Chanel collaboration spotlights Paris shirtmaker Charvet’s enduring appeal

A collaboration with Chanel has cast fresh attention on Charvet, the storied Paris shirtmaker at 28 Place Vendôme, as six longtime clients described their relationships with the boutique and its bespoke service. Anne-Marie Colban, who runs Charvet with her brother Jean-Claude, said the shop aims for a bazaar-like atmosphere where customers can "touch, see and experience fabric." The ground floor displays ties, pocket squares and leather slippers, while a second floor for bespoke shirts contains thousands of bolts of fabric — oxfords, poplins, piqués, silks and linens — with more than 100 shades of white and about 400 textures and weaves.

Charvet traces back to 1838; the current site has been the headquarters since 1982, and the company was acquired by Anne-Marie and Jean-Claude’s father, Denis Colban, in 1965. For his recent Chanel debut, artistic director Matthieu Blazy collaborated with Charvet on a tuxedo-style shirt with a bib front, wingtip collar and long tail; the off-the-rack shirt will retail for around $4,000 but "will be sold only at Chanel because it’s a Chanel shirt," Ms.

Colban said. Charvet also sells ready-to-wear shirts made from the same fabrics as its bespoke pieces; bespoke shirts start at $900 and ready-to-wear from $500, placing them near Dries Van Noten or Ralph Lauren Purple Label and below the Row, Saint Laurent and Loewe. The company will not confirm current customers, though the paper called them a passionate cult who relish the whole process.

Key Topics

Culture, Charvet, Place Vendôme, Chanel, Anne-marie Colban, Matthieu Blazy