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Gerard Darel’s fashion story unfolds: Ibiza bags start off as a pouch (left) and expand into a lightweight handbag (right). Available in three sizes – “24-hour” (small), “36-hour” (medium) and “48-hour” (large) – and seven colours | |
FRANCE. French fashion house Gerard Darel is gearing up for the opening of stores at Paris airports and beyond its home base as product development continues apace with a new expandable travel handbag.
The Paris-based company offers an assortment of stylish and practical handbags and accessories, which have already scored an international hit, partly thanks to its ads starring Charlotte Gainsbourg that exude effortless French chic and a certain je ne sais quoi.
Aimed squarely at the travel retail market, the expandable bag – new to its Spring/Summer 2008 Collection – is made from lightweight material and expands from a handy pouch to a large-capacity handbag.
The Ibiza collection, which was previewed by selected customers at TFWA World Exhibition in October, is offered in three sizes – “24-hour” (small), “36-hour” (medium) and “48-hour” (large) – and seven fashion shades.
Crafted from strong supple cotton and leather with gathered sides and metal stud detail, the bags can be neatly folded away in a suitcase.
The Gerard Darel Spring/Summer 2008 Accessories Collection features bright colours and textures including shiny patent, lustrous pearlised and metallic leather, snakeskin, calfskin and chunky woollen knits.
The apparel collection majors on feminine jackets and trousers with Bohemian-style floral blouses, diaphanous skirts and embroidered dresses.
Gerard Darel in travel retail
Gerard Darel is busy conquering its home airport market in France. A second store is opening at Paris Charles de Gaulle, in Terminal 2E with Phénix in April, to add to its shop in 2F.
At the capital’s other gateway airport of Orly, a boutique in Orly South will soon join Gerard Darel’s existing Orly West store, also operated by retail partner CDG Participation.
The newly redeveloped Orly Airport shopping complex will mean greater brand identity, according to Gerard Darel Managing Director David Maruani, who proudly describes the brand as “timeless yet modern with a twist, aimed at women of character”.
“We are also discussing opportunities at other airports,” Maruani told The Moodie Report during the 2007 TFWA World Exhibition, where the company was present for the second time.
“Our strategy is to develop the brand first in the domestic market to get our awareness high and then expand in the duty free market – providing we can find the right operators – with corners and [standalone] shops bearing our identity,” he said. “Our brand’s success relies on the right image.”
Phase one of the company’s strategy has been to focus on its home base of France, but given that the firm exports to over 40 countries, international development is now running in parallel, said Maruani.
Gerard Darel’s turnover has grown by +15% each year for the past few years to reach €160 million in 2007. In the domestic market the family-owned firm has its own shops, shop-in-shops and department store outlets across Europe, for example in France (60 stores; 50 shop-in-shops), Italy, Belgium, the UK, Ireland and Spain.
Outside its European heartland, it develops strategic partnerships, for example in Portugal, Morocco, Lebanon, Kuwait, Dubai, Russia and South Africa, where a deal has been struck with a new partner. Distribution has begun in fashion-hungry Japan with top department store stockists such as Barneys (Tokyo), Isetan, Hankyu and Mitsukoshi.
Away from Paris, the brand is performing well in South Korea with Lotte, where five shop-in-shops are trading, and in Taiwan, where there are eight shop-in-shops in the major department stores across the country.
For details of the Gerard Darel travel retail collection, e-mail David Maruani at david.maruani@gerarddarel.com
and Sylvia Hruby at sylvia.hruby@gerarddarel.com
MORE ON GERARD DAREL
Gerard Darel brings a touch of Paris élan to Cannes – 09/10/07
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