Courtesy of Facebook/Colette
Yesterday, cult Parisian boutique Colette shocked the fashion world by announcing that it is to close in December. “As all good things must come to an end, after 20 wonderful years, Colette should be closing its doors on Dec 20 of this year,” the store said in a statement on its Instagram account yesterday. “Until our last day, nothing will change. Colette will continue to renew itself each week with exclusive collaborations and offerings, also available on our website colette.fr.”
Location, Location
The three-story space, located on Rue Saint-Honoré, is one of the top shopping destinations for editors and style aficionados alike in the city. This is thanks to its mix of the latest brands, contemporary collections, and exclusive capsule edits with more niche and quirky items including books, souvenirs, and filming equipment. And – of course – its legendary café.
The Founder
Founded in 1997 by Colette Roussaux – who lived above the retail space with her daughter, Sarah Andelman, the current creative director of the store – the 740 square meter space has played host to the hottest merchandise available and cemented its reputation for spotting the next big thing 10 times over.
Courtesy of Facebook/Colette
Lagerfeld on Colette
“It’s the only shop where I go because they have things no one else has,” Karl Lagerfeld told The Business of Fashion last year. “I buy watches, telephones, jewelry there – everything, really. They have invented a formula that you can’t copy easily, because there is only one Colette and her and Sarah are 200% involved.”
The Future
Whether or not the brand will maintain its online presence and continue to sell stock online post its bricks-and-mortar closure remains to be confirmed. Saint Laurent are said to be in talks to take over the covetable 1st arrondissement location.
“We would be proud to have a brand with such a history, with whom we have frequently collaborated, taking over our address. We are happy of the serious interest expressed by Saint Laurent in this project, and it could also represent a very good opportunity for our employees,” a statement said today.
First published on Vogue.co.uk
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