In news that we totally did not see coming: Parisian concept store Colette will close its doors in December.
"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 company revealed via Instagram. "Colette Roussaux has reached the time when she would like to take her time; and Colette cannot exist without Colette."
For 20 years, Roussaux’s boutique occupied a three-story, 8,000-square foot space on Rue Saint Honoré, and was filled with an eclectic mix of high-fashion and up-and-coming new designer — for instance, the store was first to stock Proenza Schouler, Mary Kartrantzou, and Rodarte. The closing is especially surprising because it follows the store’s recent announcement that another buzzy collaboration was in the works, this time with H&M. Thankfully, on August 21, the high-low line will launch in-store and online at Colette for two weeks as planned.
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"We’ll launch the H&M capsule on 21 August," Business of Fashion reported. "And of course nothing change [sic] with our 'Le Relais' projects with Les Vacances de Lucien, Sacai, Thom Browne, Chanel, and Saint Laurent on our first floor."
As for what will happen to one of the trendiest spaces in Paris, in somewhat of an interesting twist, Saint Laurent is in talks takeover the space. Back in 2013, after Hedi Slimane changed the company’s name from Yves Saint Laurent to Saint Laurent, Colette sold "Ain't Laurent Without Yves" parody T-shirts. Saint Laurent demanded the shirts be removed from Colette’s website, saying they “seriously damaged' the YSL brand.” Fittingly, the two fashion powerhouses never worked together again. Yikes.
Hurry up and book your flight! That goodbye pilgrimage won’t make itself.