Originally founded by French designer Lucien Pellat-Finet in 1994, his eponymous brand quickly gained a global following with its luxurious cachemire designs and playful use of motifs, such as skulls, cannabis leaves, and at one point, even Bart Simpson. The brand peaked until the early 2000s, operating even a global retail network with shops as far flung as New York City, London, and the one we at Superfuture know best—the former understated boutique by Wonderwall just off bustling Omotesando dori in Tokyo. Mind you, in those days, the brand resonated particularly well in the Land of the Rising Sun. After a few years of uncertainty, in which the company was eventually placed in receivership, fashion entrepreneur Thierry Gillier, owner of the hugely successful Zadig & Voltaire empire, bought the company in 2019. Needless to say, he firmly shook it up and put it back in the fashion limelight.
Now rebranded as simply Pellat-Finet, the company is once again raising its profile, and not only with seasonal collections, but also in the retail arena, starting with a brand new boutique at homebase Paris. The store measures 123 sqm. (1,324 sq.ft.) set across two floors of an 18th century residential building, and rubs shoulders with boutiques of high-end peers from fashion and lifestyle’s upper echelon, such as Dior, Saint Laurent, Diptyque, Theory and Serge Lutens. The interior design, created by Paris-based architecture practice Studio Henry, comes with a new façade with a large window and glass door, all framed by classical timber moulding. Interestingly, the ground floor setting is distinctly modern yet embeds classic references, and sees pristine stuccoed walls in a cream hue, backlit stretched ceilings which give off an abundance of light, and flooring of large beige tiles with elegant black cabochons.
The space is uncluttered and furnished merely with sleek wall-mounted shelving, matching clothing racks, glass displays, a comfy sofa, and last but not least art, carefully curated art that clearly aims to further elevate the shopping experience. Adorning the ground floor is a sleek metal sculpture by Berlin-based artist Nairy Baghramian, and an abstract black and white painting by Richard Serra that’s paired with Jeppe Hein‘s minimalist mirror volume. At the back, a fitting room is situated next to a staircase leading to the upper floor where a similarly understated aesthetic can be found. Here, curved tiered shelving with cabinets take centre stage in a mixed backdrop of off-white and white. Additional furnishings include a sofa, clothing racks, and a diptych by artist Bertrand Lavier. The lack of cabochons is amply made up overhead by rows of tiny ceiling lights.
Pellat-Finet
326 rue St.-Honoré (St.-Honoré)
75001 Paris
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
