The Frankie Shop Hired its First CEO as It Plots International Growth

The Frankie Shop founder and president Gaëlle Drevet is gunning to double the business in two years, and has brought on former MCM and Roger Vivier executive Sabine Brunner as chief executive officer to help mastermind a growth roadmap, WWD has learned.

Disclosing the management reinforcement in an exclusive interview, Drevet said Brunner started officially on Sept. 1 and is laying the groundwork to grow Frankie’s direct-to-consumer channel, expand internationally, and perhaps eventually take on an investor to further speed development.

“I was wearing too many hats,” Drevet said at the company’s spare offices in the Bastille district of Paris, fabric swatches and line sheets tacked on boards behind her. “I’ve never had a CEO or business partner.”

In Brunner, she found a seasoned executive with experience across luxury, contemporary brands, childrenswear and accessories — and also a longtime customer of The Frankie Shop, introduced to the brand by her daughter, which tickles Drevet to no end.

“I love the product, I love the image, it’s a very desirable brand,” Brunner enthused, wearing a brown Rotate sweater that’s among the emerging labels the retailer carries alongside its expansive The Frankie Shop collection. “I think it’s quite unique in the market right now. Department stores and other wholesalers are queuing up to get the brand.”

Most recently MCM Global AG’s president and global commercial and brand officer, Brunner has also been CEO of Bonpoint and managing director at La Double J, Roger Vivier, and Tod’s Hong Kong Limited, in addition to stints at DKNY, Stefanel and investment firm Stella Holdings.

Introduced to Brunner by a mutual friend, Drevet lauded her international profile, and experience across price and business segments.

Sole owner of The Frankie Shop, Drevet did not disclose figures, but said revenues advanced 15 percent in 2024, and have accelerated this year. Immediate expansion plans include a London boutique planned for 2026, with Milan among priorities for future locations.

At present, The Frankie Shop operates two boutiques in New York, and two in Paris, where Drevet would like more space to fully express the brand’s lifestyle ambitions, and concept-store model that juxtaposes its private label with brands like Coperni, Bettter, By Malene Birger, Christopher Esber and Samsøe Samsøe.

It is also boasts concessions at Galeries Lafayette and Selfridges, with select wholesale clients ranging from Net-a-porter, Mytheresa and Moda Operandi, to KaDeWe and Harvey Nichols Middle East.

The United States and the Middle East are among geographies with untapped runway for growth, “and in Asia, we haven’t even scratched the surface,” said Drevet.

In recent years, the brand has done pop-ups in as far-flung places as Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi, and it has so far only dabbled in the accessories and lifestyle category with caps, socks, candles, soaps and the like.

Brunner’s arrival coincides with the 10th anniversary of Frankie Shop, synonymous with smart, oversized suiting and accessible prices despite its upscale image, fine fabrications and sophisticated silhouettes. “It’s always about allure and comfort,” said Drevet.

Its average retail price online is $300, according to Brunner.

A French native who began her career as a journalist in New York and London, Drevet burst onto the fashion scene in 2015 with a multibrand store in the Lower East Side, later adding her own clothing brand under the same name. In 2022, Drevet added men’s and unisex designs to her fashion universe.