L'Agence has cut its assortment by about 30 percent over the past two seasons and already seen a 10 to 15 percent lift in denim sales at its Madison Avenue and Beverly Hills stores — results the Los Angeles brand presented alongside a 1,500-square-foot shop-in-shop opening at Printemps in Paris at the end of this month.

The Printemps space gives L'Agence a new retail foothold in the French capital after it shuttered its previous store-slash-showroom in the Marais. The brand has moved its showroom to the Golden Triangle, steps from Alaïa, while most of its European sales team remains in London. It is also actively seeking flagship real estate on Rue Saint-Honoré.

"Paris is key for our distribution efforts. We also have a nice business in the Middle East, so that's a nice trifecta between Paris, the Middle East, and London as well. Those markets work well off each other," said chief executive officer Jonny Saven.

How did the Printemps deal come together?

Fashion director Tara Rudes-Dann held private appointments with 30 VICs at the retailer. Once Printemps saw the sales numbers from that event, the department store "saw the power of the brand" and carved out a space for it, Saven said.

The move follows the brand's spring 2027 presentation — a garden party at The Ritz — which it positioned as a launch pad for global expansion. "There's a reason why being in Paris is so important — because you get noticed, you get the right level of attention in Paris, more so than you would see in other markets," Saven said, citing buyers from Japan and China.

What is the wholesale-first expansion model?

Founder and chairman Jeff Rudes is taking a deliberate sequence into new markets: build wholesale, then open retail. L'Agence already has roughly 80 wholesale doors in Italy, but he is holding off on retail there.

"We don't want to go into a territory that doesn't know us. We could easily open a stand-alone store now in Rome. We're getting known, but it's too soon. But what we do know — first, build the wholesale market, and then open a store," said Rudes.

South Korea is the template. L'Agence launched there in early 2024 with potential for 15 stores but settled on seven, operating solo with a country director and a full in-house team rather than via a partner. Japan and China are next in its sights, though the company turned down an approach from a major Chinese entity to first raise brand awareness and build infrastructure.

In the Middle East, L'Agence runs two spaces at Harvey Nichols and Bloomingdale's in Dubai plus a strong online business with Ounass. It envisions stand-alone Dubai stores within 24 months, with further regional partnerships under consideration over the next two years.

Why is a smaller line selling more?

The assortment cut has focused on denim, which accounts for roughly 30 to 35 percent of the business. The brand eliminated dusters, dresses and peripheral styles in favor of a tightly edited selection of core jean styles, and it has begun dedicating floor space to denim rather than merchandising it across ready-to-wear.

"When we reduced the line, we did more business with less SKUs because there's a point of view and there's a focus. It's difficult for our salespeople when it's too wide," said Rudes. "Less is more. Let's go minimalist, but do it right."

The denim-bar format rolls out next to Dallas and an upcoming Bal Harbour store, and has already been introduced at several Saks locations.

The same curation logic goes online. The brand's website carries around 1,800 SKUs; rather than what Rudes called a "supermarket," items will be honed into curated shops for T-shirts, shirts, dresses and black and white as color categories, with full assortment still accessible behind the edit.

What comes next?

Category build-out continues: dresses were a major focus this year, sweaters will be a priority over the next 12 months, and an eyewear collaboration with Linda Farrow launches before the holiday season. A tennis whites capsule this summer sold out almost immediately, and Rudes said the company is developing a scent and "having conversations" about intimate apparel — though cosmetics wait until the customer is loyal.

Saven said the luxury slowdown has worked in the brand's favor, with designer and "affordable luxury" clients gravitating to its higher-end contemporary positioning — a space L'Agence intends to keep working as it sequences its retail rollout.