DRÔLE DE MONSIEUR OPENS FIRST PARIS FLAGSHIP STORE

Imagine a scene from The Great Gatsby, followed by a shot from La Haine. A record by Charles Aznavour next to a CD by NTM. A table with golden finishings by Willy Rizzo getting along with glass bricks by Le Corbusier.

Step into the world of the first Drôle de Monsieur flagship store: a hybrid space, half boutique, half lounge, a timeless place that still manages to fit right in with the era.

Tucked away in the vibrant area of the Haut Marais, on the corner of the Rue de Poitou and the Rue de Saintonge, the first Drôle de Monsieur flagship is both a store and a gallery, sitting at the crossroads between minimalism and maximalism, Seventies and Nineties culture, the same inspirations that continue to guide Maxime Schwab and Dany Dos Santos, the two founders of the brand.

The design was inspired by iconic hotel lobbies throughout the ages. Filled with nostalgia, the store is infused with the unique atmosphere of old-school hotels, where Art Deco ornamentation harmonizes with nods to the Hollywood Regency era. But it’s also a space busting with life, paying homage to the Nineties street culture that the two designers grew up with, filled with music, movement, urban energy and youthfulness. This meeting place, where people come to exchange ideas, explore and discover, is the perfect embodiment of the Drôle de Monsieur manifesto, bringing together contradictory cultures: aristocratic chic and urban grit, baroque elegance and asphalt jungles.

Made to mesure interiors

Step into the reception and let the magic happen. On the walls of this first room, the dark wood and velvet upholstery in deep burgundy tones create a muted feeling, a warm and intimate vibe that is shaken up by touches of rococo style. Mixing designer furniture and made-to-measure pieces, the store’s interiors were integrally designed by the founders. Not a single detail was left to chance, from the imposing marble table at the entrance to the vintage hotel luggage racks in golden brass, or the huge Medicis vase made by the Massier family, who founded the Vallauris ceramic industry.

The standout piece of the reception is the Art Deco-inspired bar: it was entirely made-to measure by French craftsmen and inspired by iconic hotel lobbies. It faces an unexpected paved wall, made with glass bricks designed by Le Corbusier in 1933 for the Cité du Refuge, leading the way to a second space.A lifestyle selection

Creating a bridge between fashion and lifestyle, the store reads like a cabinet of curiosities reflecting the designers’ multiple inspirations. It almost feels like time traveling: look around and you’ll spot references to the biggest names in international design. In this second space, a vintage leather couch by Tobia Scarpa sits in front of a huge bookcase inspired by Willy Rizzo’s iconic bars, lined with cream-colored corduroy. A HPM-100 sound system, a true Nineties symbol, transform the space into a listening room: feel free to browse the vinyl selection revealing the designers’ eclectic musical taste, from Stevie Wonder to Miles Davis, from Lunatic to Charles Aznavour, as well as the curation of lifestyle pieces. A photograph by Slim Aarons, a portrait of Mike Tyson, a pair of vintage Adidas rollerblades, a bespoke game in leather and wood, painted ceramics… Drôle de Monsieur’s art de vivre has finally found a home.