Alexandre Vauthier Enters Administration *Update June 2024* Revolve Aquires Majority Stake

[LadyJunon]

Alexandre Vauthier is in search of a buyer as his Coutute house enters judicial administration:

Couture house Alexandre Vauthier seeks buyer amid difficulties
Amidst significant financial challenges, the illustrious couture house Alexandre Vauthier is currently in search of an acquirer, as initially reported by the economic investigative media outlet, L’Informé. A judicial administration procedure was initiated by the Commercial Court of Paris on Tuesday, February 13.

By Emma RUFFENBACH
Translated by Roberta HERRERA
Published Feb 21, 2024

Renowned for its radical silhouettes and voluminous work, the eponymous Parisian label has been led for 15 years by its creator, designer Alexandre Vauthier (a disciple of Thierry Mugler, he graduated from ESMOD thirty years ago). It has been listed on the official calendar of the Federation of Haute Couture and Fashion for the past ten years.

The house has been in default since November 20, 2023. It transitioned into judicial administration in mid-February and is now seeking buyers. The deadline for submitting offers is set for Friday, March 8. Maître Hélène Bourbouloux (heading the Parisian firm FHBX) is the judicial administrator for this procedure.

Owned by its founder Alexandre Vauthier, the company based in the 16th arrondissement of the capital, which employs 36 staff members, will be under observation until August 13.

When contacted, the Alexandre Vauthier house declined to comment on the situation. The brand achieved a turnover of 12.7 million euros at the close of the fiscal year (as of March 31, 2023) according to accounts filed with the Commercial Court of Paris.

Its women's ready-to-wear and haute couture collections, leather goods, and shoes are sold via its website, as well as through its network of multi-brand retailers such as the Neiman Marcus chain in the United States, the flagship store of Mytheresa in Munich, and the Parisian boutique Biondini located in a gallery on the Champs-Elysées.

Last July, the house showcased its Fall/Winter 2023-2024 haute couture creations at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, infused with a festive sobriety. The brand, which was announced on the official calendar for the upcoming Paris Fashion Week dedicated to women’s fashion, has withdrawn and will ultimately not present this season.

Source: Fashion Network

 

[Cocteau Stone]

WHAAAAAT!?!?!? This can't be serious? Hopefully he can find a buyer/investor because his work is just too good to disappear in such a way.

Does also make me think why he wasn't offered another Creative Director gig elsewhere alongside this (say Alaia) not just for the sake of it making sense, but to also support actual independent designers and not the usual fodder. Because frankly, I'd also rather see him on the calendar than the likes of Jacquemus, Peter Do, Kim Jones et al.

 

[TerraVera]

only 12.7 million euros by march 2023? why isn't he selling anymore?

it explains why things have been toned down a bit. i'm not sure where he could go as a creative director; he seems most fit in his own lane, but since that's having issues, then i see why it might be hard to snatch a good position somewhere in the meantime.

accessories usually carry a house, so what would need to be improved for his house to be solvent?

 

[AnaD]

accessories usually carry a house, so what would need to be improved for his house to be solvent?

Probably an accessory line at a lower price point. Fragrance and makeup could help too, even if they're guest collection makeup collabs.

I really hope his brand finds a buyer, he's one of my faves. No one does Haute Couture like him.

 

[philophile]

This is sad, he's a great designer. I've always browsed enthusiastically through his collections. I think a lot of independent fashion designers are not doing very well nowadays, since a lot of them are not even in the calendar or even showed at pre-fall. Others just showed very modest lookbooks. I honestly think that it's due to the current economic crisis unleashed mainly by the pandemic that has a lot of designers uninspired and mainly sticking to essentials. It's a time of scarcity, yet, ironically, there's in contrast so much sumptuosity, decadence and pompousness going on at the same time that it makes one wonder if this is a similar scenario to pre-Great Depression era.

 

[perhydrol]

It's such a sad news, I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed for Vauthier, he's too talented to just go into administration, and there is some actual potential of growth in his brand. He just needs a proper investor and their resources.

 

[Urban Stylin]

Unfortunately this is going to be inecitable for the true fashion brands. The industry is now more about hype, famous collabs, insta/tiktok reach and having a billion items being pushed under the brand umbrella or worst case scenario operating under a conglomerate.

 

[Lola701]

It’s a bit sad and rather surprising. I know he is very close to the people at Chanel. Bruno Pavlovsky’s wife is involved in his business…
Apparently, it wasn’t enough.

Haute Couture might be a profitable operation for a lot of house, it’s not enough to actually support a house. He needs a strong RTW business and I really can see his brand expand to beauty. He is talented and his brand has a strong identity.

This brand has a big potential. I think EXOR, the Qataris or even the Clarins family could do things with him.
On paper, everybody would expect LVMH or Kering but I don’t see them taking the bet…Even if the house is so small that it could be an interesting opportunity.

I think that Alexandre has done quite well so far. I hope those issues will be solved before the end of the year.

 

[tourbillions]

i cant at boring "designers" handling big houses while talents like Vauthier enters administration. Hopefully someone offers him something

 

[Salvatore]

That explains why he didn't show during haute couture week and why his shows have been less flashy/more muted than in the past. I am so upset over it as he's super talented and there's definitely a place for him and his viewpoint in the fashion world. Someone better buy it and save it !

 

[Nimsay]

Larsa Pippen appears to be wearing his cropped shoulder pad button down on Miami Housewives. I think he needs RTW and definitely has a strong enough voice for it. I think he will quickly build a reputation for style and quality and become a big label. I can see him becoming like Balmain or McQueen and considered a go-to for that high fashion look.

 

[Lola701]

Larsa Pippen appears to be wearing his cropped shoulder pad button down on Miami Housewives. I think he needs RTW and definitely has a strong enough voice for it. I think he will quickly build a reputation for style and quality and become a big label. I can see him becoming like Balmain or McQueen and considered a go-to for that high fashion look.

He has RTW and Giuseppe Zanotti is doing his footwear. He has already a nice range of products for such a small, almost niche brand.
I think at some point you just needs investment to expand.
He has quite a few retailers but it’s very difficult to exist in this market.
We saw it. Couture week passed and I think it’s only here that I saw people asking about Alexandre Vauthier.

This is someone who doesn’t have a marketing machine. All his marketing is for his shows, his visuals (he woks with major people) and he sends clothes to celebrities.

It’s a bit like the Schiaparelli situation but the difference is that, Schiaparelli has an owner who will support the loss of the brand, have a strategy and invest money into the development of the brand. And that includes having interesting stockist, create events and push the products to the right clientele.

And I’m not sure there’s that much brand awareness around Vauthier.
Hopefully someone will buy the brand, create a strategy and all.
I hope he will still be able to have at least 10% ownership if it happens.

French fashion has experienced a lot of success stories with it contemporary brands like Isabel Marant, AMI and now Jacquemus. The French high-street brands like Maje, Sandro and others are very successful but this is a reminder that High Fashion is a different affair.

 

[badgalcrush]

That so sad but not surprising I think he did quite well so far. To be honest I think Anthony Vaccarello would have experienced the same issue if he did continue his eponymous brand.
I just hope he find to right people to inject cash on his brand and rethink a bit on the strategy they adopt

 

[tourbillions]

Anyone buy the house yet?

 

[LadyJunon]

It's an absolute shame, because he's one of the industry's better designers. Haute Couture can be profitable, but it's such a fragile operation because of how expensive it can be to run, especially when using Chanel-tier resources.

I hope that he finds a buyer who can support that without trying to turn it into a huge luxury company. That said, they could easily take advantage of Vauthier's niche cult-label status and create a business like Alaïa.

I feel that the best thing to do with Vauthier would be to merge the couture and ready-to-wear into one collection, find a designer to create the bag and shoe lines, and develop a perfume.

 

[rowjellies]

What in the world...

Why Revolve Is Buying Paris Couture House Alexandre Vauthier​

The US e-tailer, a long-time stockist of Vauthier, is acquiring the label out of administration with plans to boost merchandising and e-commerce, BoF can exclusively reveal.

By ROBERT WILLIAMS
25 June 2024
BoF PROFESSIONAL

PARIS – Alexandre Vauthier has found a buyer.
Revolve, the US e-tailer which also operates luxury site FWRD, will acquire the French haute couture house out of administration. The deal will allow the label to retain its nearly 50 employees and return to the Paris couture calendar, the companies told BoF in an exclusive interview Tuesday. Financial terms of the court-supervised deal were not disclosed.
It also marks the first time Revolve has acquired a fashion label since 2015, when it snapped up Lovers + Friends and its parent company Alliance Apparel, which became the cornerstone of a push to develop its own brands.
Revolve and Paris-based Vauthier may appear to be strange bedfellows: most of the e-commerce player’s 22 in-house labels (which account for 20 percent of sales) are more accessibly priced ventures. Some are created in partnership with tastemakers and influencers like Aimee Song, who play a key role in driving traffic to the platform.
But Revolve’s FWRD unit has been a stockist of Vauthier since the brand’s infancy, when it was a champion of the label through its Elyse Walker chain of brick-and-mortar stores.
“They know me since the beginning — I’m so happy it’s them who are buying the brand,” Alexandre Vauthier said
Alexandre Vauthier takes a bow. (Alexandre Vauthier)
For Revolve, adding a top-end designer concept to its roster represents the “next step in our brand building,” CEO Michael Mente said. The brand is in the midst of a marketing shift, and has increasingly been pulling back on the influencer-centric approach it’s so known for.
“Influencer marketing is just one arrow in our quiver. … In a scary economy for emerging brands; we want to be proactive about finding great talent that needs support.”
The 15 year-old Alexandre Vauthier label, which is one of just 15 brands authorised to use France’s haute couture designation, is known for an aesthetic mixing power dress and sensuality. The brand built a cult following for its glitzy evening ensembles and supple, elegant suiting, achieving revenues of €16.3 million ($17.49 million) in 2020 according to the French companies register.
But Vauthier went into administration in February after years of fighting to survive in a volatile market for independent luxury brands, particularly since the pandemic.
Turbulence at wholesale stockists as well as chronic late payments for collections had taken a toll on the company’s ready-to-wear and shoe businesses, Vauthier says, even as the house’s haute couture sales surged by 75 percent year-on-year during the past 12 months.
Collapsing sales to clients from Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine haven’t helped. More recently, the brand has had to navigate mounting instability in the Middle East.
“The retail system never really went back to normal after Covid-19. Consumption has been extremely irregular, and it became impossible to maintain a treasury,” Vauthier said.
While the partnership is still in its infancy, Revolve says it plans to invest in reinforcing Vauthier’s corporate structure, as well as aiming to leverage its trove of customer data to inform broader merchandising across price points and categories.
Vauthier echoed the ambition to revamp and expand merchandising, notably seeking to increase exposure to footwear (currently just 10 percent of sales) and bags. The designer also hopes that steadier financial backing will allow it to retool its wholesale exposure, cutting back underperforming doors in a bid to burnish its exclusive image.
After sitting out Paris’ couture weeks in January and June, Vauthier plans to return to the calendar next season. Two of Vauthier’s custom creations were on display for Condé Nast’s “Vogue World” spectacle Sunday night, modelled by the musicians FKA Twigs on the runway in Place Vendôme and Katy Perry at an afterparty at Maxim’s.

 

[tourbillions]

good for him i guess.

 

[LadyJunon]

The statement from Revolve Group themselves:

REVOLVE GROUP, INC. ACQUIRED A MAJORITY STAKE IN FRENCH COUTURE HOUSE ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER

Strategic Acquisition Expands the REVOLVE and FWRD House of Brands, Enhancing REVOLVE's Fashion Offerings with Alexandre Vauthier's Timeless Haute Couture Craftsmanship

LOS ANGELES, June 25, 2024 -- REVOLVE Group, Inc. (NYSE: RVLV), the fashion destination for the next-generation consumer, announced it has acquired a majority stake in the esteemed luxury fashion brand, Alexandre Vauthier. The strategic move further differentiates REVOLVE Group, Inc. in the premium and high-end fashion market, taking a significant step forward in its mission to redefine the fashion landscape.

"We are delighted to partner with Alexandre Vauthier, a distinguished name in haute couture. By integrating our impactful brand marketing strategies and operational excellence with Vauthier's visionary designs, we are set to ignite a new era of fashion influence in luxury to build an iconic French house" - Michael Mente, Co-CEO & Co-Founder of REVOLVE Group, Inc.

Renowned for his couture designs and impeccable craftsmanship, Alexandre Vauthier has carved out a distinguished position within the luxury fashion sphere. With a successful track record in FWRD's luxury brand portfolio and a strong resonance with its sophisticated customer base, Alexandre Vauthier embodies elegance, innovation and luxury.

This exciting partnership between REVOLVE Group, Inc. and Alexandre Vauthier presents an opportunity to leverage each other's strengths. By integrating REVOLVE and FWRD's cutting-edge marketing strategies, data-driven merchandising techniques, and renowned operational infrastructure with Alexandre Vauthier's iconic brand identity and exceptional craftsmanship, the collaboration aims to propel Alexandre Vauthier to new heights within the luxury fashion landscape.

"When I first met with the REVOLVE team, I immediately felt their understanding in growing a haute couture business for today's consumer and a support for all the specialized techniques and effects necessary to conceptualize a collection in this very special corner of fashion, as well as to develop it into a high quality ready-to-wear and accessories offering every season. I look forward to this new chapter for my house with the added profession which REVOLVE offers." - Alexandre Vauthier

REVOLVE, FWRD, and Alexandre Vauthier are set to host an exclusive, invite-only dinner during Paris Fashion Week, marking the beginning of their exciting partnership. Consumers can anticipate a fresh interpretation of Alexandre Vauthier's creations, soon to be accessible on FWRD and AlexandreVauthier.com in the upcoming fall season, followed by a show during Paris Couture Week in January 2025.

As REVOLVE Group, Inc. continues to expand its portfolio and cater to the evolving preferences of its global consumer base, this acquisition underscores the company's commitment to drive growth, innovation, and excellence in the fashion world. The brand is excited to further integrate into the luxury space that aligns seamlessly with REVOLVE and FWRD's ethos of championing emerging and independent brands, fostering natural and authentic relationships through partnership and acquisition.

As part of the transaction, Revolve Group, Inc. will contribute purchased assets to a newly formed entity and will invest 6 million euros over three years. Additional terms were not disclosed.

REVOLVE Media Contacts:
[email protected]
[email protected]

Alexandre Vauthier Media Contacts:
Melissa Wiggins [email protected]
Adam Vossen [email protected]
Sammy Bizenov [email protected]

About Revolve Group
Revolve Group (RVLV) is the next-generation fashion retailer for Millennial and Generation Z consumers. As a trusted, premium lifestyle brand, and a go-to online source for discovery and inspiration, we deliver an engaging customer experience from a vast yet curated offering of apparel, footwear, accessories, and beauty styles. Our dynamic platform connects a deeply engaged community of millions of consumers, thousands of global fashion influencers, and hundreds of emerging, established, and owned brands.

We were founded in 2003 by our co-CEOs, Michael Mente and Mike Karanikolas. We sell merchandise through two complementary segments, REVOLVE and FWRD, that leverage one platform. Through REVOLVE, we offer an assortment of premium apparel and footwear, accessories, and beauty products from emerging established and owned brands. Through FWRD, we offer a highly curated collection of iconic and emerging luxury brands. For more information, visit www.revolve.com.

About Alexandre Vauthier
Passionate about cut and devoted to the search for new fabrics, Alexandre Vauthier learned the secrets of haute couture working alongside Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. In 2009, he decided on a whim to launch his own brand to express his own need for independence and his respect for the craftsmanship discovered throughout his career. Since 2014, the House has been the 14th member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute-Couture and is now showing in the official calendar of this unique Fashion Week.

The fundamentals of his style include innovative fabrics and techniques showcasing the very best of couture and an innate sense of fit. Alexandre Vauthier's dresses showcase the female body - and all women. The couturier-designer's passion and flair have attracted icons as unique and varied as Madonna, Roisin Murphy, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, and Alessandra Ambrosio; celebrated actresses including Kate Bosworth, Emma Roberts, Fanny Ardant, Isabelle Huppert, Sofia Loren, Noomi Rapace, Sylvie Testud, and Juliette Binoche, artists such as Kesh and it-girls like Poppy Delevigne.

Alexandre Vauthier is carried in 150 retailers worldwide.

Revolve Group

This is definitely a WTF moment, considering that it’s Revolve of all companies, but I’m extremely happy that he’ll be able to continue doing Haute Couture.

 

[thiago:)]

Wishing the best for him! He deserves to continue working and presenting us his talent.

 

[Lola701]

The statement from Revolve Group themselves:

Revolve Group

This is definitely a WTF moment, considering that it’s Revolve of all companies, but I’m extremely happy that he’ll be able to continue doing Haute Couture.

They will probably sell it as soon as it becomes profitable.