Chanel buys French clothing group JY BH

Chanel continues to strengthen its production chain. The Parisian luxury label is bringing on board the activities of French fashion designer Jean-Yves Bohère through his group JY BH, which specialises in high-end and luxury ready-to-wear clothing, and its four couture workshops. Bohère will work for Chanel while continuing to collaborate with its other customers.
 

“Chanel and the JY BH Group confirm that they have agreed to merge, with Chanel acquiring the four workshops and all its activities,” says the group, which is also taking over all the employees. “This decision was motivated by converging interests: the JY BH Group is relying on a solid partner that provides it with long-term visibility, while Chanel is helping to preserve exceptional expertise in the heart of France,” adds Chanel.
 
Jean-Yves Bohère worked as a factory and production manager for various brands before founding his company JY BH in 1999 through the acquisition of Marque & Mod, a workshop specialising in flou and grand flou in women’s fashion, located in Saint-Jean-d’Eyraud, in the Dordogne. In 2005, he joined the PR3 workshop in Bourges, specialising in tailoring and sleeved garments, which became the group’s main business with sales of €4 million, according to the local press. The press reports that Jean-Yves Bohère will remain at the helm “for another year”.

In 2013, the entrepreneur strengthened his expertise with the purchase of two other workshops, Confection de Sully, founded in 1954 in Sully-sur-Loire in the Loiret region, and Domcia Production, founded in 1950 in Dun-le-Poëlier, in the Indre region. At the same time, he set up a design office to develop both women’s and men’s collections, while continuing to modernise production.
 
“In line with Chanel’s strategy in this type of operation, the workshops will continue to work with all their customers,” emphasises the luxury group, which has steadily increased its in-house production capacity over recent decades. The number of maisons d’art and manufactures acquired by Chanel since 1985 now stands at around forty, with twelve maisons d’art and around thirty manufacturers.