PARIS — Fashion designer Gilles Rosier has opened the first permanent boutique for his leather goods and lifestyle brand Éternel Parisien inside the historic 19th-century covered arcade Passage Jouffroy.
Housed in a former bookshop dating back to 1847, the store brings together the line’s handbags, silk scarves, candles and decorative objects with interiors that combine the passage’s architecture with contemporary design.
The idea for the brand came to him in 2019, when the name came to him upon waking up from a dream. After more than a decade running his own ready-to-wear label, Rosier said he wanted to create something timeless and outside of the fashion calendar churn.
“I didn’t want to create a brand where I was obliged to do one or two collections a year,” he said. “I prefer to do things well, improve them and have direct contact with customers.”
Inside Eternel Parisien
Courtesy of Eternel Parisien
Thus, Éternel Parisien opened a new chapter for Rosier, who previously held senior creative roles at Jean Paul Gaultier, Lacoste and Kenzo. Now the boutique, which is celebrating its official inauguration Wednesday, is growing into a creative universe and a personal approach to retail.
Rosier discovered the space last December. It had been vacant and covered behind mirrored panels for more than a year. Once inside it had the “wow” factor, with its original wooden bookshelves and architectural details.
Keen to preserve the character of the protected building while introducing clean and contemporary elements, Rosier worked with Christopher Dessus of PAF Atelier. The design includes geometric structures made from perforated metal, natural wood and movable displays. Small openings in the original woodwork allow lighting to illuminate the products without compromising the historic structure.
Gilles Rosier, Christopher Dessus and Khan Rueangsom.
Courtesy of Eternel Parisien
The result is intended to be more than a conventional retail space. Rosier wants visitors to discover the brand and the stories behind its products with one-on-one connection, rather than through a more traditional luxury retail experience.
“I think in Paris sometimes we lose a lot of the service to customers,” he said. “For me, it’s really important to share the passion of creativity, the passion of the products, of the styles, and to exchange with a customer and to offer them a service.”
The approach appears to be resonating.
Rosier said American customers have been particularly curious among the boutique’s initial clientele since the soft opening in mid-October, with many peering in the windows while passing through the arcade. Staff explain the products and their inspirations, while purchases can be delivered directly to customers’ hotels.
“They say to me, ‘At least we found something new that isn’t everywhere,’” he said, adding they have particularly enjoyed the boutique’s character of discovery.
Eternel Parisien
Courtesy of Eternel Parisien
The brand’s aesthetic is based on what Rosier describes as a “very pure, clean, elegant and essential” style, with discreet details. Products, such as the Marceau bag and the Montebello bottle holder, take their names from Parisian streets and locales.
Marceau is the avenue where Yves Saint Laurent had his couture house, while Montebello is the riverside area on Île Saint-Louis, where Parisians picnic in the summer. Part of the fun is sharing these little bits of trivia with customers, he said.
Rosier’s ethos reflects sustainability as well. Leather offcuts are reused to create small accessories and product tags, while scarf production has been developed around a fabric width that allows two scarves to be made without leftover material. All the pieces are made in specialist workshops in France, Spain and Italy.
Rosier also wants Éternel Parisien to provide a platform for emerging creative talent. He has taught at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris for 15 years and sees collaboration with younger designers as an important part of the brand’s future.
“I think it’s fresher to discover younger talents and to do something with them,” he said, adding that he values the generational exchange. “They give me their energy, their point of view. And they’re happy to have references that are not references from Pinterest.”
The first collaborations include leather hang tags embossed with miniature scenes of Paris, which can be personalized with customers’ names or initials. Rosier hopes to extend the initiative into homewares, including tableware, while giving emerging fashion or jewelry designers opportunities to present their work in the boutique’s second-floor space.
Inside Eternel Parisien
Courtesy of Eternel Parisien
Rosier is playing with the idea of extending Éternel Parisien into clothing, potentially developing a limited-edition wardrobe of Parisian essentials such as silk shirts and trenchcoats.
He also envisions hosting cultural events at the boutique, such as a possible photography exhibit about legendary Paris nightclub The Palace, alongside selling vinyl records from its heyday.
Ultimately, he wants to create a destination rather than simply another shop. While Rosier said he could see the concept working in cities such as New York or Tokyo, he would prefer joint ventures or pop-ups over a retail rollout worldwide.
“I prefer to keep it really focused,” he said.
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