APC transforms its Paris store in vintage boutique
A.P.C. has decided to transform a key Paris store in the northern Marais into a boutique devoted to vintage pieces by the brand.
In a novel strategic twist, A.P.C. will convert its store at 33 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth – on Paris’ newest happening hipster thoroughfare – into its main vintage space. The repositioned store will open on Friday, April 22.
Clients of A.P.C. will be able to deposit vintage fashion and accessories by the Paris-based brand in any of its boutiques in France. They will receive a credit that can be exchanged for new creations. Or if they wish, for other vintage or almost-new pieces.
Explaining the decision, A.P.C.’s founder and designer Jean Touitou quoted from the novel Last Summer in the City, Gianfranco Galligarich’s bittersweet under-the-radar cult classic about a young man failing in his career and at life in Rome.
“From time to time, our clothing talks to us. This t-shirt at the very bottom of the pile—why don’t we wear it anymore, it asks us. Other times, we wonder about pieces we own that just don’t do anything for us anymore. That coat in the closet—do we still want it? And, generally speaking, don’t we want to change everything from time to time?” reads the selected quote from the novel.
“I love this phrase by the narrator… These clothes that, ideally, we would like to renew stay static and useless for too long. This is why A.P.C. has decided to transform its store on rue Notre Dame de Nazareth in Paris into the A.P.C. Vintage store,” commented Touitou in a release.
Founded in 1987, A.P.C., which stands for Atelier de Production et de Création, is a leading expression in French fashion of downtown understated minimalism. A bellwether brand whose unexpected actions and choices have often foreshadowed changes in the fashion industry.
