Fashion week brings success by design

Founded in Paris in 1865, Printemps is a world-leading department store for fashion, luxury, and beauty with more than 15 locations in France, Qatar, and soon in the United States.

According to Deray, up to 5 percent of fashion brands in Printemps are from Chinese designers, but the trend is growing.

"I'm very interested in Chinese designers and I think they are full of potential. They are creative, and always have something they want to express and are able to access good factories and fabrics."

He explains that Chinese customers have a special attraction to international luxury and designer brands. With the market getting more mature, it is clear that those same customers are also slowly turning toward local brands.

"For us international players, this is particularly interesting as the Chinese used to be a big part of our business before COVID-19. Hence, with the borders reopening, it really does make sense for us to work with Chinese brands," he adds.

Deray adds that since many of the young Chinese designers went to study at world-leading fashion and design colleges in fashion hubs such as London and Paris, to occupy more market in international buyers shops is just a question of time.

"I am keen on discovering new talent that may have been spurred in the last couple of years, in the hope of introducing them to the French market. It will also be the occasion to check on the new trends that are popular among Chinese fashionistas. This will be very valuable to guide me in my next buying decisions," Deray says, adding that he is also looking forward to visiting some retail stores in China, especially in Shanghai, which has always been very innovative on fashion.