LONDON — The day after Roland Mouret was forced to close his business last November, he received a call from Han Chong, founder and owner of contemporary brand Self-Portrait, who said he wanted to buy the brand.
“Han called me on a Saturday and the first thing he asked me was, ‘How’s your mental health?’ And then he told me that he would only buy the company if I agreed to stay and work with him,” Mouret said in an exclusive interview with Chong.
“For me, this has been an opportunity to restart, and together we are creating our own plan. There is beauty in reinvention and starting over,” added Mouret, whose title is now founder and co-creative director of the brand.
Chong bought Roland Mouret’s intellectual property and assets through a newly formed company called SP Collection, which is based in a sprawling 10,000-square-foot new space in east London, not far from the Barbican.
Design, merchandising, sales, public relations and e-commerce operations for Self-Portrait and Roland Mouret are now under one roof. There could be more acquisitions to come, though Chong said he is in no rush and wants to focus on building Self-Portrait and the Mouret label.
Chong said he bought the company because he had closely followed Mouret’s career and liked his style. She also felt that she could modify Mouret’s business model and increase sales by appealing to the changing needs of women after the pandemic.
“We have a similar vision. And it’s inspiring to talk to Roland. It’s like we’re speaking the same language,” Chong said.
“I also have the infrastructure and resources to help the brand grow. We have to make sure prices are relevant to how women shop today and we can’t compromise on quality,” she added.
Chong is an unusual London designer in that he is able to strike a balance between creativity and commerce, and has built a sizeable business with turnover now in the double digits.
Born in Penang, Malaysia, Chong moved to London in 2003 to study womenswear design at Central Saint Martins. She initially pursued a career in visual arts, but later changed her focus to fashion and founded Self-Portrait in 2013.
It was a top-down operation from the start: Chong relied on its own factories in Southeast Asia, directly overseeing production, the supply chain, and profit margins.
It also featured Self-Portrait as a contemporary brand at a time when the luxury designer space was teeming with designers struggling to build businesses.
It now has offices in China, a team on the ground in Hong Kong, and a network of factories in different Chinese regions. He pushed those factories into action during the pandemic, shifting production from one to another based on lockdown restrictions.
“We have also had to be flexible with shipping, and now we are used to making adaptations by video call. To maintain a business, you have to adapt and be flexible,” said Chong, who has seen turnover increase by 250% between 2021 and 2022.
Self-Portrait, which specializes in lace and broderie anglaise designs, has independent stores in London, Hong Kong, Beijing, Bangkok, Shanghai, Chengdu, Shenzhen and Taipei.
It also has a strong e-commerce business, selling through 350 retailers including Selfridges, Net-a-porter, Matchesfashion.com, Le Bon Marché, Harrods, Mytheresa, Saks Fifth Avenue, Galeries Lafayette and Lane Crawford.
As reported earlier this month, Chong has tapped Naomi Campbell to take part in Self-Portrait’s debut handbag campaign, which features Brandy and Monica’s 1998 hit “The Boy Is Mine.”
At the time, Chong said that she had always wanted to pursue accessories and that, in the future, “bags will be at the heart of our collections.” Earlier this year, she also added a bridal collection to the Self-Portrait mix.
Chong’s network of Chinese factories will make Mouret’s latest designs, which are priced lower than before, when the designer played more in the luxury space.
Prices range from £295 separately to £1,395 for dresses, with dresses starting at £600.
That’s still more expensive than Self-Portrait, whose clients range from the Duchess of Cambridge to Beyoncé and Bella Hadid and whose price is around £300.
Mouret said he and Chong talked a lot about Roland Mouret’s new direction before they sat down to create the collection.
“It’s a completely new baby” from a creative and commercial standpoint, Mouret said.
“We walked down Regent Street, looked at what was on offer, talked about the client, what they needed and what the positioning should be. We can talk honestly with each other about creativity and commerce, and we are learning from each other,” she added.
Chong said, “We love women and we want to celebrate them.” She added that the goal has always been to stay true to the Mouret brand identity and DNA, “but to make these garments for 2022. The mindset of women changed after the pandemic. They want pieces that are much more versatile and not so trend-driven.”
Mouret’s first new collection is the 2023 resort, and during a tour, Chong discussed the importance of hanger appeal and how customers need to be able to instantly visualize what looks will work for them and what won’t.
She also likes the idea of simple fabrics that won’t wrinkle and can be slipped in and out of a suitcase. “You have to be very focused — it’s a crowded market and we put a lot of effort into each piece,” Chong said.
Chong also wanted cleaner lines and believes women are looking to dress “sexier” after the pandemic. “It’s a sensuality for you, one that comes from within,” she added.
“Han insisted that I open the necklines — ‘Give me more cleavage!’” Mouret recalls Chong telling him. Hence the deep v-neckline in an orange dress with powerful shoulders and in a turquoise midi dress with bare shoulders.
“She also likes things to be practical and pure, without being boring and plain,” Mouret said, adding that this collection has “more movement and drape, and fewer zippers. It’s like he’s trying to ‘control’ minus the whole. The silhouettes are more flexible and I am trying to destroy this idea of an ‘office dress’.
“These outfits should be a woman’s best friend, go from day to night and be relevant for now,” she said.
Fabrics include stretch viscose, wool crepe, jersey, cashmere and wool, with embellishments including sequins and rhinestones. There is certainly more meat on show, but the curvaceous silhouettes and striking colors are unmistakably Mouret.
There’s also great tailoring in the mix, including a black tuxedo coat, while a viscose wedding dress can be pulled out of a suitcase, in keeping with the collection’s simple and versatile approach.
Chong has a sharp vision for both the Mouret business and the SP Collection.
As part of Mouret’s new chapter, there is a new logo and e-commerce platform. The back-end and interface have been tailored for both mobile and desktop devices and will launch online with the resort collection in October. The domain name is still rolandmouret.com.
Chong said he wanted to build a strong direct-to-consumer business right away and then choose some “best-in-class” retail partners.
He said a strong D-to-C operation has allowed Self-Portrait to remain more flexible and in control of sales. It has also provided the brand with a wealth of data on direct sales and customer feedback.
“With your own d-to-c, you can build a brand story, drive traffic, and work with many more categories,” Chong said, adding that for him, “design is only part of the journey.”
“It’s very rewarding to be able to take a 360-degree approach and look at marketing, communication and commerce, to say, ‘I’ve created this dress, now how do I put it there?’”
Chong has always taken a holistic view with Self-Portrait, juggling the creative and the commercial. “If I don’t have a business, I can’t design another collection. I have always had to think about the business. I have to pay rent and bills,” she said.
When asked why he was interested in starting SP Collection and beginning to build a portfolio of brands, Chong said he has always wanted to serve a larger audience.
“I already had the infrastructure and was ready to take the next step.” With Self-Portrait still in expansion mode and Roland Mouret on board, it isn’t planning an acquisition spree any time soon.
“I am open to opportunities to take the brands to the next level, but I will not add for the sake of adding. I need to know that I can make a difference. Also, the brand has to excite me and allow me to use my knowledge, experience and passion,” said Chong.
Source: wwd.com