The tailoring world's French revolution
A few friends in Paris present a sharp-edged approach to suiting up.
NEAR THE CENTRE of Paris, in the elegant 2nd Arrondissement, a tight-knit group of French creatives is plotting to overthrow the status quo in men’s fashion. Italian and British tailoring has long been the standard. But these folks are pushing for a different—and far edgier—point of view.
At the heart of it is Gauthier Borsarello, a 35-year-old style savant with an impressive platform. A cofounder of the magazine L’Etiquette, Borsarello is also at the creative helm of the veteran French tailoring brand Fursac, where he’s reinventing a mid-’60s style born not in lofty bespoke ateliers but on the street. Inspiration is right outside the window. From his office at Fursac, Borsarello can point to what was once the café-brasserie Le Golf Drouot. From 1961 until its demise in 1981, it served as the epicenter of Parisian rock ’n’ roll. The Stones, the Who, Bowie, and a slew of homegrown rockers took the stage there. Meanwhile, the kids at Le Golf Drouot created a look that was pure Paris, even if it mashed up influences from all over. From the rockers: leather, jeans, and heeled boots. From the locals: tweedy, almost stodgy suits and jackets. It was familiar yet new—and definitely sexy.
Under Borsarello’s guidance, Fursac, along with brands like Husbands Paris and stores like Beige Habilleur—not to mention Celine and Saint Laurent—is channeling that retro feeling into a new, distinctly French take on tailoring. (You can see it in action on the model on this very page.)
“There’s a certain Parisian ego involved in trying to find a way to talk about style that isn’t only Italian or British derived,” Borsarello says. “Me and my crowd wanted to offer our own opinion.”
This story originally appeared on Esquire US
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