Luxury fashion brand Isabel Marant’s bonds posted their largest drop on record on Monday after the French company reported weakening sales.
For this year through September, the company reported a 31 percent slide in sales to wholesale customers and online retail clients, following a previous drop in orders for its recent collections, according to a results presentation seen by Bloomberg News on Monday. Overall it saw a 17 percent drop in sales for this year through Sept. 30, relative to the same period in 2023.
The €265 million notes issued by IM Group due in 2028 were quoted about 8.9 cents lower at around 54 cents on the euro, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Isabel Marant noted that its online offering had been “severely impacted” in part due to pressure on major online retailers, pointing specifically to the closure of luxury marketplace MatchesFashion. Frasers Group, the owner of MatchesFashion, put the unit into administration in March following repeated losses.
A spokesperson for Isabel Marant didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fashion brands in general are feeling the pinch from a global slowdown in demand for high-end goods, as customers face a cost-of-living squeeze. Kering, the owner of luxury brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, warned last month that its annual profit will fall to its lowest level since 2016 on weak demand for its products, particularly in China.
Going forward, Isabel Marant reported that gross orders for the spring/summer 2025 collection were down by 21% versus the same period a year earlier, according to the presentation. While there were some signs demand was recovering in the US, clients’ finances “remain fragile.” The highest decreases were seen in Italy, the UK and Asia, it said.
In 2016, private equity firm Montefiore Investment SAS bought a 51 percent stake in the company, with the remaining shares still held by Isabel Marant and some long-time associates.
By Libby Cherry
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