3 Questions for . . . Vanessa Sanchez, co-founder of the Des Petits Hauts brand

Katia and Vanessa Sanchez founded the Des Petits Hauts brand 15 years ago. The duo’s goal was to create tops that were “soft, lightweight, and easy to wear”. From the start they were noticed at trade shows and multi-brand boutiques liked the collections. In 2002 they opened their first boutique in Paris on rue Keller in the 11th arrondissement. Since then, their success has continued to grow. By the end of the year, Des Petits Hauts will comprise 40 boutiques ‒ their own as well as branches and affiliates, with four outside of France (Madrid, Brussels, Uccle, Geneva). At the same time, the brand continues to develop its wholesale network of around 1,100 multi-brand retailers (40 percent in France and 60 percent internationally) as well as its e-commerce site launched in 2013.

How is the French fashion market doing? What do you think have been the major retail evolutions over the past few years?

The French market includes wonderful success stories and, on the other hand, stories with more difficulties. It’s impossible to generalise. That’s why it’s easier for me to tell you about our brand, which is doing rather well during this period. Our performance is good. Our offer, going beyond our products, is in line with clients’ desires. I think the two major evolutions have been the cadence of sales and promotions, and the digital revolution. The market has been affected by the increased frequency of promotions that upset consumers’ appreciation and diminish goods’ true value. Either the starting price is too high, in anticipation of the situation, or it’s extremely low and forces professionals to question the cost of materials, manufacturing, and transportation of products.

Since the beginning, our strategy has been to set fair prices. Our manufacturing is primarily in Europe for knit T-shirt, wovens, and part of the knit pullovers; but also in Asia for another part of the pullovers. We prefer having not enough stock rather than having to move too high a percentage during the sales. We’re also careful to have just the right amount of visibility. Finally, the overall market, including retail, has been shaken up by the digital revolution which provoked a profound upheaval in consumer behaviour. In my opinion, digital technology is not at all a problem. It’s a tool for promoting the brand and encouraging people to buy in stores. I consider it a service and way to communicate.

With the arrival of new technologies, has the behaviour of female consumers changed very much? How do they buy today?

Digital technology has completely disrupted consumer habits. Women research prices, products, availability, and accessibility. They have also taken back their power, they speak up, they give opinions and even directions. For us, digital technology is a wonderful tool. It lets us communicate about our brand universe and incite consumers to learn more by visiting our physical network ‒ our boutiques or wholesalers. In fact, several people work on digital technology in-house. Cross-channel strategies are good for everybody, since not every consumer buys on Internet. We have to make sure that the brand is present online and in the street, while being careful not to wear our message out. That requires a controlled development plan. The digital revolution brought a retail evolution that should deliver value added. Consumers today no longer leave home just to buy, but to enjoy an experience or feeling; they need to identify with a brand’s universe and believe in a brand’s message.

We have, of course, opened boutiques in the Marais and Saint-Germain districts, but we’re also in neighbourhoods with fewer tourists but good local energy, like rue Keller, near the Bastille; rue Beaurepaire, around the corner from Canal Saint-Martin; and, more recently, rue Legendre in the Batignolles area. Each of our boutiques is different. Each one presents its own particular world. There are even exhibition spaces at rue Keller and rue du Bac, and a corner for paper goods at rue Beaurepaire.

And in the future what do you think the major fashion evolution will be, in France and internationally?

The challenge is to not be boring and to not disappoint. Not boring consumers means managing our manufacturing and development. Not disappointing means staying coherent with appropriate prices and having a long term vision for customer relationships. It’s important for us to give meaning to what we do, what we sell, and what we endorse. Customers feel it when you’re sincere. And of course, since we’re in the fashion business, we know we have to keep innovating and surprising. And finally, there’s another value that we’ve promoted since our beginnings ‒ generosity. We like to share our discoveries with our clients. We regularly organise exhibitions, workshops, and spaces dedicated to other designers in some of our boutiques. These shared moments help us create a great story.