO, visiting for the reopening of their Beijing Sanlitun Taikoo Li store.

In 2016, Isabel Marant sold a 51% stake to the French private equity fund Montefiore. Since then, the brand has gradually moved away from being “small and beautiful,” accelerating its global expansion.

“We are a female team! I remember the first male employee in the company was a cleaner,” Isabel recalled with a laugh.

Currently, the brand ISABEL MARANT has 85 stores worldwide, 16 of which are in the Chinese Mainland.

In recent years, the brand has frequently launched new products, including menswear, eyewear, jewelry, and bags, with the H&M collaboration series receiving positive market feedback.

In early 2023, Anouck stated that the brand is expected to exceed annual sales of 500 million euros within four years.

Luxe.co conducted an exclusive interview with these two “masterminds” of the brand, discussing key topics such as the brand’s entrepreneurial journey, product design, financing, communication, team, and the Chinese market.

• “I don’t ask myself too many questions, maintaining consistency is enough.”
• “Observing people on the street is very inspiring to me.”
• “I initially didn’t aspire to be a designer; I was very interested in economics.”
• “Conveying the brand story to the outside world is not easy.”
• “The Chinese market is bigger than the US; people dress more fashionably. Before further expansion, we need to make our brand image clearer.”

The following is the interview transcript:

Regarding Products and Design

Luxe.co: When you founded the brand, you mentioned that you couldn’t find clothes suitable for yourself on the market. Today, the fashion industry has become very diversified. How do you view this?

Isabel Marant: Over the past 30 years, I have indeed created a recognizable fashion brand that people love. I am very happy to have achieved this.

Indeed, compared to when I first started the brand, the fashion industry today has changed dramatically, with many big brands and groups making the competition fiercer. Surviving solely on your own is not easy, but we have done quite well.

Currently, the US is our largest market, followed by Europe. However, I must say, in recent years, women in the Asia-Pacific region have even more stylish dress sense than those in Europe and America; their fashion sensitivity is higher.

Luxe.co: What excites you nowadays? What keeps you motivated in design?

Isabel Marant: In an era where clothing choices are so abundant, I constantly explore: What do consumers still need? Can we inject more novelty and uniqueness into our designs? What makes consumers choose us over other brands?

Ultimately, it’s about creating strong products and brand image, showcasing a unique design style.

During the design process, when I reach a level of satisfaction with my work, I feel very excited, though such moments are rare as I relentlessly pursue perfection and am not easily satisfied. Meanwhile, time is incredibly precious to me, adding pressure to the creative process. Often, the design process is full of challenges, and the feeling of not having created something entirely satisfying at the best moment can be frustrating. However, once overcoming these difficulties, the joy is enough to offset all the hardships.

Luxe.co: Where do you get your design inspiration from?

Isabel Marant: When I travel, I love visiting various shopping districts. When in Paris, I prefer locking myself in the office, not even going out for lunch. On weekends, I go to the countryside with my family, enjoying a life no different from ordinary people.

Observing how people dress provides a lot of inspiration. I love watching street pedestrians; seeing people come and go is very inspiring.

In different overseas markets, we have never faced challenges regarding the design itself. Today’s consumers’ aesthetics are no longer like 20 years ago when you had to design this way for America and that way for Asia. Now, the aesthetics of most people globally are similar, though there are still some exceptions.

Luxe.co: What do you think is the appeal of the ISABEL MARANT brand?

Isabel Marant: I think people like ISABEL MARANT because our products are both fashionable and highly wearable. Anyone can wear them, fitting perfectly into modern women’s daily lives.

Women need to do different things throughout the day without constantly changing clothes. I design clothes to make women feel comfortable and confident, having their own style, adaptable to different occasions, and empowering them.

Luxe.co: Do you find it difficult to balance creativity and business in your current creative process?

Isabel Marant: Once you find your own style and perspective, you create around them. I don’t ask myself too many questions; maintaining consistency is enough.

I believe the key to success lies in sticking to your artistic style and inner beliefs. If you compromise too much and feel like “I have to do this,” you won’t succeed.

There are times during the creative process when there are disagreements, and I would say, “No, no, no, I’m not doing it.” Although I’m not always right, it’s important to have firm and genuine ideas. If you can’t convince yourself, you can’t convince others.

Luxe.co: How do you balance design and business?

Isabel Marant: I initially did not aspire to be a designer. In fact, I was very interested in economics and liked numbers.

Luxe.co: Besides clothing, which product categories do you think have great potential for the brand?

Isabel Marant: I have a particular fondness for shoes. I can pair 10 different shoes with the same T-shirt.

Since Anouck joined the brand, we have enriched our bag product line. Although I’m not particularly fond of bags myself, I understand some people want to change bags every five minutes, but I prefer changing shoes every five minutes.

Anouck Duranteau-Loeper: Currently, ready-to-wear accounts for the largest proportion of sales, but shoes are also important. ISABEL MARANT’s wedge sneakers were a huge hit when first launched and remain a classic product in the industry.

Regarding Brand Communication

Luxe.co: How do you view fashion shows? Are they still the best way to showcase the brand?

Isabel Marant: I have always sought more diverse ways to showcase the brand because when you have held fashion shows twice a year for 30 years, totaling over 60 shows, each time feels like “again”—but I believe fashion shows are the most efficient way to showcase the brand through music, models, and atmosphere.

Luxe.co: How do you view social media?

Isabel Marant: Sometimes I feel a bit puzzled, as it seems everyone can talk about fashion. I am shocked that some KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) lack knowledge, while some are indeed very smart. Don’t get me wrong, but sometimes the really good KOLs are not the ones with the most followers.

Sometimes, some KOLs feel more important than designers. I once did an interview with an Instagram influencer who didn’t even know who the designer was, and the whole interview focused on the influencer. It was very strange.

Anouck Duranteau-Loeper: However, the advantage of social media is the ability to communicate directly with users, which was not possible before, greatly helping brand communication and interaction.

Luxe.co: What are your experiences in conveying the brand story?

Isabel Marant: For me, finding a natural way to express the brand concept is not easy; sharing ISABEL MARANT’s history with the outside world is very challenging. We, of course, have a deep understanding of the brand, but conveying this story to the outside world is not easy.

Since the beginning, we have remained true to our original intention, committed to creating a brand founded by women, full of ecological awareness, advocating zero waste, and embodying feminine qualities.

We don’t have the massive fabric resources of big brands. Twenty years ago, if I had one euro, I wouldn’t spend two euros. I carefully calculated every penny, slowly and cautiously building the brand. I cherish all this very much, but I’m not sure if all the efforts and hard work behind it can be felt by the public.

Regarding Financing

Luxe.co: Why did you decide to seek financing for the brand, and what are your reflections on this decision today?

Isabel Marant: It was a very difficult period for me.

As an independent and resilient self-made female designer, I founded the brand with two good friends. At that time, we developed well in the European and American markets.

However, when we tried to think about the brand’s development rationally and safely, we gradually realized that expanding the brand was a different knowledge, requiring expertise and an efficient team. We completely lacked entrepreneurial knowledge at that time.

When we needed experienced people to help the brand move forward, we decided to let investment institutions assist us. Therefore, Anouck joined us. She has rich experience in luxury brands, and we really needed talent with this knowledge.

Luxe.co: Many brands are skeptical about capital; what made you find this investment institution?

Isabel Marant: It took us a long time to find the right investor. You need deep trust to work together, just like choosing a good “husband” in a marriage. I think we achieved this.

I believe the investment institution respects our design and ideas very much, which is most important. We can reach a consensus and move forward together.

Luxe.co: What was the primary goal after completing the financing?

Isabel Marant: The focus after financing was to expand the number of global stores, especially in China.

When we accepted financing, the Chinese market was very open to young designer brands like mine. At that time, the Chinese market was already flooded with many large luxury brands, but brands like mine were still few. With the rise of the Chinese middle class and affluent consumer groups, our brand also attracted a wider audience.

*In 2016, when ISABEL MARANT sold equity, the brand had 22 stores worldwide, and now it has grown to 85 stores.

Regarding the Team

Luxe.co: How is your cooperation with CEO Anouck?

Isabel Marant: I have two partners who started the business with me, and we have known each other since childhood, so it might have been intimidating for Anouck to join later. Everything happened naturally—when I met Anouck, I knew she was the right person, as we shared similar values. Although we have disagreements, we always listen to each other’s suggestions and find a compromise.

Anouck Duranteau-Loeper: As CEO, I feel more like a conductor than a leader. When the leader sets the direction, I make things happen instead of making decisions on every matter. When decisions need to be made, we discuss, but Isabel ultimately decides.

Luxe.co: What was your impression of the ISABEL MARANT brand before joining?

Anouck Duranteau-Loeper: As a true Parisian girl, I bought ISABEL MARANT clothes with my first salary.

Before joining, I was very familiar with ISABEL MARANT. It is a very cool brand. In Paris, people of all ages buy ISABEL MARANT clothes.

I think Isabel’s designs are very practical and made for everyone.

Luxe.co: How do you feel about the current team atmosphere?

Isabel Marant: Our company has a distinctive personality, and I can clearly feel that my personal style is deeply imprinted in the company culture, without needing to deliberately maintain it.

Our company culture is open and friendly. Team members need to invest time and collaborate, so everyone must unite and reach a consensus.

Luxe.co: How has your work status changed with a larger team?

Isabel Marant: In the early days of the startup, it was just me and my two friends, and we had to do everything ourselves. Now, I can focus more on design work, attend many meetings, share information, and exchange ideas with team members.

I know my colleagues often protect me by not involving me in too many things—they are really cute in this aspect.

Currently, our team has 800 people. Sometimes, I don’t know if the people appearing in the office are working for me or just passing by. I feel very lucky to have a strong team representing me properly and pushing the company forward.

Luxe.co: As a designer and founder, do you prefer being involved in daily management or focusing on design?

Isabel Marant: I think both roles are necessary.

Being a good creative director is crucial because other team members rely on my designs to carry out their work. Sometimes, I create something I like, but it doesn’t sell well, and I need to find out why. Conversely, some products sell well, but I am not very optimistic about them.

Considering the need to ensure employee salaries and the company’s normal operation, I listen to the team’s suggestions. However, if there are disagreements, I will directly say “no.”

Regarding the Chinese Market

Luxe.co: In 2023, you stated that ISABEL MARANT aims to surpass 500 million euros in annual sales within four years. What do you think of this goal?

Anouck Duranteau-Loeper: I firmly believe the goal is achievable, although it may require more time and effort.

For managers, the monthly and regional sales data vary greatly. The Chinese market currently accounts for 10%-15% of total sales. It was initially challenging but is performing well now. Currently, the largest market globally is the US; in Europe, France ranks first in sales.

Luxe.co: How do you view the brand’s future development in the Chinese market?

Anouck Duranteau-Loeper: We have a rich and profound brand story, but sometimes it feels like we need to find better ways to communicate it. In the past, I only came to China once a year, but now, to meet more people, communicate, and conduct interviews, I come to China once every two months.

Before the pandemic, we increased our investment in the Chinese market and carefully organized a grand show. Unfortunately, the pandemic halted our plans for a few years. Currently, I feel that we still lack a deep connection with the Chinese market. Culture and language are obstacles to this connection.

On Chinese social media platforms, information is overwhelming, but due to language barriers, it is difficult for us to understand. To solve this problem, we need to build a Chinese team familiar with our brand and the Chinese market.

Therefore, I need to visit China more often to strengthen team building and help them work effectively.

The newly renovated Sanlitun store adopts a new concept design, with a larger area and a different layout and style than before. Currently, we have 16 stores in China. I believe we will not blindly pursue the expansion of store numbers in the future but will focus more on the quality and image of each store to better showcase our brand concept.

Isabel Marant: I believe the market potential in China is greater than in the US because Chinese consumers pay more attention to fashion.

Before further promoting expansion in the Chinese market, we need to make our brand image clearer. This is crucial because only with a clear and strong brand image can we resonate with customers and inspire their desire to purchase.

We still have great potential for development in the Chinese market, and our designs are unique and charming. I believe many girls can easily carry off ISABEL MARANT clothes, and our style has already resonated widely in the Chinese market.

This trip to China, besides Beijing and Shanghai, I also plan to visit factories in the southern regions for in-depth exchanges.

Nowadays, Chinese manufacturing is excellent! Although many people abroad still have narrow and erroneous perceptions of Chinese manufacturing from the past.

Chinese factories have skilled people and advanced machines. I want to further understand their technical capabilities. In fact, I have been cooperating with Chinese factories for a long time, and now all my cashmere products are made in China.

Luxe.co: Is it easier or more challenging for designers to create a brand today?

Isabel Marant: In my view, starting a brand today seems easy but is actually full of challenges.

Today’s designers have more opportunities, they can showcase their creativity and talent through social media. Compared to when I started, designers now have more windows for display, but the competition is also fiercer. Therefore, my advice to designers starting a brand today is that you must create a very strong and consistent brand image to stand out.

Luxe.co: When was your first visit to China?

Isabel Marant: My first visit to China was ten years ago. Compared to that time, the changes and development in China are simply amazing! Additionally, I have several assistants from China in my Paris office who often share photos of their travels across China with me. These photos are full of many touching details, magnificent landscapes, and colorful ethnic costumes.

I hope to visit more cities in China in the future!

| Image Credit: Provided by the brand; Official Instagram of the brand; Brand official website; Franklin Azzi Architecture official website

| Editor: Zhu Ruoyu