After 20 years, Colette, the 213 rue Saint Honoré boutique known for serving up quirky-cool, high-low fashion product — everything from lighters to luxury apparel — is closing its doors. Founded in 1997 by Colette Roussaux, the three-story shop was one of the first to stock collections by Proenza Schouler, Mary Katrantzou, Simone Rocha and Rodarte. In recent years, Roussaux’s daughter Sarah Andelman has taken over creative direction of the boutique, which remains the go-to site for exclusive brand, capsule collection and indie magazine launches. The legendary store, e-store and attached café will shut down for good on December 20, 2017.
“As all good things must come to an end, after 20 wonderful years, Colette should be closing its doors on December 20 of this year,” reads the brand’s Insta-announcement. “Colette Roussaux has reached the time when she would like to take her time; and Colette cannot exist without Colette.”
The coveted commercial space already has a prospective buyer. Interestingly, it’s former Colette adversary Saint Laurent. A quick history lesson: In 2013, Colette attracted the ire of the famed fashion label by carrying T-shirts that read “Ain’t Laurent Without Yves.” Jeanine Heller, founder of parody T-shirt company What About Yves, made the tops in response to Hedi Slimane’s decision to shorten the company’s name from Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent. Heller got slapped with a trademark infringement suit; the tees were discontinued. Andelman received a letter care of Saint Laurent’s CEO “accusing her of selling counterfeit products that ‘seriously damaged’ the YSL brand and confirming the end of their business relationship.”
It seems the hatchet’s been buried. “Negotiations are under way with Saint Laurent and we would be proud to have a brand with such a history, with whom we have frequently collaborated, taking over our address,” wrote the brand in a statement. “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.”
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But where will the fashion flock go to get their fill of never-before-heard-of, impossibly cool designers? “It’s the only shop where I go because they have things no one else has,” Karl Lagerfeld told 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 percent involved.”
The answer remains to be seen. Dover Street Market’s certainly a contender. In the meantime, the collector’s value of the upcoming H&M Studio x Colette capsule just went way, way up.
[ via Business of Fashion ]
