Pain Couture By Jean Paul Gaultier

Ahoy Sailor! Today in issues’ Fashion Week special – the most french french-classic: La marinière (the sailor shirt).

Every spring, fashion magazines tell us about its imminent comeback. In fact, La marinière never goes out, it just feels like it because the winter is so long.
Like the barret, the sailor shirt is a national symbol (not to say caricature), of which the French are very proud. Its origins are well planted, along with crepes and heavy drinking, in the region of Bretagne (Brittany) and its sea-full history.

Picasso had a crash on it, Coco Chanel wore it, Jean Paul Gaultier had turned it into his trade mark and every french girl has at least one version of the marinière in her closet. I think we can say that the sailor shirt is a safe bet, and, like any good must-have –  it ain’t going anywhere.

Fashion week is still out there, which means in here –  the time has come to discuss yet another French timeless must-have: Le Carré Hermès.

This iconic silk square scarf was first created 74 years ago, in 1937. Ever since, it was seen around the world’s most elegant necks and hairdos including Grace Kelly, Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn and Romy Schneider (as seen in the picture below).

Le carré measures (traditionally) 90 sq CM and is sold between 290€ and 440€ (!!!). Even though three generations came and went, this precious piece of fabric is still an important part of every French girl’s fantasy world, or heritage, if she’s lucky.

I admit that in my mind, silk scarves are mostly associated with grandmothers, but the winds of retro are blowing in the opposite direction… Last August, the house launched a new web site marketing the historical scarf to a new younger audience. In Its financial report for 2010 Hermès declared a 19% growth in textile and silk sales: “boosted both by new women’s silk collections… and by the increasing appeal of the new products to young customers“.

Until tomorrow – have a good Monday!

Issues’ Fashion-week special continues with another French classic that never goes out of style. And today: Le sac.

Last time my mother came to visit I took her to a walk in the handbags district of Printemps. After observing the waiting line in front of Louis Vuitton and sneaking a careful peek in 3 of Jerome Dreyfuss’s price tags she raised her eyes at me, confused: ”Is this serious? Who buys these things?”.

“Ummmm… Quality is very important to French women”, I tried to explain with no luck. In my mom’s eyes, anyone who spends 500€ on a bag must be crazy, or very rich. I’m not saying as much but let’s face it – French do have weird relationships with their handbags. A local woman could wear rugs, but her bag has to be real leather, from a good label.

In this domain, two designs became myths:
The Kelly bag, Hermès.
First created in 1935, it became a hit only in the 50’s when Grace Kelly, actress/princess, took the habit of carrying it around with her. Today, Kelly bag prices start at 3,500€. That is after you get through the waiting list (3-12 months).

Lady Dior.
Apparently,  when it comes to handbags, French girls trust only royalty…. Created in 1995, the Lady Dior bag became legendary thanks to a certain Lady Di. She was seen wearing it in numerous occasions, making sales fly high. price: 1,200€ and up.

Of course, most people don’t belong in his majesty’s court and can’t invest this kind of money in accessories. And that’s where Louis Vuitton gets in the picture, with originals from 600€ and up, a sum many judge reasonable for a collective birthday / Christmas gift. Easily recognizable, hence, desirable by your friends, Louis Vuitton is a good compromise between luxury and the masses.

That’s it for today! I’ll be back tomorrow with a third French classic plus a surprise.

‘And God said, “Let there be fashion week,” and there were many of them….’

As the lords of fashion confer in Paris, discussing what color shirts we should want to buy next year, I decided this is a good time to talk about all those pieces that never go out of style.

No, I don’t mean the good pair of jeans / little black dress / white shirt kind of classics. I’m talking about the French version of timeless pieces. An all-wardrobe-must-haves any woman has or should aspire to have (in cases of limited budget).

First on the list: Les Ballerines….

Every good wardrobe starts at the bottom, with a good pair of basic, comfortable, day-to-night ballerina shoes. Many Parisians even carry around a pair in their bag for emergencies (when their feet are too sore from the heels).

And when I say Ballerina shoes, I actually mean Repetto.  Established in 1947 as a family dancing-shoes business, Repetto became a national obsession after 1956, when Brigitte Bardot wore a red pair in the film “And God Created Woman“.

Today, Repetto is still the reference label. Their flagship store is situated near the Opera Garnier , where you can purchase the latest collection (starting at 150 Euros) or order a custom-made pair in the color of you choice.

Personally, I don’t own a pair. YET.

That’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another item on my Fashion-Week classics special :)

Until then, enjoy the show!

Brigitte Bardot + shoes = History

Ever since World War II ended, Europeans like to look down at the rest of the world who hasn’t reached peaceful utopia yet. They, in Europe, have grown way past bloodshed. Here, borders are only an administrative fact and nations treat each other with utmost respect… Bulls**t! Underneath their mature façade, two great European countries continue to take part in a childish rivalry: the English hate the French, the French hate the English, and even though it was officially over in 1453, they forgot nothing about the 100 year’s war.

A recent visit to the UK made me understand just how different things are here and there. In the streets of London, I came across strange names, labels and food… As if globalization doesn’t apply to French-British relations. A friend even asked me to buy him Cadbury chocolate bars he cannot get in Paris. How very 50’s…

It seems that in this mutual pouting, British chose to touch French where it hurts them the most: fashion. How else can you explain that the world is filled with Topshop branches (including Malaysia, Bahrain and Slovenia) but Parisians have to go all the way across La Manche to see the inside of a store?

Coming from a Mediterranean province, I know all about going abroad to get a new wardrobe (the first H&M store in Israel opened only a year ago, the same goes for Gap and other international brands). In Tel Aviv, we blame anti-Semitism, but what can the French say? It’s Jean D’arc’s fault?

In the heart of Paris, right next to the luxurious Bristol hotel, well dressed men and women suddenly forget all about their elegant suits or tight skirts and crouch-down in the middle of the street, trying to sneak a peek… On the other side of the tinted window sits Alexis, a proud young shoemaker working for Walter Steiger Bottier – the only workshop of the brand where you can order a pair of shoes made-to-mesaure.

Working only with metal tools and wooden forms, Alexis and his colleague Michel fabricate shoes in a traditional manner, “this is how shoes were made 200 years ago”, he smiles, “Every pair of women shoes represents about 35 hours of manual work; boots take at least 10 hours more. A pair of men’s shoes takes at least 45 hours too, because everything is sewn by hand”. Right now Alexis has about 25 pairs in progress, but he doesn’t seem too worried about the work load, “it’s always like this…”.

Walter Steiger’s name might not ring a bell to every other girl on the street, but in the right kind of circles (where Beyonce hangs out, for example) the designer’s shoes are well celebrated since the 70’s for their clean innovating lines, bold colors and perfect finishing. Over the years, Walter Steiger’s shoes walked down many fashion shows (Chloé, Kenzo, Oscar de La Renta, just to name a few), and the ready-to-wear collections (made in Italy) are now sold all over the world.

A year and a half ago, when the world financial crisis was at its peak and everywhere businesses were looking to cut down their losses, Walter Steiger turned the opposite direction. With the opening of his Parisian atelier, he placed himself in the “Haute couture“of footwear.

Why opening an atelier?
“I think that Walter (…wouldn’t it be nice to be on a first name bases with him?…) wanted to open a place like this for a long time”, says Alexis. “He learned the secrets of the trade in such a workshop, in his father’s atelier. Then, as he got into the fashion world he had to leave these old methods behind.

In the modern world, people were replaced by machines and the knowhow of shoe-making is slowly, and naturally, disappearing. But if there’s no more power tomorrow, we can still make shoes and all those production lines can’t”.

To you, what’s the difference between good shoes, and shoes of poor quality?
“First of all – the materials. Whether it’s in our ready-to-wear line or a custom-made pair, our shoes are made of the same leather, the finest in the market. It’s a crucial part of our quality charter.

Secondly, the comfort – we don’t give our models their shape by chance. We know the foot, the places where it could get sore, and we do everything to ensure the most comfortable shoe possible. That goes for the ready-to-wear collection as well, to a certain level, of course.

Here, when a client comes in we decide on a design and then do a trial shoe. It’s a model made of tissue that I cut open in different places to look at the person’s foot inside. I make corrections according to his or her particular needs and the final product is perfectly adapted to the client. It’s half orthopedic really”.

How long does it take from the order to the final product?
“There’s a certain delay. Some clients come and ask to have their shoes ready in three days but that’s just impossible. Sometimes we have to order a special kind of leather, and then there are the hours of work…  In general, it takes about two months from the command to the delivery, but if a client is in a hurry and we have the right materials we can sometimes have the shoes ready in a month”.

How much does a custom-made pair of shoes cost?
“For women, the prices start at 2,200 € and for men at 4,300€. But the sum can climb up pretty quickly”.

Alexis grabs a pair of croco-boots and explains: “one of Walter’s trademarks is the one-piece leather boot. Here, nothing is sewed, except for the zipper. A medium size crocodile costs at least 500 € before taxes, but to make a pair I need 2 BIG crocodiles, one for each foot. Also, they need to have similar looking skin so the left boot wouldn’t be so different from the right boot… in the end, a pair like this cost 10,000 Euros”.

Do you “repair” costumers’ tasteless choices or do you fulfill all their fantasies?
“Sometimes we try to give our opinion or suggest other options, but in the bottom line, the customer is the one who has to wear these shoes, so they get to decide”.

At this point of the conversation, having had one or two laughs, I would normally stop addressing Alexis with the respectful and distant french VOUS and pass on to the more familiar TU. Yet, looking around all these perfect shoes he created (made them from scratch!), I just couldn’t. I went along addressing him with the respect he deserves.

How did you get to work in a place like this?
“Actually, Like Walter’s father, my dad was a shoemaker too and every day after school I went to his workshop, waiting for him to finish his day. When I got bored, he gave me bits and pieces of leather to make little objects with. In the end, I got in a training program (without even telling my dad). I’ve been doing this for about ten years now, and it makes me happy”

Have you ever tried on a pair of high heel shoes? Have you any idea how it feels like?
“NO! Ho no, I respect shoes too much to do that”.

One day, maybe, we’ll get to be one of Alexis’s customers (but I’m going to go with the odds and say it isn’t very likely). Until then -
Can you give an advice to women when they buy shoes, high heels in particular (I have a drawer full of beautiful pairs I use for only five minutes at a time)?
“Yes, you should pay attention to the arch of the foot, it has to be maintained, the shoe needs to support all the parts of the foot. Also, the leather needs to be tight, because it relaxes later, but you shouldn’t be in pain in any way. If it hurts – don’t buy”.

Hmmm… Not buying shoes that hurt our feet? Why didn’t I think of that before?

Steiger Bottier
33, Avenue Matignon 75008 Paris
Luckily, just 20 meters away you can find the ready-to-wear boutique for lower budgets (approximetly 390-600€ for women’s pumps, 480-1200€ for men’s shoes).
Walter Steiger,
83, Faubourg St Honoré

Back in October, Mr Issues and I had made a deal. In an attempt not to fall in any commercial traps and respect our budget, we’ve decided that this year for Christmas we’ll offer each other books. It’s mind opening, it’s cute and it’s not expensive! Plus, we don’t really NEED anything in particular to be happy… Right? Right.

Only back in October we didn’t take into consideration the December gold-rush. That well-oiled machine that we, poor consumers, don’t stand a chance in front of. The pressure is just to great to bear.

Coming November-December, special edition “gifts magazines” are hidden in every newspaper you buy. Huge billboards attack your eyes and noumerous emails from brands and departement stores offer you better life after a visit to their cash registers. Wheather you can afford it or not, a certain itch starts bugging you. An itch only a new black glitter-dress for Christmas eve  can calm down…

Luckily, Paris’s biggest department stores (Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, Le Bon Marché and BHV) are here to help you get rid of your irritation. This year, the holiday windows were already in place on November 4th, drawing thousands of parents and children every day to see the marionettes and the beautiful lights. Between November 10th and December 23rd those stores double the number of daily visitors and realize 25% of their annual profits. In the last two Week-ends of the year 200,000 people pass in Galeries Lafayette each day (of course, to facilitate our shopping, stores are open on Sundays in December).

Proving your love to your friends and family is an assencial part of the christmass spirit (and the more you love – the more you should pay). According to the AFP, even in difficult times of unstable economics, the average French is expected to spend 605 Euros on gifts and dinner this Christmas. 605 (Euros) X 65,447,374 (number of french aproximetly) = 39,595,661,270 €

Wow.

You know what?

Maybe a book isn’t such a good idea. After all, it’s Christmas… A new pair of Levi’s jeans, for example, will better demonstrate how much I care, non?  Or an IPad! Or both!

It was raining cats and dogs today in Paris, but Mr Issues and our good friend Mr J decided to drag me all the way across town to buy some art supplies (???). We got out of the metro in Place de la République, and found our selves in the middle of this:

As it turns out, the French people are willing to fight their government’s retirement reform even under heavy rain.

The art store wasn’t far away, but between the umbrellas, the flags, the megaphones and the policemen, we only got there after 20 long minutes, with wet socks and short tempers.
30 minutes later, we were all done in the store and back in the street. The demonstrators, on the other hand, didn’t go very far. In an attempt to avoid that red sea of people, we turned right at the first corner. And that’s how we discovered a new address with an electrical ambiance.

Losing Today is a young boutique (about 10 weeks old, according to the salesman), who offers unique vintage and new pieces in an exciting price range. It looks kind of small in the begining, but the hunt continues in the basement. For example: Coat – 70 euros, riding boots – 50, blouse – 19, wool pencil skirt – 29, jacket – 45, hand bags – 19-29, sweaters – 29-49, T-shirts – 25.

It certainly worth a visit. Maybe not on a demonstration day though…

LOSING TODAY
14 Rue de Bretagne
75003 Paris

My birthday’s coming up this weekend, and to celebrate the event “Mr. Issues” wanted to buy me a pair of shoes (he’s sweet).

We were going around in circles on the 5^th floor (shoes department) of Printemps, till something caught my eye: dark-red, medium heel Prada shoes with a bow… They were as pretty as the sunlight.

Sure, they were way out of our budget but he wanted me to have a pair of Prada and gave me the green light.

I could’ve just said “yes” and they were mine. But I didn’t. My brain (stupid organ) started hyperventilating. I was thinking too much about the money, and about the fact that they are beautiful on the shelf, but not extraordinary when you put them on (dear god, please forgive me). I thought about the fact that they aren’t really comfortable to wear (I can’t believe what I’m saying here!)…

Then, I put them down and turned away. Just like that. And I’m not even sorry! (though I’m having a hard time falling asleep ever since)

Is something wrong with me Doctor?