Jean Touitou can be rightfully proud of heading one of the most prosperous fashion businesses in France today. His label, APC, is flourishing in other countries as well. The key to his success lies in his steadfast approach to fashion, never giving in to its excesses. The founder of APC (short for “Atelier de Production et Creation”, literally ” Design and Production Workshop “) offers an urban wardrobe featuring spare designs with high-quality cuts and materials, focusing on function rather than ostentation.

His concept of what he calls ” hysterically normal ” fashion seemed highly innovative in the early nineties, when the young, contemporary-minded clientele discovered the pleasure of dressing in style without being transformed into a standard-bearer for a label. Touitou’s creations cannot be limited to the confines of the seasonal and artificial renewal of a style. On the contrary, he thinks of fashion in a multitude of forms, present everywhere in our daily environment.

This singular personality was born in Tunis. After earning a bachelor’s degree in art history, he dropped everything to travel around the world. Jean Touitou has always exhibited an eagerness to try a little of everything. After founding a recording company, he joined the sales division at Kenzo. From 1980 to 1982 he worked with Agnès b. on the opening of her company in New York, then with Irié from 1983 to 1985.

In 1987, he launched his first ready-to-wear collection for men under the name “Hiver 1987″. Encouraged by friends and associates who recognized his talent, he launched a women’s line under the APC label, which became the name of his company in 1988. APC’s byword is: ” No to media hype and the cult of the individual. ”

Jean Touitou has built up a small self-financed empire producing a million garments sold in stores around the world. He sums up his philosophy by saying, ” We’re not in fashion—we’re fashionable. ” The implications are important for this label which has become a cult in Japan. Since APC was launched, the product range has been enriched with items for the home: stationery, leather goods, olive oil, etc. The company’s “Magasin Général” stores in Paris and New York, as well as an Internet site, are the exclusive distributors of the disks released by the recording label founded by this devotee of modern ethnic musical expression.