Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: I hope ba&sh becomes a "Smart Fashion" brand

A brand that stands for humanitarian concern, the empowerment of women, and a zest for life, all while holding friendship and commitment in high regard. The French label, birthed in 2003 by Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief, infuses their passion for fashion and travel into designs meant for an "ideal wardrobe", offering versatile, effortlessly chic attire with a French flair.

 

The founders, Barbara and Sharon, are not just successful businesswomen; they're also vocal advocates for gender equality, actively engaging in charitable initiatives aimed at supporting women. ba&sh boasts a predominantly female workforce, with women making up 88% of its employees, 85% of its management, and 73% of its executive team.

 

Friendship, a core value stemming from the founders' lifelong bond, is epitomized in ba&sh's credo "Born Collective". The 2021 global campaign highlighted the unique strength and charisma women exude when united, urging women worldwide to recognize their collective power.

 

However, championing women's rights is merely a facet of ba&sh's social commitments. CEO Pierre-Arnaud Grenade, in his talk with ConCall, highlighted the brand's foundation that supports various social initiatives and charities.

 

On the sustainability front, ba&sh has been proactive with its "Blossom" initiative since 2017, achieving environmental certification for all primary suppliers and shifting to cleaner energy sources for its operations.

 

 

The brand has also expanded its global footprint into Asia, with 64 stores, 55 of which are in China, including Hong Kong and Macau, and a strong online presence with a significant following on Tmall.

 

ba&sh's marketing transcends fashion; it sees itself as a companion in women's life journeys, offering designs that span generations and life's milestones—from job interviews to casual coffee dates. Pierre-Arnaud Grenade articulates this as a celebration of women's life stories, with ba&sh bearing witness to their memorable moments.

 

Marking its 20th anniversary and the 6th year in China, ba&sh's future in the Chinese market was a key discussion point during Grenade's visit to Shanghai, as covered by ConCall, revealing a brand that is both reflective and forward-looking in its approach.

 

 

 

ConCall: In the Chinese vocabulary of the fashion industry, there is a term called "大女装". The industry does not have a strict definition of it. However, it is generally used to refer to comprehensive women's fashion brands with a relatively universal style, targeting consumers of all age groups, and typically located on the second or third floors of commercial complexes. Brands classified into this category may not always be in the media spotlight but have stable consumer bases and growth potential. They are typical "apparel companies". Such as some well-known enterprises in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions. Does ba&sh acknowledge itself as part of this category? Why?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: "Accessible luxury" would be a more precise definition for ba&sh. Unlike some accessible luxury brands established earlier, ba&sh doesn't follow but aims to lead the trends. We have our unique design style and distinct brand philosophy, which is where ba&sh's charm lies and the key to resonating with our consumers.

 

We believe that brands like ba&sh will gain more market share and attract more consumers in the future. To reinforce our brand concept and display a more complete set of brand values, we are increasingly focusing on corporate social responsibility, hoping to protect the environment and contribute more to society.

 

 

ConCall: What does ba&sh's consumer base look like that supports its performance? Where is the potential market? And by what means does the brand intend to maintain and increase its market share?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: Although the "accessible luxury" category that ba&sh belongs to only accounts for about 10% of the entire clothing market and seems niche, in fact, its overall market volume is already very large and is expected to grow at a stable rate of 5% per year. This is because current consumer buying trends indicate that some high-end luxury brand consumers are shifting to accessible luxury brands, consumers in the sinking markets are trying to upscale their consumption, and our target consumer group — educated women aged 25 to 50 — is also growing. Such trends bring us very good development opportunities.

 

 

ConCall: Marketing propaganda, channel construction, consumer service... Does ba&sh have any unique methodologies and experiences in these areas?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: Focusing on humanitarian care, women empowerment, conveying a joyful lifestyle, valuing friendships... ba&sh has unique and rich brand values, which are our "secret weapon". All our employees share the same values, and they share these very positive concepts with people in brand activities, thereby establishing closer connections with consumers. To help consumers get a better shopping experience, we launched a new multi-channel service this year that checks stock in real-time and transfers goods among nationwide stores whenever consumers need them.

 

 

 

ConCall: This year marks the sixth year since ba&sh entered the Asian market. Are you satisfied with the current development? How do you evaluate the current development of China's local clothing consumption market? What is the competitive situation faced in the Chinese market? As an international company, how do you break through the natural local advantages of domestic enterprises?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: In 2017, we officially entered the Asian market and started developing our business in China. So far, we have opened 64 stores in Asia, with 55 in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and we are very satisfied with the overall performance. These days, we visited many Chinese stores and were delighted to see some older stores still full of vitality, continuously attracting new consumers.

 

The competition in the Chinese market is indeed very fierce, but for ba&sh, it's a situation we are very happy to see. The more intense the competition, the greater the market potential and the larger the development space for the brand, so we attach great importance to the brand's development in the Chinese market. To enhance the brand's market competitiveness, we support our local team every year to develop some fashions that are more suitable for the Chinese market in terms of material, design, and tailoring. For instance, we launch China-exclusive products every Chinese New Year. At the same time, we will also convey the complete brand philosophy to our consumers through activities and content promotion, conveying ba&sh's positive values to everyone.

 

ConCall: What operational experiences from the Chinese market can be used to inspire global markets?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: In China, our WeChat and other social media accounts are very active. Although there are no such apps in Europe, we will incorporate the social media operation experience gained in the Chinese market into our operations in the European market. Also, because I have higher expectations for the brand positioning of ba&sh in the Chinese market, we need to continuously improve, think about how to provide consumers with services and products equivalent to other luxury brands, how to accelerate team coordination efficiency, and bring more surprises to consumers. This high standard is also becoming the daily service standard for our other markets.

 

 

 

ConCall: The official brand introduction material has a very distinct "feminist" feel, and the brand's social welfare activities include projects that empower female entrepreneurs, but why is there no clear feminist narrative in the daily clothing products and brand image promotion? (Such as diverse female beauty, body inclusivity, etc.) How is the support for feminism implemented in products and services?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: For ba&sh, we support all public welfare activities because they align with ba&sh's values and brand philosophy. Rather than what we should promote, we focus more on what we should do for groups in need, and usually, we share data and stories with people only after we have achieved certain results.

 

From the beginning of the brand, our founders Barbara and Sharon started donating to breast cancer research, cooperating with organizations to provide economic and spiritual support for women affected by domestic violence. In 2022, the brand launched a new round of the "Blazers for Trailblazers" project, raising funds through the sale of a suit collection named after four entrepreneurial women involved in the project, providing more opportunities for female entrepreneurs who have been at a disadvantage in the investment market to expand their businesses. To promote diversity and inclusivity within the company, we set up a 15-person team to ensure gender equality and equal development opportunities for everyone. At ba&sh, 88% of the employees are women, with women making up 85% of the management and 73% of the executive.

 

In terms of products, we are working hard to provide full-size clothing and have used plus-size models for shoots, but we have not promoted this because we do not wish to amplify the state of inequality and injustice that may exist for socially disadvantaged groups.

 

ConCall: Whether it's the awakening to sustainable development/responsible consumption or the downgrading of consumption, what impact has the change from the consumer end had on ba&sh?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: ba&sh has established its own foundation and provides funds to various charitable organizations to support many social charity causes. Starting in 2017, ba&sh began an internal sustainable transformation. Currently, all the brand's primary suppliers have obtained environmental certifications, and our own warehouses and stores are using more clean energy.

 

In terms of products, 70% of ba&sh's clothing uses organic, recycled, or certified sustainable fabrics, and we have started clothing rental and resale businesses in Europe and the US, also offering simple clothing repair services to consumers. In terms of carbon emissions, our clothing sales increased in 2022 compared to 2021, but the average carbon emissions per product decreased by about 30% due to the push for sustainable transformation, resulting in a significant overall reduction in carbon emissions. We also pay close attention to product transparency, and by the end of this year, we expect to achieve 100% traceability of all product supply chains. At the same time, we are innovating on our existing sustainability initiatives. In 2024, we will start a regenerative agriculture project, working directly with farms to improve the soil's carbon sequestration potential through appropriate methods.

 

 

 

ConCall: Will ba&sh maintain its current brand positioning in the future? Is there any possibility of adjusting the market positioning up or down?

 

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade: Looking at the overall business development, our current brand positioning will not fundamentally change. But in the coming years, we will release capsule collections aimed at the high-end market and target young consumers with products suitable for them to maintain our appeal among young consumer groups. Currently, we are introducing more technological methods in our daily operations, making certain innovations and adjustments for consumers who choose products more "decisively". We hope ba&sh can become a "Smart Fashion" brand that perfectly blends creativity with innovation, being more responsive and sustainable.

 

ConCall：

 

Despite having a diverse set of brand values and a series of data-backed social responsibility initiatives, attracting consumers is not a simple task because products and design are the core forces supporting the continuous development and expansion of the brand.

 

It's a fact that the market is flooded with women's fashion brands that share ba&sh's vision of accessible luxury and signature effortless French chic. For ba&sh to differentiate itself in the cutthroat mid-to-high-end segment and really resonate with consumers to foster a strong brand affinity is a complex challenge. They’re squeezed between renowned upscale labels and countless fast fashion counterparts offering similar styles.

 

Now more than ever, as consumers seek unique personal touches and greater brand awareness, ba&sh’s ability to carve out a niche with its unique take on French elegance is crucial. This goes hand in hand with achieving what Pierre-Arnaud Grenade envisions: ba&sh isn’t just riding the wave of trends, it aims to be the one setting them.