PARIS — Calvin and Anne will have another Klein in their midst.
Bolstered by his recent success in the U.S. market, French designer Michel Klein is broadening his repertoire and planning to introduce a secondary line with a show in September in New York.
Last year, the affable Klein took a step upmarket, launching a line called Cher Michel Klein, a play on the French word for expensive and dear.
“It’s been a great success so far,” said the designer, dragging on a Marlboro Light in his silver-walled Paris studio.
Klein said Cher is now stocked in some 35 boutiques around the world, including Bergdorf Goodman, Maxfield, Neiman Marcus and Tootsies in the U.S.
To build on that success, he has hired New York sales agent Michael Atchison to represent him. Furthermore, he’s gearing up to launch in the U.S. a secondary line called Sweet Michel Klein, which will retail at about 40 percent less than Cher.
Sweet, which will wholesale from 70 euros, or $82.60 at current exchange, for a blouse to 150 euros, or $177, for a dress, supplants Klein’s former diffusion line, called MK. Klein introduced it quietly in France and the U.K. this spring, selling to Selfridges, Galeries Lafayette and Colette.
“Sweet is much more fashion-forward than MK was,” Klein explained. “I think it’s suited very well to the American market.”
He continued, “Cher is more about Parisian chic and timeless elegance. But Sweet will be more about seasonal pieces.”
Klein said he wished to launch Sweet in New York because the American market has been so receptive to Cher.
“I thought it would be good to go to the clients,” he quipped.
Klein said sales for his Paris-based fashion business this year are on line to reach some 2.4 million euros, or $2.8 million, up from 1.4 million euros last year. He attributed the gain mostly to the success of Cher.
Meanwhile, Klein is on the cusp of launching his first scent, Cher Michel Klein, in partnership with L’Oreal.
He said it would be a “luxury” juice “that doesn’t smell of flowers.” It is expected to launch in October at the Paris ready-to-wear shows, he said, adding that Peter Lindberg will shoot the advertising, which is to feature model Astrid Munoz.