On a Beijing stage, SANDRO sharpens its China story

The drama began before anyone took the stage. Dancers emerged from a cathedral-like passageway, where angular white panels narrowed toward the far end and moved into the main showroom. There, guests gathered along a broad central aisle framed by pared-back, serene white spaces. That atmosphere — one of anticipation, compression, and theatrical suspense — set the tone for SANDRO’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection launch, “Backstage, City Stage,” in Beijing. Developed by the brand’s Paris atelier and design studio, the new season drew on the rhythm of backstage preparation: the unseen work, nervous anticipation, repeated rehearsals, and intense concentration that precedes a performance. A dance interlude brought that tension to life while revealing SANDRO’s intellectual sensibilities and longstanding engagement with artistic disciplines beyond fashion. The main showroom extended that immersive experience, featuring backstage footage of the dance performance and a hands-on Savoir-Faire workshop. SANDRO CEO Isabelle Allouch describes “Backstage, City Stage” as a desire to broaden the brand’s universe and explore the dialogue between fashion and other forms of artistic expression. “By focusing on what happens behind the curtain — the anticipation, emotion, and collective energy that precede a dance troop performance — the concept offers a richer perspective on the collection and brings its creative singularity and craftsmanship to life,” Allouch tells Jing Daily. More than 40 years after its founding in Paris, SANDRO is layering fashion with performance, participation, and craft to create multiple entry points into the world around its collection. The approach reflects a broader effort to sharpen the brand’s cultural identity and build relevance in China. Intellectual chic, played out on stage A burgundy-and-white striped shirt styled with a deeper red tie worn loosely around the neck is layered under a dark chocolate leather jacket with a caramel shearling collar, paired with blue jeans and a tan leather belt. This is a signature woman’s look from the French brand’s FW2026 collection. The mix of tailoring cues, rich leather, and relaxed styling gives the outfit both softness and edge. Like the rest of the collection, it portrays a versatile, independent femininity with a tinge of intellectual chic. By revisiting a number of its signature wardrobe pieces, as it has done in previous seasons, SANDRO introduces subtle creative updates to double-face coats, leather jackets, knit dresses, and tailored suits without compromising on meticulous craftsmanship and distinctive details. These garments blur feminine and masculine codes while recasting vintage references in a modern way. That interplay, evident from the earliest collections of founder and artistic director Évelyne Chetrite, points to a nuanced reading of contemporary femininity in China — one that embraces complexity, individuality, and fluid expressions of womanhood rather than fixed gender stereotypes. Menswear, under the artistic direction of Ilan Chetrite, Évelyne Chetrite’s son, who launched the line in 2008, shares womenswear’s grounding in savoir-faire and refined craftsmanship, with an emphasis on emotion and the present. The designs, however, are more restrained and discreet, channeling understated sophistication and relaxed elegance. The contrast between womenswear and menswear was embodied by two celebrities at the Beijing event: actress, singer, and dancer Cheng Xiao, whose style balances boldness, sharpness, and gentleness; and actor Chen Haosen, whose low-key artistic demeanor echoed SANDRO Homme’s sleek, understated masculinity. Their distinct temperaments brought the collection’s dual character to life. Creative premium, in cultural terms The creative tension in the garments feeds into a wider cultural vocabulary that SANDRO has long been building. By weaving Parisian sophistication into China’s evolving gender culture and interpreting its brand ethos through behind-the-curtain scenes, the brand gives its “creative premium” positioning a more tangible cultural sensibility. “Evelyne and Ilan Chetrite have always had a deep affinity with culture and design. The initiatives we have developed in recent years are a natural extension of this creative sensibility,” says Allouch. The effort to build on an identity infused with art and culture casts a lens on what SANDRO defines as “creative premium” positioning in today’s increasingly homogenized premium fashion world. “In an increasingly competitive market where consumers are more informed and selective, we believe there is a meaningful place for a brand with a strong and distinctive identity,” Allouch shares. For her, “creative premium” combines a clear creative vision with elevated quality and a strong cultural sensibility. It means “creating a complete universe that extends beyond the collections, one that is contemporary, inspiring, and emotionally engaging,” she adds. Fashion, performance, immersion The Beijing event is one such universe SANDRO has created. Beyond the effortlessly wearable garments, the event also featured a commanding choreographed performance. The dance was presented by six young graduates — five from The Beijing Dance Academy and one from Beijing Normal University — a collaboration that underscored SANDRO’s commitment to nurturing young talent and giving emerging artists a platform to articulate their artistic vision. As the dancers moved from what resembled a backstage setting toward the audience, they brought usually unseen pre-show moments into full view: scenes charged with quiet tension, frayed nerves, restrained unease, and quiet resolve. Passing through the audience, they immersed the room in this shifting register of human emotions. The choreographed sequence then opened the seasonal show. Another experiential activation came through an exclusive Savoir-Faire workshop, where guests could repurpose brand buttons and other accessories by hand and rework them onto ties. The exercise offered a tactile glimpse into the slower, more exacting process rooted in France’s sartorial heritage, from refining initial design sketches to making minute adjustments to how fabric falls and moves on the body. Long-term partnerships with local artisan teams help preserve the tangible quality and lasting value that underpin French elegance. These two formats sit squarely within China’s fast-growing experience economy. The market surpassed RMB 18.4 trillion ($2.6 trillion) in 2025, outpacing global average growth. The scale shows that experiences are becoming an important factor in consumer purchasing decisions. iiMedia Research found that 66.6% of Chinese consumers frequently make additional purchases when taking part in experiential activities and forecasts that the experience economy will reach RMB 59.7 trillion ($8.9 trillion) by 2035. As Chinese consumers become more cautious and selective, spending is becoming more stratified, redirected toward experiences that offer greater emotional value and lasting memories. SANDRO has responded to this shift by incorporating a performance and a workshop experience into its collection launch. “The dance performance and Savoir-Faire workshop allowed guests to experience the collection through movement, craftsmanship, and storytelling, creating a deeper emotional connection with the brand,” Allouch explains. Finding the next phase of China growth According to Allouch, SANDRO’s core customers today are modern, style-conscious individuals who appreciate contemporary Parisian design, quality, and authenticity. She plans to continue engaging them through curated experiences, cultural collaborations, and localized storytelling both online and offline. The September event in China is just one example of how SANDRO is excelling in a crowded premium fashion market. Its parent company, SMCP, which also owns Maje and Claudie Pierlot, posted 3.9% like-for-like sales growth in the second quarter. In China, the positive momentum from Q1 carried into Q2, helping drive APAC back into organic growth. That trajectory has continued into the third quarter, even as the broader Chinese market trends downward. SANDRO’s resilience in China, Allouch says, can be attributed to three factors: dedicated digital platforms where customers often turn for styling inspiration; sharper retail execution, including more engaging physical experiences; and a full-price strategy as core consumers value craftsmanship, durability, and design over promotions. “Their journey is also inherently omnichannel: digital platforms and social ecosystems are where inspiration and research happen, but physical stores remain vital as hubs for community engagement and a high-quality local retail experience,” says Allouch on SANDRO’s core demographic. Ultimately, “Backstage, City Stage” was more than a collection presentation of a French brand built on artisanship, freedom, and effortless chic. It offered a glimpse of how SANDRO is thinking about its next chapter in China, with fashion, performance, and craft intermingled as more than a seasonal statement. As the brand translates its Parisian allure and cultural and emotional engagement into sustained relevance among increasingly selective Chinese consumers, the opportunity now lies in giving that affinity new shape season after season.

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On a Beijing stage, SANDRO sharpens its China story