Two former icons of French fashion, shoe maker Clergerie and tailor Smalto, have just been taken over. But both will be reborn without French manufacturing, much to the dismay of their former employees. And their customers?
The past glories of high-end French fashion can still attract buyers. But sometimes, this comes at the price of abandoning French manufacturing… Even though Made in France remains a strong selling point in France and internationally.
This is certainly what happened with the recent takeovers of iconic shoe maker Clergerie and men’s fashion specialist Smalto. Not without some casualties for the workers…
A quartet of Parisians from the real estate sector
Last June, the media outlet Fashion Network reported, during the Italian trade show Pitti Uomo, that the former flagship of men’s fashion had been bought in 2024 by a quartet of Parisians from the real estate world, including former owner Alain Duménil, who were “eager” to “restore it to its former glory.”
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Read also > Clergerie, the luxury footwear brand made in France, is being liquidated
Featured image: montage with, from left to right, © Clergerie and Smalto
