Change of scenery for Camaïeu. Nearly two years after going bankrupt and leading to the loss of 2,600 jobs in France, the women’s ready-to-wear brand is making its big comeback this Thursday, August 29 in Celio brand stores.
This return is marked by profound changes in terms of influence but also style. Questioned by The Figaro the president of Celio and Camaïeu, Sébastien Bismuth, indicated that the women’s brand – which will now bear the name “Be Camaïeu” – would be accessible through a simple clothing offer: sweaters, t-shirts, pants, etc. The president explained to our colleagues that he was not seeking to compete with fast fashion, but wanted to (re)build customer loyalty with “everyday, practical and quality products”.
Available in 12 points of sale… for now!
In terms of its presence in France, the brand, which had 500 stores before its collapse, will initially supply 12 points of sale, mainly in shopping centers. The figure is expected to reach fifty “within three to four years”.
Read also: Camaïeu at Celio: the list of stores that will offer the new women’s collection
Two 100% Camaïeu stores (and therefore not grafted to Celio) will be made available as a test. One in Compiègne (Oise) and the other in the Vélizy-Villacoublay shopping center (Yvelines). “The challenge is not the race for size, but to create a form of singularitynotes Sébastien Bismuth in the Figaro. […] We will do less, but better.”
In December 2022, Celio bought the brand, once iconic among women, for 1.8 million euros, without taking over the staff or the company’s premises. “It’s annoying, frustrating, people say that Camaïeu is starting up again but that’s not it, Camaïeu no longer exists, Camaïeu has been disbanded, we’ve all been fired!recalls Sandra Sarrouy, a former CFDT union member who worked for Camaïeu for 31 years, contacted by telephone by theAgence France-Presse (AFP). That’s something else! »
