Member spotlight: au CONCOURS’ mindful menswear finds its audience in Paris
27/08/2025
UKFT member au CONCOURS is a new men’s fashion label created by Christopher Smith, a New Zealander based in London. His Jacky western shirt (the label’s first design) launched as part of a debut SS26 collection that blends 1960s/70s motor-racing swagger with a considered, durable wardrobe. The collection is predominantly denim, leather and cotton, and includes the denim western shirt with a large front yoke, a matching heavier denim jacket, flattering jeans, modernised workwear leather jackets, rayon shirts, drapey cotton pants, lightweight anoraks and utility-minded long-sleeve T-shirts.
Christopher’s approach is deliberately high quality and close to source: everything is made in London, focused on premium, subtle detailing. “It’s very much a no-compromise products,” Chris says. The fabrics are designed to age and adapt to the wearer’s body over time, and to be loved for many seasons.
A successful Paris debut and Japanese interest
au CONCOURS showed at Tora Tora showroom in Paris in June. The showroom debut generated strong buyer interest, particularly from Japan. “We had a lot of buyers through the showroom, lots of try-ons, and lots of kind words,” Christopher says. “The buyers were predominantly Japanese and Italian. Our debut collection launch was a success and I am really proud of the Tora Tora team for all of their hard work bringing au CONCOURS to the right people.”
Yuko Fujita of Tora Tora added: “Paris went well for us especially considering the current global challenges affecting traffic and buyer turnout. I continue to find that, as long as a collection is well-designed and offers strong value in terms of price and quality, buyers — particularly from Japan — remain willing to invest in new brands.”
From the Paris showing, 11 Japanese buyers made selections, alongside one buyer from South Korea, resulting in five confirmed stockist commitments. Chris says Japanese buyers responded to the collection’s blend of British manufacture and considered, premium design: “The Japanese seemed to appreciate the made in the UK, made in London aspect.”
au CONCOURS in Japan
Christopher plans a rollout into Japanese stores before the end of the year, with early stockists including leading Japanese retailers.
Chris had always planned to enter Japan first. “I find out about a lot of brands from Japan, so it felt fitting that this is where people could find out about mine,” he explains. He sees Japan as an early adopter market that still values thoughtful design and quality fabrication.
The story behind the clothes
The collection takes clear visual cues from mid-century racing culture, referencing James Hunt, the 60s/70s aesthetic and the confident masculinity of drivers. At the same time the pieces hold a strong feminine sensibility, offering wardrobe versatility across genders. Chris grew up around cars and motorsport and worked in motoring journalism from a young age. He started a car blog as a teenager, became editor of New Zealand’s biggest car magazine at 21, and later worked in a design studio in Auckland where he helped brands find their voice. These two worlds, cars and clothing, eventually found a single expression in au CONCOURS.
Personal relationships and a commitment to quality informs the business model: every factory is within about 30 minutes of Chris’s home in London, enabling hands-on relationships with makers. “I really enjoy having relationships with people, getting to know these manufacturers as people and not just emailing another country,” he says. The plan is to keep manufacture local where possible and to explore knitwear partnerships in Ireland and Scotland for future seasons.
Building the business
au CONCOURS is currently selling direct to consumer online while building wholesale relationships. The brand will return to Tora Tora showroom in January and is actively cultivating further Japanese stockists. For Christopher, the trip to Paris was a commitment not a test run. “I didn’t fly 18,000 kilometres to mess around. I came here to make a go of it. If you’re going to do it, you give it both barrels,” he says. So far, the signs are promising: measured growth, engaged buyers in key markets and a product rooted in craft and personal story.
au CONCOURS is a clear example of a modern, mindful label that pairs deliberate production choices with a distinct cultural reference. Its Paris debut delivered exposure and tangible retail momentum in Japan, which is precisely the market the brand set out to reach.
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