21 May PARISIAN STYLE: FRENCH FASHION LABELS WE WISH WE HAD IN LONDON
I am no fashion expert and writing this post I am very aware that you can’t improvise as a fashion editor: the pressure! What if everything I list below is super naff and I don’t even know it? Ahhh… Anyway, the story is that I went to Paris at the beginning of the year and spent an afternoon shopping: it was bliss and although I couldn’t really indulge I came back to London thinking that in our global economy you can pretty much buy everything from anywhere, right? I thought all those pretty things I couldn’t get back in February, I would save up and get later on… That’s until I realised you can’t actually get everything on the internet!
Here is a small selection of French brands I wish had a better presence (if any) on the British high street. Like I said, I am no authority on fashion, but if you happen to go to Paris and have a few hours to spare visit their store, you might come back looking rather Parisian!
SOEUR
For the eternal teenager
Yes, its clothes are aimed at teenagers, but I don’t seem to gravitate towards age-appropriate garments! And I am not the only one: when I stepped in their shop last February in Paris, there were only middle-aged ladies… Think of it as the ‘young adult fiction’ of fashion; nowadays it’s totally cool to read The Hunger Games past 35… right? In London you can find a small selection of Soeur in Aimé.
SEZANE
For that preppy look
Sezane only has a presence online, so technically it is readily available in the UK! You need to register to access their online shop and their stock changes on a monthly basis, a bit like mini collections. Personally, it’s the shoes that do it for me – I want them all…
SESSÙN
For that French touch
I have a love affair with Sessùn and have been buying from their collections since my early twenties – and every year without fail I covet one (or may be 10) of their items. I am always surprised that they don’t have more retailers here in the UK. You can find a small selection in Liberty and Urban Outfitters.
LEON & HARPER
For your inner groupie
I had heard about Leon & Harper but never really paid any attention. I admit it, their name just sounded wrong, like trying too hard… However, during my last trip to Paris I was dragged into one of their stores, and bam – immediately bought a jacket. I thought it had a little bit of a 70’s rock chick vibe à la Almost Famous, and yes I feel pretty cool when wearing my new purchase! And they gave me a pretty cotton shopper bag – I am easy like this…
HEIMSTONE
If you’re feeling flush
Fabulous prints and effortlessly cool, Heimstone is not quite high street, but if I had a little cash to flash then I would most certainly get one of their dresses… Or jumpsuits… or bags…
Top image: Sezane