Mustang seeks to cement French relaunch at the Who’s Next trade fair

After its sales team wrapped up a very busy stint at Pitti Uomo, the Italian menswear trade show, on Thursday, Mustang will be at Who’s Next, the Paris fashion trade show at Porte de Versailles, from Saturday, with the ambition of continuing to build momentum in the French market.

The German denim label, founded in 1932, was for many years a major force in France before pulling back somewhat in the early 2010s following the closure of its local subsidiary. Since 2024, however, it has overhauled its strategy in the country. With best-sellers priced at €89.99, the label is now seeing the fruits of this restructuring.

“It took at least a year to put together the right team and recruit the right agents to cover the various regions. Then we took part in our first Who’s Next in early 2025, which brought us several dozen new customers,” notes Mauriz Kochendörfer, the brand’s international sales director since 2017. “As several historic players in the French market have disappeared, such as Kaporal, or are facing difficulties, we have a great opportunity for growth, with a positioning that meets consumer expectations.” The executive reports 120 stockists in the market by the end of 2025, up from around 50 before the relaunch, and says the company has doubled its business over the past two years.

For Mustang, which reported revenue of €110 million in 2024, the German-speaking markets of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland still account for 50% of its business. But the brand, which was one of the first Western labels to establish itself in countries of the former Soviet bloc, has also historically had substantial activity in Poland and Hungary. “However, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands are markets with very strong potential,” explains the executive. “We have also developed our business in the Scandinavian markets. Our organisation now covers 95% of European markets; we now need to energise growth.”

In France, Mustang also launched its first “True Heritage” campaign last October, based on a digital and influencer strategy, as well as collaborations with retailers such as the CCV multi-brand network and the Culture Denim store in Lille, to highlight its history and its work on denim silhouettes, which still account for 60% of its revenue. Alongside an accessible offering, in which straight and slim cuts still account for the largest volumes and which appeals to a number of multi-brand retailers, Mustang is strengthening its image as a denim specialist. The brand has also developed a capsule with Italian mill Candiani, with prices starting at €120.

At Who’s Next, the brand will showcase this diverse offering, highlighting its efforts to offer styles incorporating technical materials that provide greater comfort and warmth in winter for men, who account for 55% of sales, as well as for women, regarded as an important growth driver.