Roseanna hires new manager and moves upmarket

A new chapter for Roseanna in 2023. After going into receivership last year, the women’s fashion brand changed hands at the beginning of the year, with a trio of investors, including Christel Dagher Hayeck, Jacques-Edouard Sabatier and Edgard Bonte, taking over. But continuity is the order of the day, with founder Anne-Fleur Broudehoux still at the helm. Mathilde Chareton joined the Paris-based company as general manager in July.

Mathilde Chareton graduated from Essec business school and spent twelve years working in e-commerce and the digital world, notably at Amazon, in the food segment, and then at Frichti, where she was marketing director. For her, joining Roseanna is about the challenge and people. “Meeting the buyers and Anne-Fleur was a no-brainer. If I’m changing sectors, I need to be excited about a new project, and that’s the case. I’ve also been a fan of Roseanna’s for several years,” she explains.

Offering “an ultra-desirable product”, strengthening wholesale distribution and the digital channel are the priorities of the company, which has only kept one of the four boutiques it previously operated. Its flagship store in the Marais district of Paris (5 rue Froissart), plus corners at Le Bon Marché and Galeries Lafayette. In a second phase, openings in other French cities will be considered.

“Roseanna should be sold in the finest international boutiques,” says Mathilde Chareton. For the moment, its multi-brand network comprises around 150 addresses, 80% of which are in Europe. Asia and the Middle East, for example, are potential markets for the brand. On the web, Roseanna is looking to “stand out for its way of communicating, with a very modern tone and a unique photo art direction”, she adds, while offering a seamless purchasing and delivery experience.

The product is moving upmarket. “In the past, there was an attempt at democratisation that didn’t really work,” observes the managing director. Today, the focus is on more noble materials and more elaborate cuts, combined with a style that is still quite bold and creative, “without looking at what’s being done elsewhere.” The aim is for Roseanna’s range to be clearly identifiable. Its logo, made up of two R’s placed side by side, has been given greater prominence.

At the same time, the brand will be offering more timeless styles, such as denim and knitwear, to create a complete wardrobe and appeal to “young and mature women alike, with a mix & match spirit.”

A price range that stretches upwards

The price range is fairly wide, with prices starting at around €100 for a jersey top, followed by blouses at around €350, and finally the arrival of more couture-style pieces at around €600. All the products are made in workshops in France and Europe.

The company, which is currently recruiting for around ten positions, intends to adopt a “more start-up” tone, combining agility and speed of execution, while “recreating a community” after the difficult period of receivership. Working in the fashion world for the first time, Mathilde Chareton emphasises the challenge of working in “several timeframes at the same time,” between what we sell and what we are preparing for future collections. “Nothing can be taken for granted every season,” she adds.

The company, which generated sales of €5.7 million in its financial year ending March 2022, is aiming for double-digit growth in the years ahead. Next project? To become a company with a mission, and obtain the B.Corp. label.