Maxime Gov: We’re trying to develop a more original product range compared to other brands in our sector, while still remaining quite commercial. Our best-seller, the crew neck sweatshirt, is priced at €49.95. It stayed at this price during the Covid pandemic, and it will still stay at €49.95 despite inflation. We’re targeting a fairly young clientèle (between 15 and 30 years old), we are aware of their budget, and that’s why we want to remain affordable.

FNW: How do you attract and foster young consumers’ interest in the brand?

JG: We promote our collections by enlisting leading French and international rappers like Orelsan, Aya Nakamura and Rim’K. We made a video of the latter’s Allô track, featuring items from our summer collection. We have a real community of artists and above all friends, with whom we do collaborations, as with Gradur in 2016, presentations, notably with French Montana, and events, like the sensational evening we did in Clermont-Ferrand with Tyga.

MG: We have also designed manga-themed collaborations, for example with One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen – the latter will be available this autumn – and gaming-themed ones, for example with the producers of ‘Call of Duty’ at the start of the year. The frequency of collaboration drops depends on the opportunities we have, and on our progress as the brand grows. We’ll celebrate our 10th anniversary in 2025. It’ll be a very important and highly creative year, we have many projects that we will unveil gradually. 

JG: At the same time, we’re relying heavily on social media. We have a strong presence on channels that help us stay in touch and forge links with Gen Z consumers. TikTok is an obvious choice for a fashion brand, but so is Snapchat, it’s an extremely underestimated app given the amount of traffic it generates. We have a budget of over €2 million for IT development and digital media buying costs. In our business model, the wholesale channel accounts for 50% of our sales, traditional retail for 40%, and e-tail for 10%. By 2027, we’re planning to increase the e-tail share to 20% and reduce the share of traditional retail to 30%.

FNW: What about wholesale expansion and international initiatives?

JG: Project X Paris is currently available at 1,500 stores by leading retailers such as IntersportSport 2000Foot Locker

As for international expansion, we’ve adopted a proximity strategy, aiming to enter countries close to France. We will double the number of stores we operate in Europe, from 60 to 120, by 2026. We started our international roll-out last year with Belgium, where we now have a dozen stores. Next

FNW: What are your revenue targets?

JG: We currently generate a revenue of €70 million, and we’re growing at a 50% rate. I don’t have a crystal ball, but our growth is consistent with the roadmap we drew up a few years ago. We’re set to top the €100 million revenue mark by the end of the year, and we’re expecting to reach €300 million by 2027. To bolster our plans, we have been strengthening our staff, hiring many talented fashion and luxury executives this year: ​Geoffrey Manoha, our new head of marketing and communication, who was at KenzoLouis VuittonOff-White

FNW: Are you aiming to premiumise your product range? 

MG: Of course. By introducing two new collections a year, marked by regular drops, we are constantly developing new products, as we did with the sneakers we launched last year. In 2024, we will premiumise our range by launching a new line called X by Project X Paris, where ‘X’ signals our passion for collaborations. It’s a more premium line, distinctive for its futuristic, minimalist vibe, and will be commercialised in autumn 2024 at select high-end retailers like the Galeries LafayettePrintemps

FNW: As entrepreneurs in charge of a fashion brand within a troubled ready-to-wear sector, are you optimistic about the future?

JG: The fashion industry in general has been hit by defaults like Naf Naf