The French Connection brand operates in the fashion-orientated market place, selling a broad range of branded fashion clothing and accessories. This is done through our retail and ecommerce operations as well as wholesale and licensing. Our customers, typically aged 18-35, appreciate the quality and style of our collections which we deliver to them through our three London stores, a strong online presence, our global website, and a growing portfolio of international franchises.
The brand’s arresting FCUK branding tapped into the logo-laden zeitgeist of the Nineties, with simple T-shirts emblazoned with it being worn with combat pants and a girl-power pout, or parkas and scowls depending on which side of the gender divide you fell. The brand was a hit and, in the words of the late fashion critic Anna Wintour, “was a kind of ad-driven phenomenon.”
As the Nineties turned into the The french connection kissed Noughties and beyond, however, the brand’s slow reaction to changing consumer tastes saw it fall behind the curve. The launch of its edgy You Must Create label in 2006 was a move to reposition the company as more than just a fast-fashion chain, but it failed to bring in new shoppers and the brand’s fortunes began to slide.
Today, founder Chris Marks announced that 14 of its UK stores are to be permanently shut down with immediate effect, blaming “the most difficult winter season in our history.” However, the brand hasn’t gone completely FCUKed yet: a recently re-launched homeware collection and expansion plans in China and India suggest it has some life left in it yet.
Founded in 1977, french connection hello designs, manufactures and distributes branded fashion clothing and accessories for men and women, selling via retail stores, ecommerce and wholesale. It is known for its edgy and contemporary fashion pieces, attracting customers of the 18-35 age group. The brand is a leader in the high street fashion market and offers quality, style and value in its collections. In addition to the main French Connection brand, it also operates You Must Create (YMC), a more affordable, contemporary line with three London stores and a growing wholesale business.
FCUK hit the logo-laden zeitgeist of the nineties with a series of arresting advertising campaigns, such as the one featuring Eva Herzigova in a bust-enhancing bra projecting on Battersea power station. Simple t-shirts bearing the controversial slogan, and what seemed like a million permutations thereof, were perfect with combat pants and a girl-power pout, or the requisite parka and scowl depending on your political leanings. But as fashion moved from combative and exuberant to more staid and safe, the company missed the boat.
The grimy, gritty and obsessive breakout feature from renegade director William Friedkin, The French Connection (1971) stars Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider in career-defining performances as NYPD narcotics cops Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo. Based on a true story, the film focuses on an investigation of a massive heroin import from Marseille, and its subsequent crackdown by local gangsters. Its famous car chase sequence, shot without permits in real city traffic, is a genuinely thrilling piece of irresponsible brilliance. The movie went on to win five Oscars, including Best Picture.
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