PARIS — Suitsupply has landed in France.
A stone’s throw from the Paris Opera, the Amsterdam-based men’s wear retailer has opened its first French store on Rue de La Paix in the 2nd arrondissement.
The 6,450-square-foot space, which was unveiled to the public on Thursday, will carry Suitsupply’s full collections, spanning men’s tailoring, outerwear, shoes and accessories, including the retailer’s newest style, a lightweight silk and wool blend suit, which was debuted in the Paris flagship.
“The decision to open in Paris was a no-brainer, as a big chunk of our online sales come from France,” said founder and chief executive officer Fokke de Jong.
“The French have an ingrained sense of elegance; they approach tailoring in an effortless way,” he continued. “We focus on the more elegant side of men’s fashion — basically, everything that has a jacket on. I think that will resonate well with the French customer.”
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The privately held company chose to acknowledge the difficult timing of the opening, which comes a month after the Notre Dame fire: All sales made on the store’s opening day went to the Notre Dame restoration fund.
“If you come to a new city and it’s dealing with something like that, the least thing you can do is contribute a little bit to the healing of that wound,” de Jong said.
Founded in 2000 as a direct-to-consumer brand, Suitsupply made a mark with its sharply priced suits that are targeted at the Millennial customer: Off-the-rack suits start at $399 and go up to around $1,000.
The brand already counts more than 120 stores worldwide. This first Parisian boutique — one of its biggest, employing 35 staff members including an on-site tailor for alterations — will be followed by store openings in China, one of Suitsupply’s biggest markets.
Since launching Suitsupply nearly 20 years ago, de Jong noticed a surge of interest in men’s fashion, which he links to the rise of social media.
“It used to be that men influenced each other,” he said. “If you lived in Amsterdam and you had some guys coming in for a meeting out of London, you’d notice their clothes. Nowadays, men are more informed and see more imagery, with new influences coming in constantly. As a result, they are spending more money on clothing.”