SHOCKED! SADDENED! I could believe it! When I read the email with the headline I was in a state of disbelief. How? What? There was no warning. So many questions raced through my head. Colette is closing at the end of the year after 20 years. The influential concept store on Rue Saint Honore, Paris will go dark on December 20th stating in a release, “All good things must come to an end.” So there it was a simple sentence to confirm the news.
https://www.instagram.com/p/-gr1FJn24D/?taken-by=blackandpaper
When I started Black and Paper I traveled to Paris for fashion week. I managed to get an interview and store tour for the new magazine. Why was this significant? The webzine was small and much unknown to the public and in the profession but you would have never known this by the way the staff treated me. All were professional. I was treated like an editor of Vogue. The store policy has always been we treat everyone equally. Yes, they did and still do.
Founded by in 1997 by Colette Rousseaux, Colette was a force in fashion from the beginning with designer collaborations, championing new and independent fashion designers, or limited edition products from luxury to everyday brands. An intimate location covering 3 floors, it has been a trendsetting destination from the start, always “in”. A shopper could find an item for $10.000 or a something for $3.00.
I will miss going to the store to see the crowds of fashion style enthusiasts. I liked having a Café Latte in the basement café. I will cherish the moments.