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| Out side the Theirry Villenave shop. Photo by Wilson McCord, 2012. |
Written by David Pedroza, Editor in
Chief
Forward, Art Direction, and
Photographs by Wilson McCord
Forward:On
numerous occasions during my stay in Paris, in the fall of 2012, I walked home
late at night passing the shops, now dark on the rue du roi Sicile. But one
small shop in the Marais, whose lights still burned bright, caught my
interest.I looked in the window at the beautiful fabrics that gave off an
iridescent glow. Their contrasting rich colors made me feel like a child
looking in the window of a candy store.Fantastic! At the very back of the store
a young designer was busy sewing late into the night. And, the idea that there
were still young artisans in the world whose passion for creating beautiful
clothes was still alive made me smile every time I passed.Late one evening in
November, David Pedroza, Baptiste de Bermingham, director of fabrics at the
famed Embroidery House Hurel, and I passed the shop. I told the two creative
sleuths we had to stop and visit.It was the first time I would enter world of
Theirry Villenave but it will not be my last.
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| Geometric cap in blue cotton twill. Photo by Wilson McCord, 2012. |
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| Beautiful lining, pieced like a puzzle. Photo by Wilson McCord, 2012 |
During
my trip in Paris, Wilson McCord introduced me to Thierry Villenave. Thierry is
a men’s accessories and shirt designer, with a great boutique in Paris’s 3rd
arrondissement, the Marais.The shop is simple with a modern-rustic appearance,
and a private ambiance. Thierry Villenave, opened his boutique in 1995, to
develop a more creative aesthetic in men’s fashion and to expand his technical
know-how in constructing minimal, yet complicated designs.The shop is small and
intimate with a very impressive selection of hats, scarves, and dress shirts,
all developed and made by Thierry, himself. The Thierry Villenave hat
collection is a strong expression of classic silhouettes, in geometric form using
nontraditional fabrics.A mixture of men’s wear fabrics, such as wool
herringbone, tropical wool suiting fabrics, cotton piques, wool plaids, and
linens, were all mixed in with elegant florals, saturated colors, and delicate
cotton liberty prints.Knitted caps in faire isle patterns are saturated in
bright colors, and created out of soft cotton or merino wool yarns.Thierry
explained to us his passion for textiles, and using masculine fabrics, with
subtle feminine details, without losing its appeal for men. He works with textile
mills in Paris, to create new, exclusive fabric (made in a scarf) of a glen
plaid, which has been engineered to alternate and break, to give it an
appearance of patchwork, but without the seam work.Thierry Villenave is a true
craftsman, with the technical skills and knows how to construct all his work by
hand. No detail is ever too small or insignificant, including the linings of
his hats, which are pieces in soft, feather weight, cotton voile or twill, in
bold colors, or graphic prints. The shirts are another example of great hand
work and modern design, which have been made in cotton and satin blends, with
linear contrasting lines or piping. Thierry tailors strong wing collars,
sometimes with contrasting under collars, and traditional French cuffs with
contracting knot closures. Thierry Villenave may not be a house hold name, but he
is a true gem in Paris. When it comes to complementing a man’s wardrobe, the
excellent craftsmanship and unique vision makes Thierry Villenave the go to man
for men’s shirts and accessories.
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| Selection of hats in color saturated prints. Photo by Wilson McCord, 2012. |
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| Caps in men's suiting fabrics. Photo by Wilson McCord, 2012. |
Theirry Villenave hats are available by order, or at his boutique on 28, rue du roi Sicile, Paris, France. Visit the Theirry Villenave Website.
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