In terms of wholesale, which makes up 76 per cent of the business, 032c currently has 100 stockists, including Ssense and Zalando. “We can shift numbers with them. They are very good platforms for us and very supportive,” the designer says. 032c also sells in high-end boutiques across Asia, such as Gr8 and Biotop in Tokyo, and B1ock in Hangzhou, China, alongside a number of small independent stores globally. “Even when they are too small to reach our minimum, sometimes they are super cool and the vibe is just right and helps with the understanding of the brand, so we really try to mix it up,” she says.
The 30-strong team is close, and Koch is cautious about hiring or growing too quickly. “It’s step by step. When I was at Jil Sander I was quite shocked [because] there was a designer who only [designed] women’s white shirts,” she says. “[That way of working] is so detached… I’m a fan of keeping the design team very close.” This approach extends to the rest of 032c. “From the content to the finances, the whole structure interacts with each other and supports one another, all under the same roof and with the same ambitions.”
The show, which is being staged in the centre of Paris at the Institut du Monde Arabe on 20 June, features a collaboration with Berlin-based artist Ketuta Alexi-Meskhishvili, who allowed Koch to use one of her artworks as a print. For the first time the collection will introduce elements of embroidery. “This is new,” says Koch, “but I think in general, it’s still the same idea of what we do, which is something quite reduced, sexy, super precise and hopefully smart.”
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