Camaïeu, symbol of the decline of ready-to-wear in France, will rise from its ashes on August 29 in 12 stores and online, Celio, buyer of the brand, announced on Friday (AFP/Archives/Sameer Al-DOUMY, DENIS CHARLET)
Camaïeu, symbol of the decline of ready-to-wear in France since its liquidation in 2022 which left more than 2,000 employees in the lurch, will rise from its ashes on August 29 in 12 stores and online, Celio, buyer of the company, announced on Friday. brand.
“We only bought the Camaïeu name, not the stores, without the teams, with the idea of launching a women’s line at Celio,” Sébastien Bismuth, the president of Celio who acquired Camaïeu at auction, told the press. in December 2022.
The objective is “to create large-scale stores, between 700 and 1,000 square meters”, in particular by expanding the existing Celio stores which, in addition to the usual men’s offering, will offer women’s collections under the “be camaïeu” brand. , explained Mr. Bismuth.
Two of the twelve boutiques located throughout France (Lille, Bayonne, Valence, etc.) and in Belgium (Brussels) will be solely dedicated to be camaïeu, whose collections are intended to be “everyday”.
“Known by all women in France”, Camaïeu “was the leader” in 2020, with 8% market share, “ahead of Zara, H&M and Kiabi”, recalled Mr. Bismuth.
“Celio needed to expand its range (…) All international brands today offer men’s and women’s clothing,” he explained, citing Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, Gap.
“We already have 25% of women who come to Celio to buy products for their husband, friend, brother or family (…) we will be able to offer them a women’s line”, rejoiced Sébastien Bismuth who defines Camaïeu as “the ‘alter ego of Celio’, both in terms of style and price.
The announced objective is to offer around fifty stores in this format in the “three or four years to come”.
Founded in 1978, the men’s ready-to-wear brand Celio currently has 320 stores in France and is also present internationally in Spain, Belgium and North Africa.
The president of Celio did not wish to communicate either on the investments necessary for the operation, or on the turnover but maintained that the company “had been growing for three years, profitable” and “gaining shares of walk”.
– “CVs of Camaïeu alumni” –
In December 2022, Celio bought the Camaïeu brand for 1.8 million euros during an auction.
Formerly the flagship of women’s ready-to-wear in France, Camaïeu was placed in compulsory liquidation in September 2022, two years after its takeover by a subsidiary of Financière Immobilier Bordeaux (FIB) of businessman Michel Ohayon.
Formerly the flagship of women’s ready-to-wear in France, Camaïeu was placed in liquidation in September 2022 (AFP/Archives/Sameer Al-DOUMY)
The brand founded in 1984 in Roubaix (North) was disrupted by the health crisis and a costly cyberattack.
This liquidation led to the dismissal of more than 2,000 people, the closure of more than 500 stores and caused a stir in the world of fashion and politics.
“There are a few that I know who have found work,” Laurent Gunst, former CSE elected official, told AFP. “Others are in training or retraining” because “people have not necessarily found work in their sector,” the manager further explained.
According to a former CFDT employee from Camaïeu in Dunkirk, “around half of the former employees have not found work to date”.
“Some of them are still in the lurch, these were people who did not yet have all their quarters for retirement,” denounced the one who also did not find work.
In the immediate future, around fifty positions will be created in the stores and 25 at the headquarters, said the boss of Celio.
“We will study all the CVs of Camaïeu alumni,” promised Sébastien Bismuth.
© 2024 AFP
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