In case you missed it, beloved Parisian boutique Colette closed its doors for good last month after 20 succesful years in the business. Fans of the iconic shop need not shed as many tears, though—several former staff members have set up a brand new concept store, dubbed Nous, to ease the pain!
First, a little primer. Colette was established in 1997 by mother-daughter team Colette Roussaux and Sarah Andelman. “Some stores promise to make you feel rich or elegant or even smart. Colette promises to make you feel like you were there first,” culture critic Cody Delistraty wrote in Garage. He was right: the shop sported a curated mishmash of trinkets and treasures you likely wouldn't find elsewhere. Racks and shelves displayed the kind of rare and coveted fashion items stamped with 'limited edition', 'pre-release', and 'exclusive'; that, and Colette was known for being the first to stock then-fledgling names like Raf Simons, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, and Sacai.
According to Hybebeast, Nous (that's 'we' en Francais, btw) was kickstarted by a handful of Colette's dedicated ex-employees, namely former head of tech/watches Sébastien Chapelle and sneaker department-head Marvin Dein. Despite the legacy, note that the two boutiques won't be quite the same: while Colette sold high-end fashion goods and boasted collabs with the likes of Thom Browne and Saint Laurent, Nous will be focused primarily on books, watches, and technology, plus a style element through streetwear, trainers and eyewear.
Okay, but what's the same? For one thing, at Nous you can find the same kind of meticulous care and curation loyal shoppers found in Colette, albeit under a hipper, cooler, more street-smart genre. These are, after all, the same hands that cared for the original hallowed halls. Expect no less!
Paris has yet another reason to rejoice! Nous opened on Rue Cambon just last week, so feel free to book that plane ticket and pay them a visit anytime you please.
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