zoom on ADN Paris and its minimalist wardrobe Made in Paris

The young brand ADN Paris opened its permanent showroom at the end of the year at 4, rue de Braque in Paris (III arr.), a boudoir with an intimate atmosphere nestled in the heart of the Marais overlooked by its offices. At the helm since 2019, founder Léa Ihssane Chabaa focuses on a unisex wardrobe with a chic and timeless look made in workshops located in Oberkampf, in the 11th arrondissement of the capital and in Pantin (inner suburbs).

After a career in corporate finance in the investment banks Natixis and Société Générale then the EY firm, Léa Ihssane Chabaa turned to the world of fashion in 2019 by joining the IFM Incubator intended for entrepreneurs with the ambition of creating a fashion brand made in the capital. “For me, Made in Paris is not a marketing tool but a real guarantee of know-how, it is a vector of customer loyalty, because we focus on beautiful fabrics and beautiful cuts,” explains the designer thirty-year-old, fan of slow fashionthis so-called slow and more reasoned fashion.

“We were lucky enough to find workshops that agreed to make small productions of around a hundred pieces maximum, this allows us to test new things without taking too much risk, and if a piece works well, we can make a restock and also improve it by changing small details,” adds the founder of ADN Paris.

This young Parisian label is part of the 8th promotion of Talents, the acceleration and support program of the French Women's Ready-to-Wear Federation supported by Defi. “THE board very experienced experts from the Talents program help us on key issues for us, because we are a contemporary designer brand, such as business structuring, how to reconcile Made in Paris production with premium positioning or even the opening of the showroom “, lists Léa Ihssane Chabaa.

A unisex wardrobe that appeals from Japan to the United States

Initially, ADN Paris relied solely on DtoC distribution (with a system of drops sold online and in pop-ups) to market its gender-neutral collection made with Italian materials. “Four drops a year, one for winter, one for summer and two between seasons (for example at the start of the school year, a denim drop with a rather workwear) to follow the temporality of consumers”, explains the designer who does not do sales or Black Friday. Seduced by retail, the brand has tested the pop-up format and is considering opening its own store by 2026.

“I am currently working on the subject of wholesaletoday we have a dozen physical resellers around the world, particularly in Japan, as department store Hankyu and concept stores like L'Echoppe in Aoyama”, continues the manager, who will once again participate in the Pitti show in January. By being resold in physical and online retailers from the United States to Germany via England, the brand claims the share of export – launched at the end of 2022 – at 40% of its activity.

In his wardrobe we find sculptural pieces genderfluid such as pleated flannel pants (315 euros), short beige cashmere coats (725 euros) or even long midnight blue wool coats (960 euros), as well as some wrap or denim skirts for women. “Certain pieces appeal more to women, like shirts bleachedwhile men prefer it in a darker version,” notes the designer.

When she started out, almost six years ago, Léa Ihssane Chabaa started alone and self-financed. The one who works with two people and freelancers will expand her team in 2025 by recruiting in particular for communication and sewing prototypes. Discreet about its performance, ADN Paris says it is profitable and announces having doubled its 2023 turnover.