Philea: "You need to be eye-catching and humble when working with the Chinese"

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Published
Oct 28, 2013

Though French origins can be selling point in China, it is important to take care when it comes to quality. This is the advice given by Axelle Dubourg-Dougmeingts, sales manager for French company Philea in China, at the recent edition of Première Vision China. This year the company generated 70% of its 16 million euros in sales internationally, with 15% being done in China alone, a growing share in a market where getting noticed is key.

FashionMag: What is is like to work with Chinese partners?

Axelle Dubourg-Doumeingts: With Chinese professionals – more so than with other areas in Asia – you have to understand that is isn’t with two visits in one year that you’ll get an order. You need to take things step-by-step with regular follow-ups. I come here at least four times a year so I can visit our major clients and I’m in close contact with our local agents. You have to treat clients well – take them to restaurants, show them around Paris when they visit – in order to gain trust. It is important not to impose yourself on them though, and to remain humble. Here in Paris, we work in fashion and have a tendency to think that we are at the centre of the universe. But China is a world apart and you have to adapt to that.

FashionMag: How would you sum up the sort of product offering a Chinese company looks for?

ADD: In France, some would call its bad taste. But here, it needs to be flashy, with sequins or something that stands out - especially for our clientele of women aged 45+. While in France women in their sixties tend to opt for more classic choices, the same is not true in China. These women that have money or power want that to show through in what they wear. The Chinese follow their own trends and it is important not to impose ours on them. Competition is so tight between Chinese, Japanese and Korean fabrics that you have to come up with something flashier, more eye-catching to be able to stand out. For standard fabrics, the Asian market has no need to source from Europe. And our offering is often more expensive.

FashionMag: Is being French still a selling point?

ADD: We can still use the fact that we are French to sell. For Philea, it is even more so the case because we produce in France using European fibres, which is recognized and appreciated by certain Asian clients. However, it is no use for us to come in and say we are superior because we are French. The Chinese are very proud and, contrary to what we may think, they have some excellent fabrics comparable to our own. Being French, we do benefit from that ‘glamorous’ image but we cannot rest on that alone. The Chinese are not fair behind and they are going to catch up quickly.