While bold logos and blatant brand names are frequently flaunted in the UAE – especially among local shoppers – the slightly less flamboyant, but by no means understated French fashion brand Weill should not be forgotten.
The symbol horse-drawn carriage that’s emblematic of Weill may not be known to the masses, but the brand’s latest collection for spring/summer 2017 incorporates a happy marriage of sophisticated silhouettes and playful details, and is likely to appeal to the Middle East market.
The label was founded in Paris in 1892 when Albert Weill established a small workshop with his wife, with whom he designed dresses to supply to department stores.
Their son, Robert Weill, helped in securing an atelier for the business in Montmartre in 1924. Then, in 1950 – its third generation – Jean-Claude Weill led the company’s transition from dressmaking to larger-scale ready-to-wear clothing.
Since its inception, the company has remained a family concern. “We’re the fifth generation of the family working in the business – it’s part of our DNA, and with our core values of being hardworking and loyal, it’s what makes the brand unique after all these years,” says Elie Weill, the international manager of the brand who was in Dubai recently.
“Our style is very French, very Parisian – it’s timeless. And then we always have a modern twist that we add to this timeless shape. It celebrates a good mood, a good atmosphere, and we still always have the fashion touch – that’s very important,” he says.
While the brand’s reputation errs on the elegant, traditional side, a recent preview of its spring/summer 2017 ready-to-wear collection held in Dubai showed designs that were anything but minimal.
A plethora of tropical prints, from leaf-and-stripe pairings to cacti in bloom, cover many of the garments that are cut in classic silhouettes – light jackets, blazers, tunics and shirtdresses.
Other pieces are shown in vivid hues of tangerine, yellow and fuchsia, with on-trend touches such as ruffles, cut-outs and bows.
Edward Achour, the artistic director of Weill, flew to Dubai from Paris for the showcase. He explains that fashion around the world has become somewhat monochromatic, with the spotlight currently on minimalist trends and basic attire.
He hopes that his spring/summer 2017 designs will inject more personality and colour into the wardrobes of shoppers.
“The inspiration was to bring back happiness and the mood of summer,” he says. “Right now I think the fashion is plain and dark, so we have to make customers very happy, so they enjoy the moments of happy shopping and happy wearing.”
While Achour is confident the long skirts from the collection will be best-sellers in the Middle East, he also has high hopes for the new floral cactus print.
“It’s fruity, fun and just colourful. Even if it isn’t for fashion, it’s a nice print – it’s like buying art,” he says.
While prints and cuts may reflect a contemporary outlook, Achour doesn’t deviate from the deeply rooted history of the label. He explains the brand is known best for its coats, jackets and evening dresses, so he dug through the Weill archives for some of the label’s best pieces and put a more practical spin on them.
“I took details from the evening dresses and I put on the T-shirts. The dress was from the 1960s and was made in organza, but today you cannot wear this all day. And with the coats, I took out the fusing and lining and made them out of organza with embroidery – something light to wear, anywhere and anytime.”
Weill says while most of the pieces displayed in the brand’s Paris boutiques make their way into the stores here, there are a few little tweaks.
“We are very open-minded so when you have specificities in the market, we try to answer to these needs and be flexible. For example, here, we have a very big demand for long dresses and unique evening gowns,” he points out.
Achour says that though Weill’s current capsule collection of evening gowns is available in stores internationally, it does particularly well in the Middle East.
“So, from one point of sales to another, the buying can be a bit different – but it’s mostly the same base with a bit of adjustment.”
“We have a good price point compared to competitors. That’s one of our strengths in the market,” says Weill. He says pricing stays consistent between Paris and the UAE, and there is no mark-up on the designs sold here.
The label’s unique positioning between affordable clothing and uber-expensive designer wear, coupled with its consistent, wearable collections that merge with modern trends, has kept the brand afloat for so long.
Weill reveals that there are plans for further expansion in the Middle East. “We want to open more stores here, especially in Dubai,” he says.
But expect no elaborate marketing schemes – it’s simply not the Weill way.
“More important for us is not really marketing, it’s more about giving the right message to our customers and knowing they’ll spread the word to others,” says Weill.
• Weill has stores in Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi and at The Dubai Mall and City Walk in Dubai
hlodi@thenational.ae
