Think French, think luxury. The big French fashion houses – the likes of Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Givenchy – are synonymous with exclusivity, but there are also smaller French maisons that deserve your attention. They might be little known in India but they offer the discerning consumer exquisite products.
The French Luxury Experience 2025, organised in March 2025 in Delhi and Mumbai, showcased five French maisons known for exquisite fashion, accessories, and fine jewellery.
Presented by Business France India in collaboration with France Éclat and la Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, this exclusive event featured a delegation of five leading French houses that are set to captivate the Indian market.
Why French Luxury In India?
Dentelles André Laude
Mossi
Tartine & Chocolat
Persée Paris
Tournier Billon
Why French Luxury In India?
As disposable incomes increase in India, we see a growing appetite for luxury – driven additionally by a greater awareness of global trends and evolving consumer preferences. India is now the third largest luxury market in Asia, which makes us a lucrative potential opportunity for French brands.
The five niche luxury brands included…
Dentelles André Laude
Image: Dentelles André Laude
In the art of exquisite lacemaking since 1850, Dentelles André Laude showcased its lace creations bearing the prestigious ‘Calais-Caudry’ label. Each piece of exceptional craftsmanship has been woven on 40 Leavers looms in the historic town of Caudry in northern France. Jean Pascal Laude, part of the sixth generation of the family, was at hand to show off the exquisite Chantilly lace.
Mossi
Image: Instagram/Mossi.Officiel
A French ready-to-wear brand dedicated to sustainable fashion and inclusivity, Mossi is known for its eco-responsible mission, offering high-quality clothing that celebrates the diversity of bodies and cultures. Almost a fixture at Paris Fashion Week. founder Mossi Traoré is an award-winning designer who also has a haute couture school in Paris, has tied up with Chanel, is committed to teaching technique, and regards his brand as a social project – offering internships to students from around the world (including India). He is passionate about textile innovations – recycling waste from the milk industry as well as building waste. Currently available from Printemps in Paris, Mossi is well on its way to being retailed across France and New York.
Tartine & Chocolat
Images: Instagram/Tartine & Chocolat
Founded in 1977, this brand embodies the essence of Chic à la française for children, with everything from ready-to-wear in both daily wear and ceremonial attire to home collections. Each offering from Tartine & Chocolat combines classic French style with contemporary luxury. Available for children from birth to 12 years, the little dresses, shirts and trousers are gorgeous, and available at 120 stores across the world, alongside accessories, stuffed toys, perfumes, and nursery furnishing and furniture lines – some of them already being produced in India.
Persée Paris
Image: Instagram/persee_paris
Inspired by Greek mythology, Persée Paris redefines contemporary luxury with minimalist jewellery, presenting diamonds in their purest, most radiant form. Founded in 2017, the brand is known for its unique pierced diamonds and free-set gemstones. We loved the intriguing floating rings on very strong nylon, as well as the adjustable chains with pierced diamonds that marketing director Simran Bedi showed us. The necklaces and bracelets come with an adjustable ‘silicon ball’ to help you layer and stack, and are in three gold colourways – rose gold, yellow gold, and white gold. Insider tip: You might find Persée Paris later this year at Lafayette in Mumbai.
Tournier Billon
Image: Tournier Billon
Since 1892, Tournier Billon has specialised in French artisanal hair accessories that are known to be luxurious and eco-responsible. The manufacturer blends traditional craftsmanship with innovative designs to create timeless pieces for major fashion houses such as Givenchy, Dior, and Balmain (as International Affairs Manager Lauren Tournier-Billon revealed after a little probing) and individual clients. The family-owned business makes its drool-worthy hair and fashion accessories with cellulose acetate, and eco-friendly materials such as wood pulp and cotton. The ‘handmade in France’ cachet Tournier Billon enjoys means that it will soon be going into New York, and, hopefully, coming to India.
The French Luxury Experience 2025 events in Delhi and Mumbai offered Indian industry leaders an exclusive opportunity to experience the collections firsthand and explore new business ventures and partnerships with the maisons. The French participants were also able to gain insights, identify opportunities, and understand the challenges they might face in the Indian market through these interactions and their explorations in the country.
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