Icicle, the Shanghai- and Paris-based fashion brand known for its minimalism and eco-friendly design, is set to make its Paris Fashion Week debut this Saturday.
The presentation will unveil the brand’s new Atelier line, which combines “artisanship and elegance of France” with innovative manufacturing techniques from Icicle China. This marks the first time the brand will open for wholesale business.
Attendees will also get a glimpse of Icicle’s upcoming store at 6 Rond-point Des Champs-Elysées, its fourth retail project in Paris. This location will house the flagship of Carven, a French label acquired by Icicle in 2018, and will serve as the future headquarters for both Carven and its parent company, ICCF Group.
Founder Ye Shouzeng, who started Icicle with his wife Shawna Tao nearly 30 years ago, believes it’s the right time for global expansion. “We are not yet a household name in Europe,” Ye stated, reflecting on the brand’s strategic adjustments during COVID-19.
Icicle, established to reconnect urban lives with nature, has become one of China’s largest womenswear groups. In 2024, sales rose 7% to 3 billion renminbi (about $411.8 million), with an impressive 18% revenue increase in the fourth quarter.
The brand began its international journey 12 years ago with a design studio in Paris. This was followed by a flagship at 35 Avenue George V in September 2019 and a womenswear concession at Le Bon Marché, along with a second location at 50 Faubourg du Saint-Honoré in 2021.
In China, Icicle operates a network of 241 stores across over 100 cities. “We spent the last 10 years cultivating a local team of over 70 people… now’s the time to get down to business,” Ye said, emphasizing the focus on expanding its brand-owned and wholesale networks in Europe.
Leading up to the presentation, Ye discussed Icicle’s ambitions abroad, its premiumization strategy, and its unique New York DNA.
