PARISIAN CONCEPT STORE COLETTE TO CLOSE IN DECEMBER

It’s an end of an era, Parisian concept store Colette has announced that it will be closing its doors in December after 20 years of business. The store, situated on 213 rue Saint-Honoré, first opened in March 1997 and will close for the last time on December 20. It is expected that Saint Laurent will take over the location.

“As all good things must come to an end, after 20 wonderful years, Colette should be closing its doors on December 20 of this year,” the store said in a statement, explaining that founder Colette Roussaux was ready to retire. “Until our last day, nothing will change. Colette will continue to renew itself each week with exclusive collaborations and offerings, also available on our website.”

“We would be proud to have a brand with such a history, with whom we have frequently collaborated, taking over our address,” the statement continued. “We are happy of the serious interest expressed by Saint Laurent in this project, and it could also represent a very good opportunity for our employees.”

An eclectic three-story trove of elaborate cocktail gowns, tuxedos, sneakers, postcards, pens and gadgets, all across 8,000 square-feet, Colette was one of the first stores to cater to an aesthetic lifestyle, as opposed to a specific product category, becoming a model for a new kind of retail.