Mike Amiri, who moved his family to Paris three weeks ago, described how the city's walkable, cinematic streets have already reshaped his creative perspective — even as Celine Dion's residency has drawn late-night crowds outside his building. He traced his label's rise from a Hollywood basement to a global business with 31 stores and projected revenues above $300 million, and credited OTB Group's 2019 minority investment for inspiring bolder ambitions. The Rencontres de Faverolles also focused on industry challenges, urging Franco‑Italian cooperation to protect manufacturers and unveiling a joint ESG harmonization framework.
Mike Amiri on Life in Paris, Noisy Celine Dion Fans and Ambitions to Grow
The scene at the Domaine des Oseraies.
Mike Amiri has embraced Parisian life after moving his family to the French capital three weeks ago — though the transition comes with an amusing downside: late-night crowds of Celine Dion fans outside his building.
Parisian Rhythm and Creative Inspiration
Speaking at the Rencontres de Faverolles — Forum de la Mode, the Institut Français de la Mode's alumni event marking its 40th anniversary, the Los Angeles–born designer joked, "Bonjour! I'm one of you now — so chic, so French." In conversation with Pascal Morand, executive president of the Fédération de la Mode et de la Haute Couture, Amiri contrasted the sprawling pace of Los Angeles with the walkable, detail-rich rhythms of Paris.
"In Los Angeles, if you want to go for a coffee, it's a 35-minute, 40-minute drive, and that's a three-hour coffee... I've never walked to multiple bakeries. I've never known the name of the butcher. I've never picked up flowers every other day and put them in my house," he said. "Being a designer, everything you see is cinematic — it's given me this amazing perspective."
The Celine Dion Effect
Amiri said he found an apartment with an elevator large enough for his three children, but the residence sits near Paris La Défense Arena, where Celine Dion's residency has drawn enthusiastic crowds. "No one else lived in the building until our new roommate came in: it was Celine Dion," he quipped. "Now we have about 350 people standing in front of our building, singing till 1 a.m., 2 a.m.... At first it was cute, but last night at 1 a.m., my wife is like, 'Shut up!' On the positive side, we have the most security of any person — literally, we are good."
From a Hollywood Basement to a Global Business
Amiri recounted founding his label in a Hollywood basement and dressing icons such as Axl Rose and Mick Jagger. After making his Paris Fashion Week debut in 2018, the brand has scaled rapidly: it now operates 31 stores worldwide and is on track for revenues expected to top $300 million this year.
Pascal Morand, Luca Sburlati, Pierre-François Le Louët, Virginie Jacoberger, Sergio Marini and Tristan de Witte.
Despite this growth, Amiri tempered celebration with perspective. "It's quite an amazing milestone for us, but the top of one mountain is only the bottom of the next one," he said, noting that his company remains small compared with giants like LVMH and Kering. That ambition to grow continues to drive the business.
He credited Italian entrepreneur Renzo Rosso and OTB Group, which took a minority stake in 2019, with encouraging him to "think much bigger" and to be bold in expanding the brand's vision.
Industry Conversations at Domaine des Oseraies
The gathering took place at the Domaine des Oseraies, the countryside home of Didier Grumbach and his sister Sylvie Grumbach. Around 400 alumni and industry professionals attended a day of panels, informal meetings and outdoor installations — including fabric sculptures by resident artist Chloé Laplante and reflections from Fabrice Hyber on his longstanding ties to fashion and beauty.
One roundtable emphasized the need for France and Italy to coordinate in protecting their manufacturing bases from low-cost imports and the pressures of slowing luxury sales and supply‑chain controversies. Luca Sburlati, president of Confindustria Moda, warned that rising closures among small- and medium-sized Italian manufacturers threaten the wider ecosystem. Pascal Morand highlighted ongoing cooperation with Italy's Camera della Moda and the rollout of a joint ESG harmonization framework to support suppliers and prepare brands for incoming European regulations.
Attendees included Pascal Morand, Luca Sburlati, Pierre-François Le Louët, Virginie Jacoberger, Sergio Marini and Tristan de Witte, among others.
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