Men’s swimwear label Debayn kicks off in Hong Kong

French swimwear brand Debayn has launched in Hong Kong with a five-month pop-up store.

Located on the walkway between Pacific Place and Admiralty Centre into the Lab Concept, the pop-up store offers Debayn’s full collection and new products, including tailored polo shirts featuring the label’s distinctive color strips, and caps named after a village in French Riviera.

“True sea lovers at heart, and thirsty to find daily functional swimwear edits that are for both sea and land… our pop-up is the right place to visit,” said the company’s CEO Eric Delplanque. “We’ve limited our color palette to ensure the mix and match of our products and essentially, to provide a long-term degree of comfort.”

The Debayn Hong Kong pop up will remain open until November 25.

At the same time as it builds a consumer profile through a single-brand retail space in Hong Kong, the company is also working with independent retailers, 5-star hotels, and clubs in both Hong Kong and Macau.

“Our main target this year is retail as it brings more exposure than hotels and clubs,” Delplanque told Inside Retail Asia. “Moreover, having our own store or popup is part of our strategy.”

Debayn’s founder also created Albatros CX, a global customer-experience agency for premium and luxury brands, specializing in capturing and analyzing experience feedback. That pedigree has helped attract investors into the brand which will provide a significant budget to fund brand awareness.

Delplanque says the company plans to open its first European brick-and-mortar store in St Tropez village in France next year. It is also expanding its product range to include items such as shirts, t-shirts, kids swimwear and rash guards.

Founded in France in 2017, Debayn focuses on ‘Slow Fashion’, a sustainable approach entailing better-quality materials that will last longer.