Isabel Marant™
In 1994, Marant launched her eponymous brand – Isabel Marant.[5] The following year, in 1995, she showed her first collection at Paris Fashion Week with her friends as models.[7] In 1997 Marant won the Award de la Mode, and in 1998 – the Whirlpool Award for best female designer.[1] Since the establishment of her label, her sales have increased 30% each year.[7]
In 1998, Marant opened the first shop on Rue Charonne, in eastern Paris.[6] The same year she started collaborating with French mail catalogue brand La Redoute creating guest collections for it, and launched a new line in Japan called I*M.[1] In 1999 Marant debuted a diffusion line, Étoile by Isabel Marant, at the Paris ready-to-wear shows, and the next year introduced the first full Étoile collection.[1] Etoile was intended to be more affordable and casual than the signature brand.[8] The second shop was opened in Saint-Germain-des-Prés in 1999, followed by the third in the Marais in 2007, and the fourth in the 16th arrondissement in 2012.[5]
In 2004, Marant launched a childrenswear line and a pop-up boutique in Paris' Printemps department store. She also collaborated with Anthropologie on a collection in 2006.[1] The same year, in 2006, she opened a boutique in Hong Kong, and in 2010 opened her first United States boutique in New York.[5] Marant's managing director reported wholesale revenues reached 66 million Euros for 2011, which was up 44% on 2010.[6]
In 2013, Marant collaborated on a design collection for high street chain H&M.[9] The line sold out in 45 minutes online and caused the retailer's website to crash.[10] In her collaboration with H&M, Marant said, "The nice thing with H&M is they don't want to try to do a cheap version of your own collection… They really respect the DNA of designers."[7] The clothing was described as a "combination of androgynous chic and bohemian nonchalance."
In 2020, the label signed a 10-year licensing agreement with Safilo for the design, production and global distribution of sunglasses and optical frames.[11]
In 2021, the brand launched Isabel Marant Vintage, a secondhand site that takes donations of used clothing from the label in exchange for vouchers.[12]
As of 2019, the company has 13 shops worldwide in cities such as Paris, Rome, New York,[13] Tokyo,[14] Hong Kong, Seoul, Los Angeles, Beijing, Madrid, Beirut, and London[15] and has retailers in more than 35 countries. Isabel Marant has announced the closure of its Tokyo Omotesando and Newman Shinjuku stores.[16]
Style
When Marant studied fashion at Studio Berçot, the director said “You shouldn't want others to wear things that you won't wear yourself”, and this phrase became her motto.[4] Marant collections are based around several simple pieces such as tight and straight trousers; soft and unstructured shirts and blouses; as well as tailored jackets and coats.[6] Her apparel is often embellished with prints, fringes, embroidery, studs or lace. Marant's typical outfit allows the wearer to be between boho and rock chic with a loose blouse and a pair of cropped leather trousers. The collections never change radically which makes it easy to combine pieces from different seasons.[6]
Marant designed hidden heel high-top sneakers that lengthen legs and make feet look tiny remaining comfortable at the same time. They became the brand's most pervasive trend with a million copies sold.[17]
