The Roquet café in full glory
“This café has remained unchanged since 1953. It's increasingly rare to find this kind of place in Paris, where what I enjoy most is rediscovering, without nostalgia, the spirit of a city that is so dear to me. I haven't been to Le Flore since Emily in Paris. I love Café La Palette, but it was too small. Le Roquet now belongs to the third generation. I admire them for working in the here and now, in keeping with their history and memory. That's also what I'm trying to do with Officine Générale. When I sit in this café every morning, whether it's snowing or raining, I like to observe people passing by. Basically, every collection is a daily anthropological study. And this one is even more so. It's this observation that prompted me to change the casting for this particular show, to select men aged between 17 and 65. To introduce different attitudes, characters and backgrounds to embody this gallery of portraits.”
A new take on the classics
“A poplin that's crisp but not rough. A 4-ply, 4-thread wool. A Prince of Wales with a marl thread so that the pattern disappears and becomes a faux plain. An irregular herringbone. A leather jacket that's neither too dry nor too soft. Shorter coats with wider lapels, even wider chinos. Everything that comes off the catwalk goes straight to the showroom the next day. I realise that I'm not a fashion critic's dream. But I'm not here to spin stories. I don't present 80 looks and end up with just 4. The aim of the show is not to distort reality, but to sublimate it, by renewing desires, wishes and looks. It's easier to put a logo on an ugly T-shirt than to find the right weight for cotton.”
The Officine Générale DNA
“No logo, just buttons covered in the same fabric. An obsessive passion for the fabric, which has to have poise without stiffness. An ability to provide several materials for the same navy blue. Navy blue is our standard: it accounts for 38 percent of our sales.”
Inspiration
“Right from the start, our inspiration came from military clothing and its functionality, but also from my grandfather, a tailor in Brittany, who had two wardrobes, one for winter, the other for summer. From unbleached linen to grey whipcord, he had a particular skill for bringing together utility and material, the beautiful in the practical. There was a smoking suit, surrounded by a range of nuances, accessories, unlined silk ties for the summer, and knitted ties for the winter, to match the suits. I've always appreciated this matching spirit.”
Rive Gauche
“The key is to ensure fairness. In this climate of uncertainty, the zeitgeist pushes us to do better rather than more. Officine Générale now operates 14 boutiques around the world, the 14th in the Pacific Palisades has been closed since the fires devastated Los Angeles. It's a privilege to be in Paris, to live and work here. We adapt, we give ourselves the freedom to express who we are.”
This interview has been lightly edited.
