TO THE FASHION TRAVELLER Paris por menos - dépôts-ventes

é um pena que essa filosofia não funcione aqui - vide o fim do Estúdio Vinttage, na alameda Lorena.

(ps. eu só conhecia o último dêpot. tenho mais endereços na minha agenda. assim que der, eu posto - para a marilia!)

International Herald Tribune

The real Paris? Check the dépôts-ventes
By Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni

Thursday, October 2, 2008

PARIS: When the fall season begins, count on seeing certain Parisians sneaking into their local dépôt-ventes, boutiques where high-end brands can be bought at seriously slashed prices. Last season's Chanel, Chloé, Marni and Christian Louboutin? Yours, for a mere third of the original price.

"Dépôt-ventes are a sensible way of getting rid of clothes," says Susanna Hunnewell, the Paris editor of the Paris Review quarterly literary magazine. Dépôt-ventes also relieve the guilt of impulse shopping; women who snap up every label on the Avenue Montaigne and, the following season, take most of their purchases to the dépôt-ventes (or rather their chauffeurs do).

Every arrondissement has one or more dépôt-ventes and, in many ways, their characteristics match their neighborhoods.

Strolling into a dépôt-vente in the 16th, camel, navy and black pieces from Hermès and Chanel decorate the vitrines. Inside, all the immaculate Chanel jackets are hung together like soldiers on parade. The message is conservative: you're smart if your label is smart.

There's also the saleswoman's way of sizing up a visitor from head to toe. Anyone experiencing an haute bourgeois cocktail party for the first time can relate to the encounter.

A dépôt-vente in the First Arrondissement is more welcoming - their livelihood depends on an international clientele - and fashion forward in flavor. The colorful shop windows also show Hermès and Chanel but mixed in with Prada, Lanvin and other top labels to capture their clients' eclectic interest. A shopper may appear in the latest Balenciaga skinny gray pants, and be quite "pointu," or specific, in her tastes, but she may opt for an unusual piece because she is keen to be different.

Dépôt-ventes in the Second Arrondissement tend to be more rough and ready, with Bohemian clients who are more conscious of their personal styles than following trends. They remain loyal to Sonia Rykiel, Armani and all the Japanese designers. A Celine handbag will do; no need for Prada.

On the other hand, clients using the dépôt-ventes in the Sixth Arrondissement follow a trend in their own discreet way. Quality is key but logos or any type of flashiness is a no-no. And in the Seventh Arrondissement, between the Invalides and the 15th, is BCBG conventional - bon chic, bon genre, something of a preppy or Sloane Ranger style. Not a fashion follower, she regards the dépôt-ventes as a "formidable" way to buy logos for less.

Whatever the arrondissement, the best dépôt-ventes operate with certain rules. Accepted items have to be in tip-top shape. "Those ladies running the places are quite exigeant," or forceful, says Hunnewell. "They will not take any old rubbish."

Dominique Balloffet owns WK Accessoires in the First Arrondissement, a few minutes from the renowned boutique Colette.

Generally speaking, those who consign their clothes are "Parisian or from the provinces" whereas those buying consist of Parisians, visiting Europeans and Americans, Balloffet said, adding, "What's fun is the variation of people and mix of milieu."

In recent years, "the sales of accessories have taken over from clothes," she said - evidenced by the tank-sized, boot-black Birkin bag in her shop window. "Chanel accessories and clothes by Yves Saint Laurent, Marni, Chloé, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen rarely linger."

WK Accessoires, 5 Rue Marché Saint-Honoré; Tel: 33-01-40-20-99-76

La Marelle, in the Second Arrondissement, was opened 35 years ago by Eliane Tesseraud. She primarily stocks clothes from recent seasons but makes an exception for accessories.

In her estimation, consignees fall into three categories: those "needing a change but not affording today's prices"; those no longer fitting into their clothes ("three kilos will do it," she says); and those regretting an expensive "error of judgment."

Her clients range from Banque de France employees, tourists and fashion folk. "We do well with all the Japanese designers: Yamamoto, Miyake and Comme des Garçons," she said.

La Marelle, 21/25 Galerie Vivienne; Tel : 33-01-42-60-08-19

Laurence Carlier, who owns Le Dépôt-Vente de Buci in the Sixth Arrondissement, belongs to a mother and sister act.

"I mix vintage with recent seasons by Missoni and Fendi," she says. "If the client is classic, she goes next door to my mother, Celina Hauser, who sells Alaïa, Marni and Miu Miu."

Carlier's best clients are branché Parisians, American clients who "like crocodile bags" and English stylists "hunting down 1980s." A few of her prized 1980s pieces include a Gianni Versace Western-style shirt with gold rivets, a long cashmere double-breasted Chanel coat and a Karl Lagerfeld "firework" velvet dress.

Le Dépôt-Vente de Buci, 4 rue de Bourbon-le-Château; Tel: 33-01-46-34-28-28

Nora Andizian at Amelie par Luxury describes her clients as "classical" but says that, in the last three years, they have become increasingly casual at night. "Before we had a serious business in long evening gowns, but that's over now that people attend the opera in trainers," she said.

Students from the neighboring American University are new clients. "They may wear H&M and Zara, but they're demanding good accessories: shoes by Jimmy Choo, bags by Dior and Vuitton."

Amelie Par Luxury, 17 rue Amélie; www.luxury-shops.com; Tel.: 33-01-47-05-90-11

Nathalie Denet, in charge of Dépot-Vente de Passy, notes that clients "whatever their age" are "dressing young, young, young."

Along with bags by Hermès, favorite brands include Valentino, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana - and Chanel is the "designer du jour" with 18-year-olds.

"We avoid the too-classical," she says. "And only accept unknown labels if they're really pretty."

In general, she says, the turnaround is quick because many clothes arrive with their original price labels attached. "Certain 'richissimes' women buy so much, change their entire wardrobe every six months," she says. "And we profit from that."

Le Dépôt-Vente de Passy, 14 Rue de la Tour; Tel.: 33-01-45-20-95-21