MARC PSAROLIS
- Dr. Feelgood -
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FROM A PARISIAN DREAM THROUGH TO THE RANKS OF MULBERRY AND FINALLY TO CEO OF MENSWEAR BRAND DUCHAMP, MARC PSAROLIS IS A COLOURFUL CHARACTER WHO HAS ALWAYS HAD AN EYE FOR THE BEST AND THE UNIQUE. SPEAKING TO THE MONTEBURY AT HIS REGENT STREET STORE, MARC DISCUSSES LIFE, SCOTTISH CHARM AND DUCHAMP’S FORAY INTO READY TO WEAR.
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THE MONTEBURY: WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND FAMILY BACKGROUND?
MARC PSAROLIS: My father was obviously really important. My father was born in Paris and in the 50s was travelling to New York, buying clothes and bringing them back to Paris and selling them. He was a really fantastic dresser and was great. For me growing up in Scotland, I spent all the summers in France, in Paris. I was in Paris over the Summers and had the French lifestyle, it was a nice British/European lifestyle. It was unusual back in the early seventies, but I was travelling quite a lot to France, and I am French in a way. That was a nice mix for me and when I was eighteen/nineteen, my father dropped me off in Paris and that is where the whole love affair with fashion really began. It was crazy, growing up in Scotland, all I wanted to do was play football and become a football player but to be dropped into Parisian life and learning the language with all my family working in the French fashion industry, it was really amazing.
My best friend was working for Hermès and I was there everyday having lunch in the restaurant at nineteen and looking through the archives upstairs, it was just an amazing experience for me. I spent about a year there and as well as with the family, my uncle was a fantastic bespoke tailor, I ended up working for Burberry on Boulevard Malesherbes, just helping out and learning French life and the standards. When I came back to the UK, within three weeks I was working for Roger Sole at Mulberry. I started there in 1990, which was a fantastic experience, and that was probably Mulberry’s hay day. I ran the boutique at Harvey Nichols. Within a month or so, I wasn’t very happy with the menswear products we were getting because everything was pretty appalling to be honest. I was selling well there, I had already mastered the art of selling, being Scottish as well, you have a different flair and personality. The customers loved it and the store was doing fantastic. Roger Said “fine, if you think you can do better, come and do the tie collection with me”. So, within the space of six months, I was working on a lot of the collections and he called me a ‘retail merchant’, a term I love. You have to be on the floor to understand what the customer wants. I had an amazing career with Mulberry, starting on the shop floor, becoming store manager, running concessions. I then got into the buying side, buying the men’s accessories, buying the men’s ready to wear. I was doing that for about four years, and then there was the big launch of Bond Street, when I was buying for about fifteen stores at one point - it was a really exciting time.
I then got into the more creative side by 1997, designing the men’s ready to wear pretty much from scratch. I wanted it to be more casual/weekend/relaxed and we had a lot of success at that point. We did a fantastic runway show at the V&A, with Darcy Bussell to launch a perfume. Roger was really an inspirational character and I learnt how to build a brand. When Mrs. Ong invested in the brand, we really went through a rebranding transformation, which took us about two years but it was an amazing partnership with four IV, the design company. We changed everything, redesigned the flagship store. I learned a lot there, how to do things well and not so well - mistakes were made, but at the end of the day branding, positioning, quality and styling - I learned everything from retail to buying, design, PR. It was my first job and I encompassed everything in twelve years. They used to call me Mr. Mulberry in a sense, because I had every check, tweed and tartan under the sun. I had a fantastic wardrobe and you could definitely see me coming through the street. I had some great customers, I have served everyone from Princess Diana to Sir. Bob Geldof.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
MP: The owner of Duchamp, Mitchell Jacobs, called me up. We were all talking about doing a British Area at Pitti Uomo and so I thought he wanted to speak about that but instead he said that he had a job as a Sales Director |
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going and whether I wanted to go and see him. So, that was really how it all started. I was disappointed in Mulberry because a lot of the Ong’s sourcing strategies were coming into play. It was time for me to move, twelve years is enough, isn’t it? I saw Mitchell in December 2001, looked at the collection and his distribution list and asked when we could get started. I knew that with my background in shirts, I could bring a lot of my knowledge and experience to the brand. In January 2002 I was in Florence selling Duchamp and the partnership really began, with Mitchell and I ready to turn Duchamp into Britain’s leading men’s accessory brand. I was really passionate about conquering America - I spent about 150 days a year on the road selling Duchamp. 95% of the customers said yes because we had a unique selling point, the cufflinks were one of the best creative designs in cufflinks. All we needed to do was to build the brand with more categories and take it to where it needed to go. It was great taking on the ‘big boys’, the first show we had at Pitti Uomo, we couldn’t write fast enough.
WHO WERE SOME OF YOUR MAIN COMPETITORS AT THE TIME?
MP: We never really saw competition as competition. We haven’t really been that focused on competition, we just wanted to be the best at ties and the best at cufflinks. The word coordination is really important for me, because we focus on matching the ties, the shirts and the cufflinks and really developing a good relationship with the customer.
HOW DID THE CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP OF DUCHAMP COME ABOUT?
MP: Mitchell always said that he wanted to sell the brand. I think I was getting a little frustrated about brand direction and I was hitting my late thirties, so I had seen a lot of my friends move up to CEO level, managing brands. I plucked up the courage to get some private equity and made Mitchell a great offer, and he accepted. Mitchell was happy, and my main point was that I could not take the brand any further because we needed a retail concept and an international showroom to take the brand to the next level. I wanted to manage a business and I had built Duchamp up over the years. As a private business with no real cash, we couldn’t pay for a store on Regent Street, so we needed support to take things further. After that, I rebranded Duchamp within three months. It becomes quite difficult when there are twenty five people in the room, but when you have one guy who is focused and knows what he wants, then it is successful. I think we have one of the best stores for men’s furnishings in the marketplace.
“ It is about having fun and making sure that you have things that compliment the classic items that you may have to wear ”
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“ Price is really important and I think a lot of brands have not taken the climate into consideration ”
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HOW DID IT FEEL TO FINALLY OWN YOUR OWN BRAND?
MP: I am naturally ambitious, so it was natural progression for me. I want Duchamp to have great stores around the world. It has been three years and we are only starting. Design is what we have invested in and design is what this brand is built on. We have got some of the best designers in the market, and we have exceeded expectations with design.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT DUCHAMP THAT IS EXCITING FOR YOU AND FOR OTHER MEN?
MP: This is probably my fortieth collection since I have been in the trade and I am absolutely excited about Spring/Summer 2011. Where does that come from? It is an inner passion to be a fantastic brand. I want to be the best in places like Selfridges and Harrods and I want to bring the best to market. There is also the fact that I enjoy the clothing. We can hold our head up high and say that we deliver a great collection. The next stage for us is tailoring and ready to wear.
I love the customers and working with the customers both in a wholesale and a retail basis. I spend a lot of time visiting the shops and stores although I am not travelling so much now because of my kids but it is really an interesting market.
IT IS EMPHASISED THAT YOUR TIES ARE WOVEN FROM ENGLISH SILK. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE BRITISH MENSWEAR INDUSTRY AT THE MOMENT?
MP: I think the British Menswear industry is in a great place. I think everybody takes a leap from Paul Smith, because he has put Britain on the map. I think he is fantastic as somebody to look up to. I think it is in a good place. I tend to focus on our brand and where we are, and the main focus for me is to serve the customers who buy our products each season. I am a bit disappointed with Bond Street at the moment and the high street is very different now. I think it is difficult for new young brands to come through.
DO YOU THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT OF TEMPTATION TO GO STRAIGHT TO PLACES SUCH AS CHINA FOR FABRIC AND MANUFACTURING?
MP: Our strategy is to hold our integrity and you can only do this by producing your fabrics in Italy. All of our shirt cloth is 100% made in Italy. Our ties are 85% woven in England and 15% woven in Italy. We are having fantastic sales this season, the Euro has really affected it, but my long term goal is to give our customers a great product at a great price. How can you increase your prices in one of the worst marketplaces in the last twenty five years? We have held our prices and we are having great sales in all the leading department stores, so we must be doing something right. We are a premium entry-point brand who is all about value for money. In tailoring for example, I thought everything was far too expensive which eventually motivated me to launch tailoring. I felt that £1000 for a suit off the peg was just too expensive, which is why we have come in at £700. It is a great suit, and I think that is what my customer would want to pay for a great suit. The jackets have done well at £450 and £495, because that is the right price for a jacket. Price is really important and I think a lot of brands have not taken the climate into consideration.
FOR AUTUMN/WINTER 09, DUCHAMP HAS LAUNCHED A RANGE OF JACKETS. WHAT PROMPTED THE MOVE IN THIS DIRECTION?
MP: I just felt that jackets in the marketplace were overpriced and I really wanted to get into that market. We also asked our customers what he would like - we did some big polls, asked on the internet and he said that he wanted jackets. Customers such as Harvey Nichols wanted separates. We have worked closely with them and are launching our first collection in November 2009 in all five stores. By spring 2011 we will be a complete men’s ready to wear brand. We have done a few suits for Spring/Sumer 2010, and we have really invested in design. We have one of the best menswear designers working for us and we had been working on the collection for about nine months until we let them into the store, just to get all of the details right. |
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YOU MENTIONED THE CURRENT CLIMATE. HOW, IF AT ALL, HAS DUCHAMP BEEN AFFECTED AND HAD TO CHANGE?
MP: I don’t think Central London has really been affected because of the European visitors and the Canadian dollars - they are all coming here and having a field day. But we made some really important decisions to keep our prices stable and reduce our tie price, just to stay competitive. Some of the difficult markets are obviously the new markets such as India, Dubai and Russia where there is no real culture and history to support the market, it is just trend. I think that because the collection is so strong we have definitely won new business, by producing quality products that have integrity and design. It is my job to make sure that we design great products, keep our customers happy and that we have great stores, staff and design.
Channel stripe shirt in orange,
Garland crystal cuff links, Autumn/Winter 2009, by DUCHAMP.
HAVE YOU FOUND ANY NEW MARKETS FOR DUCHAMP?
MP: The big new market is the Middle East for us. I have spent a lot of time developing the strategy for the Dubai market and that has been the key growth area for us. I have travelled all over and the main focus is to focus on the ten best department stores in the world. For Spring 2010, we pretty much doubled our business for each of those stores, based on the new products that we had introduced. We were delighted.
“ From fuchsia suits to gold cashmere, I love to have fun with my clothing ”
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For more information on Duchamp, please visit www.duchamplondon.com. |
YOU ARE YOUR OWN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. DO YOU CONSTANTLY WEAR DUCHAMP?
MP: When I am taking my children around on the weekend, I try not to but I have always been a colourful guy. From fuchsia suits to gold cashmere, I love to have fun with my clothing. It’s great that I can design products that I will wear. Fortunately I have moved to a new house where I have more space for my wardrobe, whereas previously I was more economical with my shirt wearing. I have fun with my clothing, and to be launching the tailoring with Duchamp, I can now accessorise and furnish my entire wardrobe. I live and breathe Duchamp. I always wear a tie, and I don’t agree with the friday dress down. I don’t do casual very well.
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OBSESSED WITH?
MP: I think velvet has always been my passion. I am so glad to be buying the best velvets and I used to wear a chocolate brown, three-piece velvet suit in my Mulberry days and I shall be reviving that imminently. It has been quite exciting to get back into the cloth side recently. A good jacket and nice cord trousers has always been a good look for me.
A LOT OF MEN SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH COMBINING COLOUR. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR SUCH MEN?
MP: I think the main tip is to have fun with it. We are all about accessorising, so if you are wearing a shirt without a tie, it is important to have nice cufflinks. If you are wearing a blazer, it is important to have a nice pochette, especially if it is a navy blazer. A lot of our customers are bankers who wear a grey suit and a white shirt but have an amazing tie. It is about having fun and making sure that you have things that compliment the classic items that you may have to wear. I think our customer has fun but most importantly, there is a feel good factor. Whether at a wedding or a day at the races, they feel that they can really ‘go to town’ with their outfit. Men need to feel good, and that is what I am here to do - Dr. Feelgood.
WHAT ASPIRATIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR DUCHAMP AND WHERE DO YOU SEE THE BRAND IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
MP: I think Duchamp is one of the most exciting British brands in the marketplace and we need to grow at a good pace. We have been very steady in the last few years, but we are still learning. It is a very volatile market at the moment and your business has to be in a good place financially. We are getting there and the launch of tailoring has really pushed us even further. |
— December 2009
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