After their home market suffered in the first half of this year from Islamist attacks, poor weather and social unrest, French women's ready-to-wear companies will increasingly focus on export markets to boost sales, sector officials have informed. Though known for high-profile luxury houses, France has also generated numerous mid-market fashion brands that are increasingly looking beyond the country for growth and investors.

Pierre-Francois Le Louet, the new chairman of the French Women's Ready-To-Wear Federation (FFPAPF) says ready-to-wear companies were mobilising to expand further in export markets, which are a lifeline in the face of lower consumption at home. The first-half sales of women's ready-to-wear garments fell 2.8 per cent to 4.9 billion euros ($5.5 billion) in France, the steepest decline since the first half of 2013, while exports rose 1.2 per cent to 1.5 billion, the Federation data shows.

However, the Federation, whose members include fashion brands such as Zadig & Voltaire, René Derhy, Zapa, Bérénice, Gérard Darel, Anne Fontaine and Cotélac, did not issue any forecast for the full year. The French ready-to-wear sector which makes 35 per cent of its sales by way of exports has strong ambitions in the United States, its No.2 export destination after Italy. Exports to Italy rose 9.8 per cent in the first half and 5 per cent to the United States. Sales to China, its No.3 export market, however, fell 23.7 per cent during the period. This was due to a slowing economy and a government crackdown on lavish gifting.