Trouville’s Addresses

April 29, 2019May 27, 2019 | Design & Culture by Ed

Wherever you go in Trouville-Sur-Mer, there’s a view on the ocean (or you at least feel this fresh, iodine-filled breeze). So no there’s no wonder that the locals are truly connected to their surroundings. That’s reflected in the town’s boutiques, which mix this kind of surfer girl allure with the eternally timeless, quintessentially French style (when you come to Normandy, you will discover that in fact, all that Frenchness in fashion isn’t entirely a cliché – those women are born with this gorgeous style). Here are my favourite addresses in Trouville:

When you enter Chez Stef, you feel like in a wardrobe of a very chic party-goer, who lives near the beach. Stef, the owner of the boutique, sells well-curated, beautiful, artinasal goods from Ibiza (think Loewe x Paula’s Ibiza style), as well as her owns designs. I witnessed how Trouville women adore her kaftans and parachute dresses: they all got sold out within an hour. When in town, you’ve got to visit Stef!

11 rue de Paris 35

Boheme is where you get the French classics, which seem to be fantastically sun-drenched already there, in-store (loved all the mustard and rust colour palette). The store sells small,affordable Made-in-France-tag labels, as well as blankets, pillow, cotton bags and artisanal baskets. Love.

93 rue des Bains

La Quincaillerie d’Albertine feels like a cabinet des curiosités, where you can buy everything you see. From hand-made stationery (notebooks, postcards) to socks (got a crab-printed pair by Royalties), you won’t leave this place with empty hands.

78 rue des Bains

If you’re a fan of vintage, you can’t miss Violette Vintage. While vintage luxury fashion tends to get overpriced, here you will be surprised to find Louis Vuitton kints, Hermès silks and Yves Saint Laurent coats in very appealing prices. The store’s funky (yes, I used this word!) interior takes you to another decade.

12 rue Victor-Hugo

(Mum and Stef from Chez Stef)

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Natural Curiosity. Altuzarra AW16

February 14, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

After minimal spring-summer 2016, Joseph Altuzarra surprised everybody with his bohemian and much more risky autumn-winter outing. The designer openly confessed that he began imagining the new collection in his head after seeing the cult film Only Lovers Left Alive (to which I have referred while reviewing Rodarte’s last season and Haider Ackermann’s menswear) by Jim Jarmusch. The film, which had Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston play romantic vampires, made Joseph think of their elusive and sometimes lethal curiosity. “They have very esoteric interests, and they live in a lush but isolated world. I wanted this show to be about trying different things not necessarily connected.” And indeed, Altuzarra is wildly mixing prints and textiles for the upcoming winter, which seems more than new for the brand. Paisley, leg-exposing skirts, embroidered red carpet gowns, tribal knits and bohemian dresses with oriental patterns feel bold and open-minded for different cultures.

For the Altuzarra fans, the signatures are here, too, but they were revamped with lovely embroideries and delicate floral applications – the femme-fatale silhouettes and tailoring is always on point in the designer’s collections, just like the nomadic outerwear. But what distinctly felt like a break-down from the super-sleek Altuzarra woman was the models’ hair – curls and afros looked natural and real. Note Alice Metza, Binx Walton and Imaan Hammam, please.

Belle Epoque. Dries Van Noten AW15

March 6, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Although I adore Dries Van Noten, this new collection feels tired. So many themes at one time, so incoherent. Feathers, satin, brocade, flower, brrr. A Belle Epoque mash with all Van Noten archive collections. Of course, there were some good looks – the dandy girl, the military coats – but it all looked too crap in one collection. Even these velvet shoes which are art didn’t win me over. But because it’s Dries Van Noten, I won’t cross-out this collection off my list.

The 70’s. Gucci SS15

September 19, 2014September 19, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Frida Gianini re-visted the 70’s for summer, making the collection boheme and luxury. Fur, velvet, jeans, logo- all of that was present, with lots of embroideries and gorgeous handkerchiefs tied around model’s necks. Oh, and if you have an old, Jackie Gucci bag which you don’t wear because of the logo or the “luxurious” brownish colour, then it’s it time to shine again! This bag with the Gucci striped handle is having it’s comeback. The collection itself isn’t kind of mind-blowing. It’s good, it brings luxury and Gucci legacy back to it’s roots. It’s basically Gucci.

Men’s: Boheme. Haider Ackermann SS15

June 26, 2014 | Design & Culture by Ed

Pleasingly, Haider Ackermann didn’t dissapoint us with his recent men collection. The male boheme continues and for good! Knowing well Andalusian-gypsy style Haider gives us each season in his presentation, the SS15 is just the cherry on the top of a cake. A rich yet dusty, jewel-hued color palette of pieces layered together in a nonchalant way that must have taken hours to get just right. All the velvet varsity jackets, jacquard drop crotch pants, fitted vests over loose shirting, chinoiserie silk dressing gown coats, and long looping scarves closely echoed the personal style of the designer himself. Although, the easy inclusion of Saskia de Brauw and Liya Kebede into the mix of male models proved that the pieces had real cross over potential.