The Vitrean Vincent Bruel has created his brand and sells his 100% French clothes in China

From Brittany to China , there is only one step. Vincent Bruel , originally from Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine), created his 100% made in France clothing brand , Frenchaholic , which he developed in China and Hong Kong where he lived for 12 years, before return to France in January 2020.

He delivers his career, but also his vision on a market sometimes disconnected from reality between Asia and France.

The click of the Saint-James polo shirt

However, nothing intended Vincent, a young student who had just graduated at the time, to go to Asia. While he was on fixed-term contract in a sourcing company in Châteaugiron, near Rennes, his boss offered him to go to China for a business project: "I didn't speak a word of Chinese and I found myself a little project manager there", smiles the Vitrean today.

After a great experience on the other side of the world, Vincent ends up returning to Vitré. “When I get home, I buy a Saint-James polo shirt. The saleswoman assures me that it is made entirely in France. I do my little research, I look at the label and I realize that it was made in Turkey…”

Surprised, Vincent does not want to let the story pass. He writes to customer service for an explanation. Better than a simple email, it is the CEO of Saint-James who will contact him in person by telephone: “He apologizes and suggests that we go eat together. Vincent agrees.

The appointment is made. Vincent discusses China with his interlocutor then at the end of the meal, the CEO suggests that he visit a factory of the group . Vincent agrees.

"I accept the mission"

At the end of the meeting, the boss of the group brings in the export director of the Saint-James group. “I met this person and she suggested that I go and sell Saint-James marinières in China . At first, I didn't know anything about it. She promises me training. I still had friends in China, I was tempted to go back there so I accepted the mission. »

And here is Vincent embarked on a new adventure. An adventure of about two years: “It allowed me to meet large distributors and resellers in China. » Contacts are created.

At the same time in France, Arnaud Montebourg poses proudly with his Moulinex and his marinière to praise French products. "But at the time, there weren't yet many people to grasp the subject", continues Vincent.

"The origin of the product is essential"

Still, thanks to his knowledge of the Chinese market, several French brands contact him to sell their products in Asia such as espadrilles for example: "The problem is that these brands do not understand how the Asian market works" , he believes.

“The Chinese are not going to pay €50 for a polo shirt if it is not produced entirely in France. If they pay this price , they want French quality. The origin is essential. »

But as everything is a question of meeting, it is at the end of one of them that Vincent decides to create his own brand. The first product: a polo shirt.

In Hong Kong, the small Frenchie brand was quickly spotted by the local press. But sales are struggling to take off: “It's a very small country. There, if you want to buy something, you go. So online sales weren't working…” Fortunately for the Vitrean, he had kept contacts with Chinese retailers : “They saved me” , he admits today.

"To have a 100% French product, it's a real obstacle course"

He then continues his adventure. Make 100% French and sell it in Asia. After the polo shirt, he moved on to sweaters and marinières, but very quickly faced a new size problem: “ In France, we have lost a lot of know-how. With the arrival of the European Union, everyone left. So much so that to have a 100% French product, it's a real obstacle course. »

Vincent searches, looks for small factories and small workshops with know-how that has almost disappeared. But between 2019 and 2020, the Vitréen adventure takes a new turn. The violent demonstrations in Hong Kong associated with the arrival of the Covid, push him to return to France.

Early return to France

" This was not planned. We are better known in Hong Kong than here. It was a real slap in the face to come back after 12 years in Asia. It was there that I realized that France had not evolved. There is a real gap between what people think and the reality in China. Today in China they have better machines than us. Workers' wages have doubled in 10 years. A Chinese worker earns more than a worker working in Eastern Europe, for example. »

"An almost impossible to find material"

Despite this forced return to Vitré, Vincent continues his production. And other ideas are already popping up in his head: “The next product will be a sweatshirt made with old machines from the 1950s in a material that is almost impossible to find, from an old loom. »

From China to Vitré, Vincent Bruel continues to promote 100% French.

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