Thomas Burberry was 21 years old when he founded his couture house. In 1909, he chose Paris a the place to open up a second boutique; 8 Boulevard Malesherbes has hosted Burberry’s Parisian store ever since. So, when Printemps called out to a select few British designers, it was only natural that they entrusted the...
Ever since the creation of her eponymous brand, Sonia Rykiel has been imagining clothes that are multipliable, infinitely combinable. The clientele, freed from traditional fashion mechanisms, adjusts the vocabulary proposed to suit their wardrobe. Rykiel is “anti-fashion”. The designer never ceased to talk about unique shapes, and sizes too. “The important thing is to light...
Ever since their creation in 1873, Levi’s’ 501 jeans have led an existence of their own: revered as an icon of cool and style. In this new volume, there are a multitude of scenarios set in backgrounds ranging from a library to a basketball court and the streets in between. A selection of the most...
It is Irène Leroux who, upon taking over the family enterprise, modernized its creations. In the midst of the libertarian tempest of May 1968, she took the side of the protesters, seeking out the sand of the beach mentioned in their infamous slogan “Sous les pavés, la plage!” (“Under the paving stones, the beach!”) In...
With his numerous borrowings from the male, blue collar wardrobe, he irrefutably earned his work a social dimension. Saint Laurent is style beyond fashion. In 1978, he showed his concept to journalist John Helpern: “What I want to make is a perfect type – a type of perfect garment, even if it’s a simple blouse...
It was around 1552 that the first depiction of a jeu de paume racket appeared on a painting showing Charles Maximilien, duc d’Orléans, future King Charles X, at the age of two holding a wooden paddle in his hands, triangular and strung with sheep gut. Tennis quickly became considerably important in England before growing in popularity...
