Retail Lab: Spotlight on Sézane
Sézane, with its focus on the “Cool French Girl Aesthetic”, is fast becoming the destination for women looking for an effortless, timeless style that moves beyond trends.
Open up any social media feed or article about French style and you’ll likely see Sézane.
The Parisian brand is having a moment as the classic French comes back in to vogue. I would question whether it ever left, but with clever branding and a smart strategy, Sézane has shown customers that certain clothes never go out of fashion, and it’s this longevity that affirms their clothes are worth the investment.
It’s a clever business strategy that points to a wider trend of smaller brands creating waitlists, producing smaller runs and allowing products to sell out at higher prices to generate further demand.
Let’s go back to the start.
Sézane was founded in 2013 by Morgane Sézalory. With storytelling and sustainability in mind, Sézane was the first French brand founded exclusively online, a big deal when you consider the emphasis the French shopper puts on quality and the importance of physical boutiques.
In the 13 years since its inception, Sézane has proven that even outside of luxury, scarcity sells. Their limited production runs are a nod to slower fashion and combining a heavy dose of classic French style with a contemporary twist all make for an appealing offer in the modern fashion landscape.
And Sézane’s strategy oozes modernity; the brand isn’t about heavy discounting and following the fast fashion cycle- it’s about wearing clothes you love on repeat and styling them in a way that works for you and your lifestyle.
It’s this fresh approach to style and fashion that sets Sézane apart from its competitors.
What is Sézane doing differently?
Putting women and their stories at the heart of the designs by creating clothes that feel comfortable and elevated with minimal effort;
Creating a community that leans heavily in to “co-creation” by listening to what their customers really want to buy;
Honing in on classic tailoring and foundation pieces that are the building blocks of every wardrobe;
Providing practical, quality, timeless accessories that can transform a look;
Having a pricing structure that balances affordability with the underlying message that these investment pieces are made to be worn again and again;
Classic items are balanced with products that have a playful edge, adding personality to the brand to set it apart.
Why the sudden Sézane explosion?
There are several factors driving Sézane’s transformation from a fashionista’s best-kept secret to a mainstream brand with the season’s must-have pieces:
A marketing push that’s using 30-45 year old influencers to showcase the products on real women in markets that Sézane is expanding to. For example, US store openings have coincided with paid partnerships with several big-name influencers;
New store openings have brought Sézane from the Boulevards Haussman to major cities in the UK, Europe and the US via department stores and standalone Appartéments, allowing Sézane to cultivate a personal relationship with customers through brand immersion;
New product drops are well-timed, rare and perfectly executed with customers encouraged to sign up to app alerts knowing that stock is limited. Far from creating frustration, this drives demands and adds prestige to the brand.
These are a few of my favourite things (about Sézane)
Fun prints mixed with classic style create a cool aesthetic that’s still versatile and timeless
They create forever pieces that feel like an investment but don’t break the bank
They also stock limited ranges of menswear, kids wear and even home wear, showing this this model can work for categories other than womenswear
Let’s look to the future
Here are some opportunities I can spot for Sézane:
More stores and concessions in popular shopping destinations, including smaller towns and villages with fashion-forward consumers;
Further international expansion, particularly in the US;
Resale seems like a logical step for Sézane to take for returns and lightly damaged stock to give products a new lease of life;
Further moves in to lifestyle. The recent collaboration with Lucia Vegara is a fantastic and shows the potential in this area;
Personal styling as a service. The store assistants are already very helpful, but I would love to see styling offered as a bookable service in the Appartéments.
I’d love to know your thoughts on Sézane- what do you love? What potential do you see?
Until next time,
Hina