SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

Colette’s Super Sweet Sixteen

March 18, 2013

On March 21, 1997, Colette opened its doors on tony Rue Saint-Honoré. Now, sixteen years later, founder Sarah Andelman’s magic touch has helped the concept shop grow into a cult mega-mecca, where skateboards and sneakers mix with wares from Comme des Garçons and Alaïa. It’s become Paris’ premiere shopping destination for the savvy set. But with all her sweet success, Andelman was hesitant to celebrate. 

“After last year’s Colette Carnaval (the store pitched a giant tent in the Tuileries Gardens for games and shopping to fete fifteen years), we promised ourselves we’d never do another birthday party,” said Andelman. “But the idea of a sweet sixteen was so appealing that we couldn’t resist celebrating one more time.” Needless to say, Colette celebrated in style. The soiree was held at Le Privilege—the mythic VIP room in Paris’ Le Palace disco, where the likes of Kenzo, Claude Montana, Yves Saint Laurent, and Thierry Mugler boogied away the late seventies and early eighties. 

After wading through a sea of pink balloons, Catherine Baba, Carven’s Guillaume Henry, Yaz Bukey, Maison Kitsuné’s Gildas Loaëc, and more performed karaoke throughout the night. For good measure, Colette also had makeup sessions on the balcony and roller girls handing out Marc Jacobs’ new Diet Coke bottles. But it would seem this was actually the after-party—Andelman kicked things off in-store earlier in the day with a selection of special-edition cakes, celebratory T-shirts from Saint James, and postcards from Soledad. Colette’s birthday swag is on sale now, and should keep the store’s sixteen sweet throughout the month of March.

—Rebecca Voight

Photos: Virgile Guinard

tags: Carven, Colette, Colette Carnaval, Gildas Loaec, Guillaume Henry, Kenzo, Maison Kitsune, Saint James, Sarah Andelman, Soledad, Thierry Mugler, Yaz Bukey, Yves Saint Laurent