TOPIC

This meeting's topic is Men’s Fashion.

The meeting will include:

• A presentation run by the IADS, based on members’ replies to the questionnaire.
• A presentation by a retail expert on menswear store concept trends.
• A group discussion, based on the questions and topics participants would like to discuss with their peers.

Takeaways

1. A steady business with challenges. Menswear holds a stable 13% average share of member turnover. Still, members face three simultaneous challenges: reducing dependence on a handful of mature core brands, identifying the next scalable labels, and building stronger propositions in accessories, streetwear, sportswear and upper casual. Adding more brands or broadening assortment alone is not the solution.
2. Brand concentration is a vulnerability. The response is to activate the core rather than add more. Reliance on top brands (mostly Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss) is seen as a vulnerability, since one or two underperforming partners can hit the whole business. However, adding more brands to diversify can dilute productivity and divert focus. Giving key names more space, better visual merchandising (for example, with props and artworks as suggested by guest speaker and expert Newstores and shop fits, and dedicated staffing through concessions shows positive results.
3. At some members, women already dominate Menswear purchases. Elsewhere, they hold a strong minority. Women account for a large part of most members’ Menswear business. Since women are already shopping the department, most members are putting the effort into male self-purchase instead — in one case through luxury tailoring names like Brioni and Brunello Cucinelli.
4. Gen Z acquisition is being tested: no single formula, but the question of how much they can actually spend. Members are testing solutions to lure younger customers: dedicated spaces in flagship stores and rotating ‘laboratory spaces’ rather than reliance on youth brands or shop-in-shops alone. Credit solutions may ease spending, as much as developing opening-price streetwear and pushing digital channels.
5. Accessories and sportswear are growth engines, but need a stronger roster of brands. Accessories bets are on brands like Coach, newer adds like Sprayground and Rains, and on pairing established luxury houses with contemporary, urban names like Sandqvist and strong local brands. In sportswear, On shoes outperform, alongside new bets on Vuori, Rhone or Satisfy Running. The shared conclusion is that one hero brand isn't enough to sustain a credible multi-brand presentation.

General information

• Antitrust Guidelines
• Guide of Conduct
• Invitation Letter
• Questionnaire

Timing

Tuesday 08 September 2026 3 pm to 6 pm Paris time.