There’s also the fact that, in many cases, you have to go to France to get the full experience. Agnès B. only has one store in New York, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, compared to the dozen in Paris, where you can find the full brand assortment. You can buy a selection of Charvet slippers, scarves, and ties online, but the full made-to-measure experience is exclusive to its store.
“Where we’re moving in terms of luxury right now is more of those experiences, where it’s only you that has a certain piece,” Johnson says. “My Charvet made-to-measure shirt was a dream experience. I’ve had clothes made-to-measure, but [to] go through the experience with my sales associate where we walk through the fabric floor and he’s telling me about all the fabrics, we’re testing it out, I’m putting up fabrics against my skin, it was truly luxurious.”
The heritage these products carry with them is another compelling factor—as well as a novelty for many shoppers. “I think we also crave these heritage brands that we don’t have in New York,” argues Petrarca. “People crave that sense of legacy and history and knowing that people have loved these garments for a hundred years and they’re a sure bet.”
“There’s a huge shift that we’re seeing—a backlash against these micro-trends, of people wanting longevity in their items,” Baffert adds. “It’s something that we see [with] them turning to Poshmark, too, and it comes in waves, whether they’re searching for 14-karat gold or a 100% cashmere, it’s quality over quantity.”
As Agnès B. tells me, on her passport, her occupation is listed as “stylist,” and that’s what she sees her brand as.
“I don’t do fashion—I do style,” she says. “Fashion goes, but style stays.”
Streetwear
Bottoms
Flats
Vintage