At Bompard’s headquarters in the heart of Paris’s 16th arrondissement, HEC Stories met with Laurence Levy. Perched high above the city, the offices offer a breathtaking view of Paris the perfect setting to discuss vision, rhythm, and texture. A conversation with a woman who is both gentle and determined. 

After ten years at L’Oréal  in commerce, marketing, and general management Laurence Levy took a bold leap by becoming CEO of Repetto, a heritage French SME. There, she learned the full breadth of running a company from field operations and cash management to factory oversight and international growth. The adventure came to an abrupt end in 2023, following the passing of Repetto’s long-time leader and the family’s return to management. Yet that turning point proved revealing: Laurence realized she wanted to keep transforming French heritage brands.

In December 2023, she joined Bompard, France’s leading cashmere brand, alongside Seven2 and Bpifrance, with Dan Arrouas as chairman. The move marked both a change in scale (around €100 million in revenue, over 70 boutiques) and a shift in model: “Here, 80% of the business is retail, 20% e-commerce, and almost no wholesale.” She quickly laid the groundwork a clear brand platform, defined customer personas, and an affirmed positioning in a market spanning from fast fashion to ultra-luxury. The challenge? To bring modernity back without betraying the brand’s DNA.

The transformation began with the product offering. Bompard has long relied on a wardrobe of timeless essentials, refreshed each season with signature colors (that iconic red customers eagerly await) and capsule collections. Levy broadened the scope: full silhouettes, knit trousers and skirts, dresses, and especially a more ambitious outerwear line including a future 100% cashmere coat. She introduced leather, but only when the material was “exceptional,” and spotlighted seamless second-skin knits for more dressed-up moments. Three pillars now shape the brand’s narrative: exceptional materials, radiance (a strong color palette), and sensuality (that softness you want directly against your skin).

To embody this new chapter, she refreshed both the image and the creative organization. A streamlined studio (four people) and a new creative director, who will unveil her first collection next winter. A cohesive communication strategy, supported by a PR and influencer agency, and new brand ambassadors including Charlotte Le Bon for the 40th-anniversary campaign which root the label once again in the spirit of “French elegance.” Levy champions the strength of restraint in style: pure lines, balanced proportions, and a chic rather than “fashionable” silhouette.

The commercial dynamic is following suit. France still accounts for about 70% of sales, but international expansion is accelerating: the UK (a third store on South Molton Street, with e-commerce growing over 40% annually), Spain (Madrid), Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg. In France, openings are highly strategic: Saint-Tropez tested first as a pop-up and now made permanent after outstanding results  and Rue de Charonne in Paris, helping to rebalance the network beyond its historical Rue du Bac stronghold. Department store operations are run as brand-operated corners, ensuring tighter control over experience and inventory.

On the management front, the pace has quickened with the performance and agility demanded by investment funds, and a disciplined reporting culture that remains “useful as long as it serves the product and the teams.” “You feel energized, supported, propelled,” she says, her expression calm yet confident. The results speak for themselves: double-digit growth over two fiscal years, credited both to accelerated transformation and to renewed collective momentum.

The goal now is clear: to consolidate leadership against competitors like Kujten, assert Bompard’s singularity through material, color, and style, and continue expanding knitwear into new occasions even festive moments where one wouldn’t have considered it before. At 40 years old, the maison speaks in the present tense. And Laurence Levy is patiently weaving its future a continuous thread between heritage and desire.

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