PARIS, Oct 8, 2007 / FW/ --- Going to 3 Rue Francois 1er, in the heart of the Paris luxury fashion houses district, to meet the new CEO of no lesser house than Jacques Fath, in the same street where the couturier’s house had its see a few decades ago, is quite a thrill for anybody in the know of the Paris fashion scene.

Mr. Jacques Fath was a legendary genius of fashion design, a couturier who was the peer and the rival of Mr. Christian Dior in their time, a symbol of French luxury and know how until today, an exceptional creative adventure… before his premature death at the end of the mythic 1950s.

Planning the renaissance of the house that bears such a name is certainly a challenge. An interview with Mr. Daniel Chocu the brand’s new CEO and financier is putting a new, fresh light on this rebirth. A reasonable financier, with a proven passion for luxury products, and a solid know how concerning the industrial aspects of pręt-ŕ-porter, Daniel Chocu is reaching the accomplishment of a dream. Adding to his experience of clothes manufacturing the prestige of the label of Jacques Fath to make it a commercial success, also implies having a higher goal in mind: restoring elegance.

FashionWindows: What is Jacques Fath in your eyes?

Daniel Chocu: A fashion brand marked by the exceptional personality and talent of its couturier and founder. Happiness, amusement, freshness were every season on Jacques Fath’s personal trend book. In the couture atmosphere of his time, Jacques Fath was already foreseeing the developments of fashion on the industrial side. He was among the very first French luxury houses to investigate and launch a line of ready-to-wear garments targeted for the US market. Keeping the house of Jacques Fath contemporary is probably what is most adapted for today, when elegance is back in the trends and needs to find its landmarks again in a new interpretation.

FW: Why did you chose precisely Jacques Fath ?

DC: 15 years ago, in 1992, we started Synertex a knitwear manufacturing company where we have produced quality garments for the market of luxury and many a prestigious brand (Adam Jones is among the last names added to this list for instance). We then created, on the same site, in the region of Mayenne, in the West part of France, Decitex, a manufacturing company in which we have developed garment production under licences. For instance, we have been producing Loris Azzaro garments and many collections, not only in the field of knitwear. This experience has naturally led me to look for a couture house to acquire and revive. It was the next logical step. I first tried to acquire a brand that was not for sale, and then opted for Jacques Fath. My original idea was to buy the entire company, but the price for it was too high. We negotiated with the group which is still owning the name, Alliance Designers, and found a compromise: we now own the master licence for all class 25 products manufactured and distributed worldwide under the name of Jacques Fath. Class 25 includes all kinds of garments plus footwear and various accessories.

FW: How are you reviving Jacques Fath on the side of design ?

DC: We have taken our time. We have tried in 2006 -a year ago- to investigate a first collection designed by a young French designer whom we were planning to appoint as the brand’s Creative Director. I was very deluded with the result and decided to forget that collection and temporarily change srategies: we now have an anonymous creative studio composed of an anglo-saxon consultant and two designers who decline and perfect our prototypes under my supervision. For a good crescendo, you need to start with a piano before you reach the amplitude of a fortissimo. It is a question of pacing in the field of investments of course, but also a philosophy: are we still in the era of star designers and caprices? I am not sure we are and we prefer, for the moment, to enhance our know-how, to believe in the strength of our atelier and seamstresses. For the same reasons, we have chosen not to show yet our collection on the runways of Pręt-ŕ-Porter or Haute Couture. We want the product to speak for itself first, then we shall work on the communication around it later. We don’t want Jacques Fath to be an empty shell.

FW: What kind of customers are you targeting ?

DC: Elegant women who need chic daywear suits and cocktail dresses with a creative twist and an impeccable finishing. Our Spring 2008 collection is particularly targeted for an American clientele. I believe that the Parisian spirit of couture is present in each piece in this collection, mixed with an overall impression of New York elegance. The first contacts in the commercial field with American retailers are showing us that this collection and future ones might be available soon at the same stores with which Jacques Fath himself had partnered originally... This would be the 21st century continuation of the story. I believe that the reason why they are considering trusting us so fast, is also due to the pertinent design direction which we have chosen, to the quality of manufacturing and because they know that Decitex always delivers on time.

FW: Are you planning future developments ?

DC: First and foremost, I believe that the re-launch of a house in fashion is always bringing good vibes around its name, and I would not be surprised if a fragrance company would try and buy a perfume licence from Alliance Designers. A new version of the “Fath de Fath” fragrance for instance, would certainly be pertinent today. As far as class 25 products and Decitex are concerned, our next step is to find a partner in the shoe industry to develop footwear to match the clothes line. On the other side, I am not reluctant to the installation in the future of a real couture atelier for exclusive customers and special orders on the premises of Rue Francois 1er. The address is fit for this clientele, and spacious enough to host an atelier and a couture salon on top of our present permanent showroom. We have a development plan ready to get adapted according to the reactions of the luxury market to the revival of Jacques Fath… to make it again a name that really counts on the international fashion scene, step by step.

Fall 2002 (Photo by FW )

Spring 2008 (Photo by FW)

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