How Eléonore Baudry Brought Figaret Shirts Back to the Peak of Cool

Owned by the investment fund Experienced Capital Partners, the Figaret brand, which has been part of French style heritage for its art of shirt-making since 1968, was a sleeping beauty until Eléonore Baudry crossed its path. As president since 2018, this digital pioneer, who orchestrated the digital launch of the Kering group's brands in the mid-2000s before developing the startup Sarenza internationally, has led the Figaret brand to double-digit growth and profitability, as well as international expansion. After Belgium, Eléonore Baudry has chosen Switzerland and Geneva to expand Figaret's retail network, with London and New York set to follow.

With Figaret's investment fund, she has given herself three years to guide the brand through a change of ownership. In an interview, she reveals how she managed to put Figaret back on consumers' radar and make well-cut shirts the new cool item in Gen Z's wardrobe.

Did the pandemic and its impact on the way people dress force you to change your strategy?

It forced the brand to evolve more quickly in what were fortunately strategic directions. Firstly, Figaret was already well positioned in terms of digital sales when the stores closed. We developed new features and improved the site's usability. The realization that quickly enabled us to experience new growth was that men would return to the office but would no longer dress in the same shirts. So we quickly developed our casual range, which includes linen, denim, and flannel shirts, as well as overshirts. While this range accounted for barely 10% of sales in 2019, it now makes up 50% of our collection sales. This change in strategy was crucial.

What about Figaret's range of shirts for women?

When I arrived in 2018, the brand was in a deep slumber. My job was to put Figaret back on consumers' radar and focus primarily on the men's range. It was essential to make a quick impression. The advertising campaign with Joey Starr was a turning point. In reality, it is only this year, in 2025, that the women's range has really taken off. This may be considered late, but it was important to do things right, surrounding myself with a strong creative team. These days, for the first time in Figaret's history, a women's poster campaign is dominating the scene. But in reality, our credo has always been to create a collection that works for both men and women.

Female customers love men's shirts and wearing them slightly oversized. So this season, Figaret is reinventing the truly feminine shirt. But we're also thinking about it as a capsule collection in addition to our more classic styles, including what we call the “Capsule Studio,” a tribute to women who celebrate their femininity in traditionally male-dominated professions, such as cinema.