Categories
Fashion

One Last Time

During Pars Fashion Week I decided to go to Colette one last time.  How sad I was, the legendary boutique of style is closing at the end of the year.  The usual electric atmosphere of shoppers looking over every item from basic reader glasses to designer sneakers.

Japanese designer Sacai was the brand of the week on the second floor.

I had a café latte then a sandwich in the Colette Lounge before sitting down at the smoking area in front of the store window for a bit of people watching where I met the creative director of a major entertainment company.  We chatted about the store and what we bought.  I am going to miss this place.

Categories
Fashion

Colette Experience

What is a trip to Paris without a visit to Colette on Rue Saint-Honore?  Always an experience, never dull, this boutique is a world class destination for fashion and trends with hundreds of distinctive, diverse items reflective of its status as first class shopping destination.

Black and Paper Chat during Paris Fashion Week in Colette.

What is Colette?

Fashion is a piece of the puzzle.  It is art, watches, food, streetwear.    And there is intimacy here.   The buyers select but 1 person decides on what is in the store.  It is all one vision.  But Colette loves life.

Are there plans to open another store?

NEVER! There are no plans.  All the focus is on this store.

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Why do non-fashion brands want to be sold here?

They want to touch another type of clients.  We can display products in a new way.  We had an event with Samsung.  Coca Cola (Special Edition Bottle), Happy Plugs, Fuji Camera, Disney, World Cup, and Moet Chandon had special “Colette Collections” only available here.

The Colette Café is a meeting point especially at Fashion Week, there are people from all over the world.

(Side note: During our conversation a well-known magazine editor and publisher came by our table to say “hi.”)

It is a destination where fashion people have to come.   Lagerfeld came in to shop without the drama.  He is often here.  But all customers are treated equally, the same service whether Jay Z or a person who walks in for the first time for a 4.00 euro café or a 4000 euro one of a kind Ready to Wear jacket.

It is a meeting point all the time.  It is very difficult to get bored in Colette.   There is always investment in the store to keep it fresh and new, it is the curiosity factor.   Like the menu designs and wallpaper, these are redone every 2 weeks.

There is always an event ranging from a pop up store to book signing.  Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington had a successful book signing.

The Burberry London Fashion Week See Now Buy Now event was very successful.  We had a video feed of the runway show, then after we allowed viewers to buy the see and buy the collection

Independent Brands are always supported in the store.

YES!  They are the future.

Paskal Clothes form the Ukraine .

Sacai from Japan is great, a brand mixing RTW with Bespoke.

The Fabrizio Viti shoe collection is a must have.

What’s popular now ?

Chris Kane Sweatshirts are popular.  Kongol hats, Puma High Heels.  Streetwear is in the store’s DNA.

What about shopping online?

The website is the Colette experience but on a screen. Everything in the store is online.

Colette is located in Paris at 213 Rue Saint Honore or go to:www.colette.fr

Categories
Fashion Technology

Black and Paper Christmas List-DXO One

DxO One Camera

During IFA16 Week the Black and Paper caught with the founders of DxO One.  Not an ordinary camera, the DxO One is a pocket size camera that connects with the iPhone.    But do not let the size fool you.  This is a powerful camera capable of producing professional images.

Designed around the philosophy of “The best camera is the camera you have with you” the DxO One delivers complex photo mechanics in a small frame.   This is the first generation camera from the Paris/San Francisco based firm made up of engineers and photography enthusiasts.

As with other cameras in the category, the DxO One is compact making it easy to carry around but great lengths went into making it distinguished from other cameras in the small and light range.

Equipped with a 1 inch sensor and 20.2 megapixels means the camera can get details even in low light situations. The specially designed lens allows the user to play with depth of field and Brokeh effects of background and foreground blurring. Video Camera and Mic are included.

The iOS app is available for downloading on the iPhone along with updates.  The touch control is simple to use.  Overall the camera’s flexibility is advantageous for the user regardless of the situation from producing the perfect selfie to shooting videos at angles.

The DXO One has received raved reviews from Forbes, Wall Street Journal, and Digital Photo to name a few.

I asked the developers when the camera will be available for Android users.  The response was “it is in development”.

A Black and Paper creative colleague used the camera during IFA.  She fell in love with the DxO One.  Her first impression from using the camera was the sharp picture quality. 

The DXO One is available in stores and online including at Colette Paris.