Casablanca Paris, the London-based fashion brand founded by French designer Charaf Tajer, is set to open its first retail store.
A 450-square-metre space on Paris’ Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré will allow Casablanca “to express ourselves on a bigger scale,” Tajer said. “It’s a logical continuation for the brand.”
The boutique is located on the same block as Etro and Alberta Ferretti and a short walk from the flagships of Comme des Garçons and Hermès. “It’s the traditional home of luxury in Paris, and that’s where we wanted to be,” Tajer explained.
The move follows the brand’s decision to relocate its studio and headquarters to London and to bring on a chief executive, Frederick Lukoff, who previously led the Stella McCartney and Scotch & Soda brands.
In a year when many independent fashion companies are reeling from turbulence in the wholesale market, including the closure of key stockist MatchesFashion, Casablanca “is still growing at a healthy clip,” with revenues on track to reach $50 million this year, according to Lukoff.
The brand’s popularity with young customers — it estimates 80 percent of buyers are under the age of 32 — has been a key driver of growth as Gen-Z and younger Millennials acquire more spending power, as well as expansion in women’s ready-to-wear, shoes and bags, Lukoff said.
Casablanca’s silk play-sets for adult men — colourful shirts and matching shorts — have become a go-to silhouette at bro brunches and DJ sets worldwide, and been copied repeatedly by fast-fashion giants.
Due to the popularity of the brand’s silk shirts, men’s ready-to-wear still “essentially dominates” the business, said Lukoff. But in recent seasons Casablanca has expanded its women’s offering, and moved its co-ed runway shows to the Paris womenswear season in a bid to spotlight the category. (Its next show is set to take place September 26).
An in-person shopping experience will encourage clients to discover the brand across genders and categories, driving higher average sales and customer loyalty, Lukoff said.
