Opened in 2010 as a made-to-measure tailoring establishment, Artling has grown to offer a full bespoke suiting and shirtmaking service to the most dapper of Parisian gentlemen. Famed for their vibrant and quirky flourishes, Artling has developed a reputation as a go-to outfitter in the fashion capital.
Tag Archives: FRENCH
LANCEL
Founded in 1876, Lancel began as a producer of luxurious smoking instruments and gentlemen’s accessories, silverware, dinnerware and even timepieces. However, it was their leather goods and complementing travelware that would see the brand becomming a big hit with Parisian society. The firm slowly repositioned itself as a manufacturer of elegant bags, luggage and leather products. Their trunks and suitcases were very popular in the age of steamship travel and the early years of aviation travel, putting the firm on a similar footing to other great malletiers of the age. The brand was acquired by the luxury goods conglomerate, Richemont, before being sold to Piquadro who currently steward this illustrious marque.
CHANEL
Coco Chanel began to ply her trade as a milliner of note when she opened her hat boutique in Paris in 1910. She soon expanded to include ready-to-wear tailored coats and sporting pieces to ensure the fashionable ladies of Parisian society were appropriately attired for their various sporting and leisure pursuits. Her designs featured elegant yet defined silhouettes and luxurious but practical materials which quickly came to define her house style and remain iconic and distinct today. The Chanel house would continue to grow, offering all manner of luxury goods, leather goods, perfumes and, eventually, couture designs. The brand is widely regarded as one of the world’s pre-eminent high-end luxury fashion brands.
MOËT & CHANDON
Founded in 1743, Moët & Chandon is one of France’s most renowned champagne brands, one of the grande marques based in Épernay. The house was founded by Charles Moët, a wine trader, who sourced the best grape crop in the region to produce his sparkling wines. The brand quickly became a favourite of French nobility and high society who greatly enjoyed the wine’s delicate but robust flavours. Moët grew to become one of the largest and most celebrated wine brands in France and, eventually, the world. Today the brand is one of the key marques under the LVMH stable (with the MH being an abbreviation of the brand).
S. T. DUPONT
When his carriage manufactory workshop burned down in 1872, Simon Tissot-Dupont endeavoured to begin anew, acquiring a small leather studio which would produce high-end leather goods and briefcases for the most rarified Parisian gentlemen. The brand was a success and he soon won contracts to supply the great department stores of Paris and further afield. Today, the Dupont brand is synonymous with exquisite luxury goods, including their leather goods range, ornate pens and, especially, their top quality lighters.
LE PROCOPE
Dating back to 1686, Le Procope is one of the most famous and storied restaurants in Paris. A brasserie of distinction, bedecked in ornate furnishings, grand artwork and gilded decor, the restaurant has long-been held as a bastion of traditional French cuisine. Throughout the establishment’s history it has been a celebrated meeting place for Parisian society, the intelligentsia and various luminaries in artistic and literary circles, particularly so in the days that the dining room acted as a café in the grand European café tradition. Indeed, the restaurant regards itself as the oldest continuously operating café in the city. The beautiful environs make the venue a particularly popular destination for Parisians and tourists alike, keen to try the classic fare on offer or to enjoy their famous confections or ice creams. Today, the restaurant is a key institution of the Group Bertrand collection.
VUARNET
In 1957 two Parisian opticians introduced a new, specialist lens to the market, designed specifically for skiers, the Skilynx lens was revolutionary. It would filter out the extreme reflection often experienced from snowy terrains whilst providing clarity and shielding the eyes from the elements. Having fitted them to sunglasses, they offered their product to the French ski team and at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, Jean Vuarnet won the gold medal in Downhill skiing. Wearing the Skilynx glasses, a partnership was born that would define the brand’s pedigree for ever more. Vuarnet agreed to lend his name to the enterprising start-up and the name would come to be synonymous with high-quality, luxury performance sunglasses.
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
Van Cleef & Arpels is one of the world’s pre-eminent jewellery houses, famed the world over for their beautiful iconic pieces. The brand was founded in 1906 in Paris and, today, has boutiques in key markets across the world. Fashioning pieces to order, VCA is a high jewellery brand with a significant ready-to-wear selection, earning them a loyal and even royal customer base. Van Cleef & Arpels pieces are highly collectible. The marque is part of the Richemont conglomerate.
HERMÈS
The ultimate in luxury brands, Hermès is synonymous with opulent and sumptuous goods, finished to the highest standards. This house has perfected the art of luxury since its foundation as a saddlery in 1837. From the outset, the Hermès brand was a favourite of the highest of nobility and the Parisian elite who would seek out no other maker for their equestrian and carriage equipment. The maison would use it’s leather-making expertise to craft various other accoutrement essential to the comfortable travel of its distinguished customers, including luggage and travel cases. With the advent of the automotive age, the brand would apply its prestige and know-how to upholstering the very best motor cars and expanding into leather goods, such as handbags, belts, boots and so forth. This also marked the transformation of the brand into a high fashion label, renowned for their selection of the best materials and elaborate prints to create beautiful accessories and apparel. Today the brand stands as the height of luxury, admired and desired throughout the world.
MOYNAT
Moynat is one of the great Parisian malletiers alongside Goyard and Louis Vuitton, famous for it’s high-end luxury trunks and luggage and synonymous with the golden age of travel. Similar to their rivals, Moynat is easily identified by their distinctive patterns and colourways and the high-quality finish. The brand became a darling of European society, with many celebrated and royal patrons. The brand fell out of favour as air travel replaced ocean liners but the brand was revived by LVMH with Luvanis and reinstated as one of the world’s pre-eminent luxury brands, specialising in leather goods, bags & handbags, luggage and fragrances.
FITZGABRIELS 