french footwear showcase
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discover our brands and their modelsTRANSCRIPT
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French Footwear Showcase
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Introduction
UBIFRANCE, the French Embassy Trade Office in North America is thrilled to announce a collaborative project with the prestigious French Footwear Federation in an effort to boost the presence in the United States of some of their most successful French footwear brands. French footwear is known for their highest quality materials, craftsmanship and style. We invite you to browse through this catalog and discover each one of the selected brands participating in this program. Your valuable feedback on their products would be very much appreciated and should you be interested in meeting with them personnally, we will gladly schedule a meeting at your convenience during their upcoming trip in June.
New York June 25-28, 2013
The French Footwear Federation in the USA
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UBIFRANCE, the French Embassy Trade Office, accompanies French companies in their international business development. It is a key force for French exports with the support of France’s Ministry of Commerce. UBIFRANCE promotes French products and savoir-faire, and puts French-based professionals in contact with their international counterparts. UBIFRANCE North America benefits from a multicultural team of close to 100 export professionals based within 9 sites: Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver.
The Federation’s main goals are to represent the profession and protect their members’ interest in France and abroad; to support and promote their international presence; to showcase French quality and savoir-faire.
Who are we?
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French Textile Inspiration … San Francisco Création
KENZO The House of KENZO was founded in Paris in 1970 by Takada Kenzo.
Kenzo, a native of Himeiji, Japan, attended Tokyo’s prestigious Bunka Fashion College as one of its first male students before making the move from Tokyo to Paris, where he opened his first boutique, “Jungle Jap.” He surprised the fashion world with his originality and the apparent celebration of diverse cultures, nature and colors in his designs. Following his success in the 1970s, he launched a series of new collections for men, women and children, as well as a fragrance line. In 1993, the KENZO brand joined the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton company. In 1999, Takada Kenzo decided to leave the artistic direction of the KENZO brand and set out on a new journey in life. This year also celebrated Kenzo’s 30th anniversary in the industry. In 2011, Humberto Leon and Carol Kim (the founders of Opening Ceremony) were named creative directors of the brand, which has since made a tremendous comeback under the spotlight. Click here to discover their latest collection and contact us for more information.
WEB SITE https://www.kenzo.com/
MEN BOOTS, DERBIES, SNEAKERS, WINGTIPS
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French Textile Inspiration … San Francisco Création
PAUL & JOE
PAUL & JOE is named after store creator Sophie Albou’s two sons. After graduating from the French Fashion Institute, she went on to join the team at Azzédine Alaia. After this first successful working experience, she became a stylist for Le Garage Shirts and after six years decided to create her own brand. In 1995 she launched her first menswear collection, contrasting strongly with men’s fashion at the time: young, fresh, retro and colorful. This was a resounding success; her first customers adored the collections, spurring her on to create a womenswear collection, which she did a year later. This collection was made up of shirts and pants to begin with, but rapidly evolved. Paul & Joe offers a unique style of shoes: fresh, highly colorful, with flamboyant prints and feminine fabrics. Sophie is now developing a specific universe in all of her boutiques, bringing back her unique and original finds from the far flung corners of the world, giving each of her stores a distinctive charm. Click here to discover their latest collection and contact us for more information.
WEB SITE http://paulandjoe.us/
MEN BOOTS, DERBIES, MOCCASINS, WINGTIPS
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French Textile Inspiration … San Francisco Création
PAUL & JOE SISTER PAUL & JOE’S SISTER LINE was launched in 2006, in response to a growing demand from urban consumers looking for items easy to wear. Since then, Paul & Joe Sister extended its collections to women looking for fresh and playful fashion : shoes, bags, swimsuits, scarfs, handkerchiefs, umbrellas. Today, the new line is sold in over thirty countries and in twenty-five owned stores around the world. Collection highlights:
Creative, but wearable
High end, but affordable
Easily recognizable and understandable codes: funny, colored, feminine Retro look (embroidery, printed linings)
Click here to discover their latest collection and contact us for more information.
WEB SITE http://paulandjoe.us/
WOMEN BOOTS, FLATS, PUMPS, SANDALS
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French Textile Inspiration … San Francisco Création
LA VAGUE La VAGUE – “THE WAVE” in translation, looks at the way the slipper molds to the foot and reacts to its movements, as well as the person’s overall posture. The main materials used are felt, rubber, PVC or PU soles, recognized for their lightness, strength and durability. During the winter season, they will mainly use cotton velvet, wools and sheep skins. The collection is designed along three lines:
Rubber soles – considered the original French slipper
PVC or PU soles, offering washable, solid and light models which can be worn outdoors
Felt stitched soles combining tradition, comfort and natural materials. During the summer season, the brand designs outdoors models, using natural fabrics such as raphia, denim and cotton. Nearly 90% of their models are produced on their site in Champagné (near Paris). Thanks to their local production, they can be made without minimum quantities. Click here to discover their latest collection and contact us for more information.
WEB SITE http://www.la-vague.fr/
KIDS, WOMEN & MEN SLIPPERS
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French Textile Inspiration … San Francisco Création
PARADOXALE & LUNDI BLEU For the past ten years, Paradoxale and Lundi Bleu have been successfully attracting active women looking for fashionable but comfortable shoes. Collections are designed in France and manufactured in Spain, Italy, India and Brazil. LUNDI BLEU is particularly adapted to the elegant woman for comfortable and stylish leather shoes. PARADOXALE is a trendy lifestyle brand, targeting the fashionable busy woman. It has a casual look in winter, and gets fancy during summer time. Both of these brands follow the latest fashion trends and are completely reviewed twice a year. Contact us for more information.
WEB SITE
http://www.lundi-bleu.com/
http://www.paradoxale.com/ WOMEN BOOTS, FLATS, PUMPS, SANDALS
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French Textile Inspiration … San Francisco Création
ZESPÀ
In 2010, Zespà, Aix en provence launched its first Women collection, with the desire to turn this traditional Espadrille from Southern France into a modern trendy accessory. The brand became an overnight success and received numerous awards from industry professionnals, media and distributors. Since then, Zespà has moved on to diversify its collections and strengthen its position on the market. Today, Zespa is recognized for: - the quality and craftsmanship of its collections - the materials used (lambskin, authentic python, etc.), sourced from the most prestigious leather ateliers in France - the timeless and trendy designs - the great attention to detail
In 2013, Zespà collaborated with the prestigious French fashion house CARVEN to develop a limited edition of shoes for men and women, using print leather. This gorgeous collection is sold in internationally acclaimed stores such as Colette in Paris and Opening Ceremony in Tokyo.
Today, Zespà’s collections (from espadrilles to brogue shoes and mocassins) are distributed in over 17 countries.
Click here to discover their latest collection and contact us for more information.
WEB SITE http://www.zespa.fr
WOMEN & MEN ESPADRILLE, BROGUES
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WEBSIT E
www.ub ifrance.com
CONTACT
UBIFRANCE North America Elisabeth LEONTIEFF-HIRSHON Sr. Manager - Fashion Luxury Beauty Tél : 212.400.2167 E-mail : [email protected]
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