Weaving tradition into success

Weaving
tradition
into
success
Its thread is at the core of top brands in the ready-towear fashion industry and its core products grace the
bodies of millions of women, providing comfort, warmth
and elegance. Filomena Nardi talks to Frédéric Lener,
CEO of Groupe Lener Cordier an iconic name in the
French textile and clothing industry.
IN
1954 Marguerite Lener was getting ready to set
up her own business in the small market town of
Hazebrouck, North France. She probably never
imagined that nearly 60 years later her surname would represent
a leading French and European specialist in the conception, production and manufacturing of women’s ready-to-wear. Since
its foundation Lener Cordier has always been synonym of
craftsmanship, dedication to quality and French elegance. What
had begun as a small sewing shop specialised in women's
blouses is today establishing itself as a lifestyle brand, creating
products to suit the evolving needs of its discerning customers. Each and every item produced by this French company
possesses a unique combination of cutting edge modernism,
timeless elegance and traditional savoir-faire (know-how).
“The essence of Lener Cordier can be summarized in a single
sentence,” says Mr Frédéric Lener. “Our company is the combination of ‘savoir-faire’ (know-how) and savoir-être (human
skills), two very important characteristics if you want to succeed
in today’s business world.” The founder’s grandson, Frédéric
Lener, current CEO of the company, has strongly contributed
to consolidating the success of Lener Cordier at a national and
international level by combining the values and traditions
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instilled in him by his family with his entrepreneurial skills. As Mr
Lener states, “Lener Cordier is a family-run business, a company
that over the years has been able to maintain its own traditions
while adapting to a fast changing market.” Since its establishment,
Lener Cordier has come a long way registering a consolidated
turnover of 30 million Euros and a production of over one million
items in 2010. Today, the company employs nearly 400 employees
between the French headquarters and the Ukraine subsidiaries
and it has a global presence through various contractors in Eastern
Europe, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania and Vietnam. “We are leaders
within the French market mainly for the production of coats
and raincoats, but we are now set to expand internationally.”
A multi-strategy approach
The family nature of the firm is definitely one of the reasons for
Lener Cordier’s success in France and abroad but there is definitely
more to it. “Apart from our family traditions, one of the strengths
of the company is our flexibility,” acknowledges Mr Lener.
“We have responded to the recent economic downturn by
investing in multiple strategies so that we could reach a larger
and diversified clientele.” This strategy is reflected by the structure of the Lener Cordier Group formed by three different main
businesses, with three different focusses. The first one is Lener
Cordier, described by the CEO himself as the ‘backbone, the heart
of the group” which creates, designs and manufactures the
highest quality coats, jackets and raincoats for a wide list of
who’s who names in the ready-to-wear clothing industry. Names
such as Galeries Lafayette, Carroll, Kooples, Manor, Etam, Eric
Bompard, and many more have put their trust into the French
know-how of Lener Cordier. Second on the list is Chemins Blancs,
the all new high–fashion clothing brand entirely dedicated to
women’s world. Last, but definitely not least is Lener Fabric de
Manteaux. This brand was set up in 2009 and specialises in the
production of coats which are sold within department stores in
France and abroad. “What sets all of our businesses apart from
the rest is not only the ability to develop products that preserve
the quality of the French and European craftsmanship, but the
fact that we follow the manufacturing process from start to finish,
from conception to delivery.” According to Mr Lener while the
group has grown over the years and adapted to changing market
conditions, it has always remained true to the old ‘chaîne et
trame’ technique (‘warp and weft’-weaving technique) and he
still believes that quality products and customer trust are the
key to success.
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White path to the future: Chemins Blancs
Companies like Lener Cordier never stop looking for new ways
to succeed. In 1990, together with his wife Monique Lener, a
former model from the Netherlands, Frédéric Lener introduced
Chemins Blancs to the clothing industry, which has now
become a very popular brand for women that love wearing an
elegant style mixed with some of the latest trends. “When we
launched Chemins Blancs the idea was to create something
completely different from Lener-Cordier,” says Frédéric Lener.
“We had in mind our own brand dedicated to the women’s readyto-wear, a brand to shine at international levels.” The brand’s
name Chemins Blancs was inspired by a sentence written on a
shirt bought by Monique Lener for her husband; ‘Sur les chemins
blancs, il est midi éternellement’, (lit. ‘On the white paths it’s
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always noon’) and the sun is definitely shining on this French
brand today. With 15 boutiques in France and a wide presence
overseas, Chemins Blancs is no longer a simple component of
the group, but a brand in its own right with its own network of
stores, which can count on the manufacturing expertise of Lener
Cordier Groupe.
Every day a team of expert seamstresses tries to find the right
balance between fabrics, shapes, colours and prints to bring to
life the poetic essence of Chemins Blancs collections.
The main objective of this very feminine brand is to make you
feel unique as a woman. On this note Chemins Blancs has recently
launched a campaign with the title ‘Un manteau rien que pour moi!’
(lit. A coat, just for me). This represents a ‘once in a life time’
opportunity to own a garment that can only be found in your
personal wardrobe. It is easily done! Just step inside one of the
15th Chemins Blancs boutiques, choose amongst a wide range
of 1970’s styles, colours and fabrics and in no time you will be
able to wear a coat that carries your own name.
The next ‘must-have’
There is little doubt that European clothing and textile manufacturers have had an incredibly tough time over the last decade
and many have not been able to withstand the flood of cheap
imports from Asia, but the Lener Group is a towering exception.
The company is an iconic name in the French and European
clothing industry and has withstood all that the previous years
could throw at it. Thanks to his firm foundations, the group Lener
is always ready to adapt to any market change and fight any
harsh storm ahead. Mr Lener concludes: “It is very difficult to
predict the challenges ahead; however our main objectives will
not change. We will continue working hard to consolidate our
position within the market and stay close to the final customers.
We are also looking into developing internationally, because
even if we are already well known in Europe there are still
countries where we are not present and we are set to become
a truly global company.” Lener Group is obviously ready to expand
into new territories. Next in the list are the Korean and the
English markets which sooner than later could see the shelves
of many high-fashion stores filled up with the finesse and
the elegance of this luxurious French brand. Look out! Lener
Cordier with its brands is quickly becoming a ‘must- have’ in
any woman’s wardrobe!
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