Edgy Paris fashion retailer L’Eclaireur plans make-over after closing down Champs-Elysées branch

By

Chenu Alexis

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jun 15, 2018

Edgy Parisian fashion retailer L’Eclaireur opened its first branch in 1982, with the inauguration of the Galerie Elysées 26 shopping arcade, at number 26 on the prestigious Champs-Elysées avenue. Thirty-seven years later, the arcade is about to undergo a full renovation, and L'Eclaireur announced the store will close down on June 18.

According to Michael Hadida, who succeeded his father as CEO of the L'Eclaireur company, the closure will actually usher in a new era:  “It’s the chance to upgrade and modernise L’Eclaireur, and to introduce new formats.”

In practice, the closing down of L'Eclaireur Champs-Elysées is actually a relocation of sorts, and will result in a transformation of the branch in rue Boissy-d’Anglas - the other two Parisian branches, in rue Sévigné and rue Hérold, and the Los Angeles gallery/store will not undergo any modification for now. “Rue Boissy-d’Anglas is a branch where we want to innovate, and will feature part of the range formerly available at Galerie Elysées 26, with more of a menswear slant and a younger, more contemporary mood, less focused on black and more directional,” said Hadida.

Just back from the fashion weeks in Finland and London, and passing through Florence for the Pitti Uomo show, Michael Hadida is set to endow L'Eclaireur with a new selection of off-beat labels and fashion talent, staying true to the L'Eclaireur spirit.

In parallel, L'Eclaireur recently launched its e-tail site, “a launch which was long in coming, given my family’s tradition of brick-and-mortar retail.” For Hadida, it was like opening “a new store, with a separate sales team and a more affordable range of products, one that relies strictly on online-only collections.”

To avoid become standardised, L'Eclaireur also ought to increase the number of collaborations with brands and extend their duration, “a matter of responding to consumer expectations, offering customers a range of clothes that are increasingly unique.”