Sezane

Summary

Sézane is a French online retailer founded in 2013 by Morgane Sézalory, selling women’s fashion, accessories and other luxury items. The story of Sézane began with a forgotten suitcase and a love of vintage. Upon discovering an abandoned collection of vintage clothing, Morgane Sézalory began making slight adjustments to the pieces, and selling her finds online under the name ‘Les Composantes’. Her monthly drops became an anticipated event in France and by 2013, Morgane realised she had found her calling: she began supplementing her vintage pieces with her own designs and Sézane was born.

History

The story of Sézane begins with a forgotten suitcase and a love of vintage. Upon discovering an abandoned collection of vintage clothing, Morgane Sézalory began making slight adjustments to the pieces, and selling her finds online under the name ‘Les Composantes’. Her monthly drops, or rendezvous, became an anticipated event in France. By 2013, Morgane realised she had found her calling: she began supplementing her vintage pieces with her own designs and French ready-to-wear label Sézane was born.

In 2015 the brand opened its first boutique in Paris called L’Appartement before opening boutiques in London, New York and other parts of the world. Per Glossy: “In 2015 U.S. investment fund Summit Partners bought a minority stake in the company of around 20 per cent. Three years later another 20 per cent was bought by private equity giant General Atlantic which now reportedly owns 45 per cent of the company.”

The brand is mainly sold online where it achieved 90 per cent of its sales for a reported total turnover of 80 million euros and 150 employees in 2018 as well as in pop-up shops. Sézane dropped a collaboration with Sephora in 2020 and launched a limited range of personal care products consisting of a body wash and a hydrating milk, both 99 per cent made with ingredients of natural origin.

In September 2022 Téthys Invest acquired a stake in Sézane. The investment holding company owned by the Bettencourt-Meyers family, a subsidiary of Téthys, the majority shareholder of the global beauty giant L’Oréal, acquiring a minority stake in the flamboyant French fashion label, made headlines.

Today Sézane is officially B Corp certified. An accomplishment that is a testament to the years of hard work of its teams and partner ateliers. From the choice of production methods, raw materials and working conditions to its environmental footprint and engagement in the community.. B-Corp is the stringent independent validation of what Sézane stands for. Per Fashion Network: “Sézane, a profitable and committed company- certified as B-Corp- generates more than 80 per cent of its sales online and does not disclose its turnover but claims to be growing significantly. Les Echos- a French newspaper- reported a turnover of €250 million for the year 2021 following the entry of Téthys Invest in the company’s capital.”

2023 holds promise for Sézane, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. For the occasion, Sézane launched an anniversary collection on January 8 and also took the opportunity to reveal its new beauty line. Per Glossy: “Part of Sézane’s allure is its close relationships with its Europe-based factories which account for over two-thirds of the brand’s production. Because of this, Sézane has been able to offer premium products at a lower price point than its competitors, according to the company. And with shoes being one of the brand’s best-selling categories, high-quality materials and craftsmanship are top priorities.”

In addition to its e-shop the label currently operates twelve stores in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Lille and Bordeaux in France, and also in New York, London and Madrid. And more recently opened a store in Paris’s Marais district at 33 rue des Blancs-Manteaux.

Vision

“L’Art et la. Manière”. It is an obsession: the desire to offer you the most beautiful creations, the desire to surprise you, to take care of you, and to be by your side. The idea behind Sézane is simple: create high-quality perfectly-cut pieces that can be worn forever. Born in Paris and crafted using the expertise of the best atelier.. the French fashion label offers women luxury and quality at a fair accessible price.

Mission Statement

Through their evidence-based programs, the mission of French fashion label Sézane is to empower girls by providing them with support and mentoring that allows them to develop their strengths and overcome challenges.

Leadership team

Morgane Sézalory (Founder)
Thibault Lougnon (Co-founder)
Arnaud Ameline (Chief Operating Officer)
Antoine Auvinet (Omni-channel director)

Awards and recognition

From selling vintage products on eBay to opening big retail stores in Paris, London and NY, Sézane is one of the best French fashion success stories of the past five years. Sézane puts parisian fashion on the top of the industry. From mass market brands to the fashion-forward creative studio, every fashion professional wants to know the secret of their retail magic.
Some of the celebrities who have preferred the brand include: Archie Renaux, Stuart Martin, Luke Newton, Edward Bluemel, Vicky McClure, and Katherine Rose Morley.

References

• Official website Sézane
• The Cult French Fashion Brand Sézane Is Coming to Nordstrom Elle
• Instagram account of Sézane Instagram
• Sézane hires two new executives from LVMH Fashion Network
• Facebook account of Sézane Facebook
• Sienna Miller’s Favourite French Brand Vogue
• Sézane’s Undeniable Joie de Vivre Harpers Bazaar
• Twitter account of Sézane Twitter
• How Sézane built a growing business on Parisian style Glossy
• Inside the Sézane Tote Black Market Elle
• French-girl favourite Sézane Harpers Bazaar
• Téthys Invest acquires stake in Sézane Fashion Network
• Who is Téthys Invest, Sézane’s new shareholder? Fashion Network
• How Sézane Makes Fixing Fashion’s Footprint Look Effortless The Ethos
• Téthys Joins General Atlantic to Back DTC Brand Sézane BoF
• Sézane Brought Out a Very Chic Group to Fete Its Newest Collection Vogue
• Sézane Is Launching Their First Ready-To-Wear Collection Yahoo!