Colette (boutique)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (fashion, streetwear, accessories) |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Colette Roussaux |
| Defunct | December 2017 |
| Fate | Closed permanently |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | France, online retail |
Key people | Sarah Andelman (creative director and head buyer) |
| Products | High-end fashion, streetwear, accessories, bottled water |
| Website | www |
Colette was a prominent French retailer specializing in high-end fashion, streetwear, and accessories. Situated across three levels in a concept store located in Paris, the venue featured a gallery space, a bookstore, and a unique "water bar" offering an assortment of more than 100 bottled water varieties. The store ceased operations permanently in December 2017. Its logo was easily recognizable by the presence of two blue dots.
History
Established in 1997 by Colette Roussaux, the shop later involved her daughter, Sarah Andelman, who took on the roles of creative director and head buyer. Esquire characterized the establishment as an amalgamation of Kith, Bergdorf Goodman, and Opening Ceremony. In 2016, Colette achieved €32 million in sales, with online retail accounting for 25% of this figure. By December 2005, Forbes had recognized it as “the trendiest store in the world.”
Brands
Colette gained acclaim for introducing early collections from designers who later became widely celebrated, including Jeremy Scott, Raf Simons, Proenza Schouler, Rodarte, Mary Katrantzou, Sacai, Simone Rocha, Christopher Kane, and Olympia Le Tan. The boutique also served as a venue for pop-up shops featuring celebrities such as Rihanna and Pharrell Williams.
Reputation
Karl Lagerfeld commended Colette as "the only shop where I go because they have things no one else has," emphasizing its exclusive product offerings ranging from watches to telephones and jewelry. He attributed the store's distinctive character to the strong involvement of both Colette and Sarah.
Closure
In July 2017, it was announced that Colette would close its doors by December that year. Osman Ahmed of Business of Fashion referred to this event as "the end of an era." Co-founder Sarah Andelman expressed that they preferred closing the business rather than selling it, describing it as "like a baby" to them that would lose its soul under new ownership.
The former site of Colette has since been taken over by the Yves Saint Laurent boutique Rive Droite.