London crosses the channel to link arms with Tranoï

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Jan 19, 2018

Brexit doesn't have to mean just Brexit - notably not in fashion. The British Fashion Council took a novel approach to the Paris menswear season this week, partnering with the French capital’s most avant-garde trade show Tranoï.

 
The BFC has been bringing hot young UK talent to Paris for many years, with its London Showrooms concept. But this season it upped its efforts a notable notch by creating a special showroom in the heart of the ever-trendy central neighborhood the Marais. A hybrid between gallery and trade show, with the odd cocktail hour thrown in, and named London Show Rooms at Tranoï. It’s located at 108 rue Vieille du Temple, just down the street from Carreau Temple, the giant glass and wrought iron exhibition space that houses Tranoï’s main salon for menswear.
 
Sportingly, Tranoï founders and owners Armand and Martine Hadida organized an intimate dinner Thursday night for 25 inside their legendary rue Herold emporium – L’Eclaireur – a 17th century Aladdin’s cave of conceptual fashion; edgy jewelry; deconstructed hats and modern classic furniture whose cash register sits on an acrobat’s vault.

Co-hosting with them Caroline Rush, CEO of the BFC, for the dinner of garden vegetables, sea bass and French cheeses – though only made from goat – to fete the latest crop of young menswear design talent based in London.

 
“It’s a just a great opportunity to come to a great fashion city and meet exactly the right sort of buyers and editors that you always dreamed of getting to know,” commented the much-admired denim specialist designer Per Götesson. Sitting across from Lorenzo Hadar, whose cutting edge triplet of Los Angeles boutiques will retail several of the young brands from London Showrooms.
 
Joining in the festivities, the perennially made-up Charles Jeffrey of Loverboy, who showed up in a kilt and spray painted Aran sweater, and British GQ editor-in-chief Dylan Jones, who speculated on where Kim Jones is off to next. His fellow Brit Jones staged his final, triumphant show for Louis Vuitton earlier in the day. A UK design success story which the young talent present at dinner  –like Léon Bara, Jordan Bowen, Luca Marchetto; Phoebe English, Edin Loweth and Stefan Cooke could only happily admire.