The Anouschka Eye
There are first names that hold their own: Edwige, Betty, Marie Laure – all remarkable women. Anouschka, a fashion consultant and collector based in Paris, naturally joins their ranks.
Her private collection, undoubtedly one of the most important in the world, celebrates not only a passion for fashion, but also a look, a style and an attitude. “The most beautiful clothes are those that stand the test of time and mark their era” she tells us, always choosing the beautiful, aiming for the unique. As a child, she loved to spend time in attics and still remembers the beaded dress she put on to shimmer in the sun. After modelling for Mapplethorpe and Helmut Newton, and walking the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier and Rei Kawakubo, Anouschka went on to become a collector. Back then, there was no such thing as vintage, and some enthusiasts would gather at flea markets to explore everything that the orange and Formica years had wiped out.
Anouschka is one of these tireless researchers. Poiret, Grès, Lola Prusac, AM Beretta, Kansai Yamamoto and Montana are just some of the names whose quintessential memories this meticulous seeker celebrates. Her collection spans thousands of garments and accessories of absolute quality, from 1920 to the present day, from Poiret to Alaïa through Vetements.
Fashion, for her, yields a library of shapes, gestures, patterns, sensations and stories.
Far from a vintage store, perhaps the ultimate expression of feminine dandyism? Nothing here seems to have been worn, yet it's all about life, nightlife and desire, much like the woman who has established herself as a benchmark consultant. In 1986, she is known to have established the city’s first techno nights at Le Rex. Forty years on, Anouschka is the guardian of days that encompass more than 8,000 Saint Laurent pieces, and more still from Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto. From Jeanne Lanvin garments circa 1920s to Roger Vivier shoes from the 1950s, from Courrèges to Guy Paulin, the eye wanders through a treasure trove of ready-to-wear and Haute Couture.
Anouschka also attracts other collectors, other enthusiasts. Designers, who remain anonymous, make appointments; and the pieces they select are stored for a few seasons to avoid inspirational interference on the catwalks. The heart is there, beating for what makes a profession so singular, and sets up, from Madeleine Vionnet to Margiela, Phoebe Philo and Hed Mayner, the cut, the style, a subject of infinite study and wonder. It is the XL emotion that makes Anouschka the absolute Parisian reference for fashion heritage professionals, the partner of designers in their creative research and collection development process. And remember, bien sur, that nothing is for sale.