colette closes its doors but its scent lives on
Legendary Parisian fashion concept store colette closed its door yesterday but its disciples can keep their memories of the Rue St-Honoré store alive with its signature scent, which will continue to be sold.
Parisian perfumer Lola James Harper has been given permission by the store's owners to continue making the scent, previously known as «L’air de Colette» and now renamed «213 RUE SAINT-HONORE AIR». A candle and room spray will be available from Lola James Harper from 15 January 2018, priced from £35.
Sarah Andelman, colette co-founder and daughter of Colette Rousseaux, told Vogue.com: “We gave the green light to Lola James Harper and its founder, Rami, to continue producing it. It will be called L’Air de 213 Rue Saint-Honoré, and he will do the candle and the room spray. So if some people are really addicted to the scent, they will be happy to know they can still find it!”
Rami Mekdachi, Lola James Harper’s co-founder and creative director added: “In June 2013 Lola James Harper was born at colette… It was a great day and a great party with music, pictures and fragrances. Thank you Colette, thank you Sarah. You are the first ones to have welcomed us and to have shown us to the world and now you have given us the chance to keep your fragrance alive. We launched l’AIR DE COLETTE together and now we can keep the fragrance and the memory on with Lola James Harper «213 RUE SAINT-HONORE AIR».”
colette's Instagram announcement about its closure
colette revealed in July that it planned to close its ground-breaking boutique on 20 December after 20 years in business as founder Colette Rousseaux has decided it was time “to take her time” and “colette cannot exist without Colette“. The business had been in talks with Yves Saint Laurent about taking over the premises.
After the announcement was made fans flocked to the store, which was one of the most influential concept stores globally combining fashion with culture and music and renowned for its exclusive collaborations with some of the world's leading brand, to buy keepsakes.
The closure yesterday was an emotional one. French news channel France 24 covered the event and interviewed colette’s communications chief Guillaume Salmon, who has worked at the store for 18 years. “Some of us applauded and some of us cried,” he said. “Colette gave so many people a chance, even if they didn’t have the experience, and we are all so grateful to her. And we know how hard she worked, 24/7. It was a beautiful moment. She deserves this.”
