miss marant

I was lucky enough to attend a buying trip to Paris in June and a highlight was the Isabel Marant Printemps 2013 collection. As a long time admirer of Isabel Marant I hoped I would meet the lady herself. Unfortunately Isabel did not attend but the atmosphere within the showroom and her dedicated staff more than made up for it. She was undeniably present in every element of the clothing.  

The Isabel Marant Showroom, a rustic white, warehouse style building with glass ceiling.

Directions to the closest store to purchase my well deserved dickie boots. 

The entrance was calm and crisp with white flowers and a delicious selection of finger food and cool drinks.

The room was buzzing with buyers from all over, models paraded the collections as we worked our way through the pieces. 

Christel.C

the french italian

Images via ChristelChabrol 

When I first arrived in northern Italy early this year I was introduced to a very amazing women. A french textile designer by trade and concept store owner among other things, Christel.C has accomplished more in her short life time then most of us could dream of. I really believe I was meant to meet her, we share the same passion in design and I can see us working on many projects together in the future. Her concept store Christel.C is the most beautiful retail space I have experienced. As a “visualist” I'm constantly searching for "that store" that satisfies my desire for the perfect retail space.  For me, the poetry and essence of a truly fulfilling visual experience is hard to come by, most are overdone and florid, few get it right. A store space is not simply a place to display product, the space is the product, every element considered. Light, openness, fluidity and movement, sound, scent, texture, and temperature are all contributing elements to the entire concept of a space. When I enter a store I am drawn to every element and its purpose within the setting. The placements of objects can be conceptually unifying or a chaotic array of clutter, underwhelming and meaningless. Even the emptiness within a space can contribute to the overall essence of the store as a powerful design element. Typically french, Christel has an eye for chic, understated pieces. The fabrics, colour palette, and shape are all carefully considered and displayed. The store features the best from collections by Isabel Marant, Forte Forte, Mesdemoiselles, Antick Batick, Nimbu, Hartford, and Cote Bastide to name a few. When your next in north of Italy (and feel like a touch of France) jump on a train and head an hour NW of Milan to Varese and visit Christel.C. If this doesn't satisfy your senses (and I'm sure it will) there's a great gelateria across the road to compliment the experience.

 Christel.C - Via Veratti.11. VARESE - tel 0332 831094