That French flair

Rugby player turned fashion designer is an unlikely switch as far as career progressions go but it took someone with the arts-trained pedigree of Franck Mesnel to fill a lacuna between athletic and preppy fashion, starting from when he and his Racing Club de France teammates debuted the pink bow tie during the final of the 1987 French Championships against Toulon. In the following year was when he created Eden Park, named after a rugby stadium in Auckland, New Zealand where the first Rugby World Cup was held and which Mesnel played in 1987. The pink bow tie has since become Eden Park’s logo but it is in not-your-usual rugby jerseys and club blazers where Eden Park laid its foundations and grew.

“When shopping for formalwear in a department store, it would stand out in a sea of grey,” Mesnel recalled on a recent trip to Manila.

Twenty-eight years in, Mesnel and the brand are confronted with the challenges of a bigger playing field in the age of social media and digital retail as the brand eyes expansion, approaching its third decade in the game. It has prompted Mesnel to go back to the drawing board: gold shoes, a hair piece, or a glass of champagne at half-time optional – antics instigated by Mesnel, of course – but basically injecting mischief into what is a brutish sport.

“That French flair,” he says. “It is not necessarily cutting the line with our English influence — the origins of rugby — but to have an independent story.”

Ystyle: What is the French flair?

Franck Mesnel: The English have their well-tailored suits, top hats, and umbrella. Like the Germans, the British are strict, Italians and Spanish are a bit more eccentric. French is on the frontier. We are in the middle. The French is more charming, romantic. Like the Le Marinier of Jean Paul Gaultier.

What influenced the decision to take on a more lifestyle-oriented approach?

We don’t have so many brands talking about this lifestyle positioning. Lacoste for example is sporty yet linked to fashion but — this is my opinion — we have to take the place of the lifestyle brand. Lacoste has a big story linked to the pique. Not a lot of credit on the other one.

We are launching in the United States. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to be very French, going into the United States. Make an adaptation of Paris in Manila. Middle East is on the right way. There is no way for me to follow the monsters Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. I prefer to be on a niche with my French image.

How do you plan to execute this?

Manila is crossing a strong period in retail. Digital here is targeted to the younger mass market and not older and premium but overall young people are more mobile. I don’t want to be an old brand. We are working on launching something digital by February.

It’s not just the garments but the global image. I worry we are a little too British because our roots are also in rugby. There will be a big evolution in shop merchandising, going into conceptual shops. When I visit women’s shops it is not boring for me. But when I visit men’s shops, if there’s no motorbike or old car, it’s very boring. You can’t only attract people by showing a nice window. You have to walk them through a shopping experience. People in cosmetics are excellent in that. Our strongest stores are still in France because we don’t have to explain what our brand is about to them. Now we have to give a new kind of customer the assets of the brand in a glance.

What can we expect from your women’s line?

We were inspired by the rugby jersey like its pragmatic lines and stripes along with other assets of rugby but done with the romantic touch of the French. Nothing dressy. Something with the three colors of our flag blue white red. We are selling suits for women but like our ceiling product, the blazer, it is not formal.

Eden Park’s 30th year is coming up. How will you celebrate this milestone?

We asked one special watch brand to make 150 exclusive watches the old-fashioned way, each with a number. It will culminate in a big outdoor event in May in Paris. Two huge balloons with light inside. I hope the weather will be good.

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Eden Park is on the third floor of Bonifacio High Street Central Square, 5th corner 30th, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.