“How to dress like a Parisian” is one of our most popular posts, so I thought that I would share 5 French brands you should know about with you today.
Before, I go into any detail though, I would just like to say there are lots more than 5 French brands you should know about, and I’m briefly going to give you a list of a few others at the end of the post.
However, the 5 brands I am sharing here are just my personal favourites and where I shop the most. This is not a sponsored post and all the outfits featured were purchased either in store or online by me.
5 French Brands you should know about
Sézane
Sézane was created in 2013 by Morgane Sézalory , who started her online journey by selling vintage finds on eBay and, in a matter of years, turned it into her hugely popular brand, which epitomises French chic.
She had a love of vintage clothing and she started by customising her vintage finds and selling these online with the brand name “Les Composantes”, and in 2013 she complemented these pieces with her own design and Sézane was born!
What distinguished her brand from its contemporaries, such as Maje and Sandro, was the fact that it was only available online (in fact, it was the first label in France to launch an online store), which enabled Sézalory to offer quality pieces at accessible prices. The brand is committed to ethical working practices and sustainability.
Sézane opened its first bricks and mortar store, “L’Appartement” in Paris, open from Tuesday to Saturday, in 2015 and has subsequently opened stores in Notting Hill, London, New York and Aix-en Provence, and of course, you can still purchase online!
In 2017, “Demain” was born, a charity program to support equal opportunities for children all around the world, and the brand also has a charity shop in Paris (opened in 2018), where lovers of the brand can purchase items from photo shoots and fittings at reduced prices and all the proceeds go to the “Demain” program.
BA&SH
A shared love for fashion and a close friendship led to the launch of French lifestyle brand ba&sh, 17 years ago. Best friends Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief took the leap in 2003, and with no formal fashion training, they established their brand, ba&sh (the name derives from the first letters of their first names if you hadn’t already worked it out!).
Their idea was based on bringing their dream wardrobe to life so that they could share it with women all over the world, and it is truly a brand created “by women for women.”
The signature style is a mix of their own personal aesthetics, a floaty bohemian with a touch of rock and roll, and their timeless, effortless and yet still chic collections capture the understated elegance of Parisian style perfectly.
They are now stocked in over 400 stores internationally, including the UK and the US, as well as online, offering women worldwide a timeless, wardrobe, combining the right balance of femininity and sophistication for every occasion.
Sandro and Maje
So, I realise that this is actually two brands, but as the brands were created by sisters and are now owned by the same parent company, I figured that it was OK to talk about them together.
The brands are the brainchilds of sisters, Evelyne Chetrite (Sandro) and Judith Milgrom (Maje). Both have been fashion-obsessed since growing up in Rabat, Morocco, and Chetrite, the elder sister, led the way into the fashion business after the family moved to Paris when she was 15 and her sister 10.
Chetrite, launched Sandro, with her now husband, Didier Chetrite in 1984. Their first boutique was opened in the heart of the Marais area in Paris, and enjoyed instant success.
Milgrom spent her summers working for her sister from the age of 16, and in 1998 Maje was born.
Both Sandro and Maje are brands for active women who want to be able to transition seamlessly from a day in the office to an evening out without changing their clothes in between, and both epitomise effortless Parisian chic.
Sandro is more androgynous and a bit more sporty, while the Maje style is more feminine and colourful.
Carrol
Carrol has a slightly different background to the previous brands, and was initially launched in France by Raphaël Levy and Joseph Bigio, over 50 years ago in the niche knitwear market.
It transitioned to “ready to wear” in the 1980s and in 1997 Caroll opened internationally with its first shop in Spain, and is now present in 13 countries (France, Monaco, Andorra, Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Morocco, Tunisia, Liban and China) with 490 shops.
Caroll is synonomous with effortless chic style, and takes special care in the choice of materials and finishes, for fair and well thought-out products and impeccably cut silhouettes.
Caroll supports the association “Toutes à l’école”; which provides education to girls in Cambodia, as well as support to their families.
Les Petites
Created in 1992 by Isabelle Benichou, the brand Les Petites (no longer available online) is one of my favourite French brands, and offers timeless, feminine pieces inspired by Parisian street style. Isabelle believes that the Parisian woman’s wardrobe is a reflection of her personality : contemporary, sensual, elegant and chic.
Signature features of the brand include delicate materials, lace, unusual cuts and collections full of beautiful and vivid colours. Their hallmark is the attention they pay to detail.
Other French Brands you should know about and some of which I’m sure you already do!
- Rouje, launched in 2016 by Jeanne Damas (here)
- Claudie Pierlot, created by Claudie Pierlot in 1984 (here)
- Musier, created in March 2018 by Anne-Laure Mais (here)
- Jacquemus, created in 2009 by Simon Porte Jacquemus (here)
- Isabel Marrant, created in 1995 by Isabel Marrant (here)
- The Kooples , founded by brothers Alexandre, Laurent and Raphaël Elicha in 2008 (here )
- Zadig & Voltaire, created in 1997 by Thierry Gillier (here)
- Sessun, founded in 1996 by Emma François (here)
- Antonelle, created in 1988 in Paris (here)
- Comptoir des Cotonniers, created in 1995 (here)
And, of course, there are all the designer French brands that are renowned for their Parisian chic, such as :
- Chanel (here)
- Yves St Laurent (here)
- Givenchy (here)
- Dior (here)
- Lanvin (here)
- Balmain (here)
- Balenciaga (here)
- Chloé (here)
- Hermes (here)
- Louboutin (here)
Reading back through this, I’ve just realised how lucky I am to live in France! However, you can get most of the brands online and worldwide.
I hope you enjoyed this post about 5 French brands you should know about and have a look here for more style inspiration.
I will be back soon with more style, lifestyle and travel inspiration and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog below to make sure you never miss a post,
With love,
Oh I love the French look and Parisian style that combination of effortless chic and attention to detail. LOVE the first four brands you mention and had not heard of the other two so thank you for the introduction!!
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Yes, you can’t fault Parisian Style! So glad you enjoyed the post Allie x
I’m also a fan of French brands and therefore I agree to your list!
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
Thanks Rena! There are so many great French brands x
You really are lucky to live in France! Theres just so much great fashion there! I still remember my first few pieces from Sandro and even though I bought them almost 8 years ago now, I still wear them to this day! And obviously you know of my love for Chanel. And Louis. And Dior. haha.
-Didier
http://www.didieryhc.com
Yes, France is renowned for its fashion! I think I bought my first few pieces from Sandro about 8 years ago too!
I know a lot of these brands and like Z&V Sezane and Carrol, will have to check out the other ones. <3 Thanks for sharing. x
http://fashiontalesblog.com
Glad you enjoyed the post! Hope you’re staying safe and well x
I love learning about new brands 🙂 xx
Glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
i love sezane and zarif and voltaire!
xoxo
style frontier
Me too! xoxo
Ah very inspiring and helpful, thanks for posting
http://www.recklessdiary.ru
Glad you found it inspiring Anya 🙂
French style is the best! Thanks for sharing this!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Yes, I agree! I love French Style x
All of these brands looks really good, I would definitely like to check them out sometime. French brands really are the best in the industry.
Have a good week! 🙂
Amy x <a href="https://wandering-everywhere.com/
Yes, French brands are great! Hope you’re staying safe and well 🙂
A lot of these brands are new to me. So glad to know more French brands.
http://www.fashionradi.com
Glad you liked finding out more Radi x
This is such a fun post! I have loved reading through it and discovering all these French brands – thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Katerina x
Very beautiful post and blog, my dear!!! =))
Thank you xo
I will check these brands, new for me:)
https://loveonthebrainbykinga.wordpress.com/
Hope you like them Kinga x
I’ve heard so much about Sezane recently! It sounds like a really great brand xo
MakeupMuddle.com
It’s definitely one of my favorites! xo
I haven’t heard some of these brands, will check them out.
xx Alyssa | STYLE VANITY
Thanks Alyssa! Let me know what you think x
From these brands I know only Sezane. Thank you for sharing rest of them I need to check them.
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Sézane seems to be the best known generally, when I’m reading through the comments! It’s a great brand 🙂
I haven’t heard of most of these brands before, but I loved learning more about them through this post! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
melissakacar.blogspot.com
Glad you liked the post Melissa 🙂
Sezane is one of my absolute favorites! There are so many good brands here to talk about!
Sézane is one of my favorites too xo
I love french brands! There’s a few you named that I don’t know and can’t wait to check them out!
I hope you like them Rach x
Theses are really pretty brands but I never shopped there yet as theses shops can be a little bit pricey for me.
xx
Margot
Thanks Margot! They are a bit more expensive, but I’m trying to buy less and more investment pieces at the moment, and in particular, I’m trying to buy more sustainable! xo
I’ve heard of Sézane but have never purchased anything. I love that they are sustainable and also give back. I’m not familiar with these other brands and need to check them out!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Sézane is definitely one of my favorite brands! I love the quality of their pieces, as well as the fact that they give back x
A very interesting post, I already knew about Sezane and Les Petites and now you got me curious about Sandro and Maje, I will definitely check them out,
thanks for sharing,
Sonia
http://www.soniaaicha.com
Thanks Sonia! I’m glad you liked the post and let me know what you think of Sandro and Maje! xo
I love that you shared these Julia!! I had never heard of any of them. I can’t wait to check them out.
XOXO
Jodie
I’m glad you liked finding out about them Jodie xoxo
Oooo love this post. I am a big fan of French brands. I know about the first three but not the last three thanks for the introduction! Ah very inspiring and helpful, thanks for posting 🙂
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Glad you enjoyed the post Allie! I loved reading your Fashion Week posts xo
I need to check these french brands out! I never heard of them! Thanks for sharing!
xoxo, Vanessa
http://www.WhatWouldVWear.com
They’re great brands, Vanessa! I really love them xo
Thanks so much for sharing these French brands and some history on them! I have never been to France, but I have to imagine it’s a beautiful place to live. I would love to visit someday!
Make Life Marvelous
Thanks Ashley! Yes, France is truly a beautiful place to live, and I am going to start a travel series on France when we are out of confinement, so I really hope you will enjoy finding out more about it xo
I did enjoy the post and thank you for the insight.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thanks Julia. Had heard of some but not all of these brands. Great post.
Thank you Hilda! I’m so glad you liked the post xo
Oh I didn´t know any of the brands. Thank you for sharing!!
I will check them out when I move to paris in summer 🙂
Thanks Tiziana! How exciting that you’re moving to Paris! 🙂
I’ve heard a lot about Sezane and a big fan of Isabel Marant. There are several that I need to check out. Thanks for sharing Julia!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
I love Sezane – it’s definitely one of my favourites! xo