If you're at all interested in haberdashery then Ultramod is a must-see if you're heading to Paris. It's been serving both the couture houses and the creatives of Paris for almost two centuries. At no's 3 and 4 on the Rue du Choiseul, it's worth calling before you make your pilgrimage to check its hours. To enter inside is, to coin a phrase, like stepping back in time. The shop is split in two, on opposite sides of the road, and my favourite is (of course) the half selling vintage millinery and other rare materials. You may have to get them to open up for you.
Some of the hat-making fabrics are no longer available - once they're sold then that's it. Many came from a warehouse that burned down during the 1940's. What's on sale is the stuff that was rescued.
It's not cheap. These straw millinery fabrics on the left are 60 euros a metre. But then they're unique. More affordable is the millinery petersham in a wonderful palette of colours.
On the day I visited I spied bolts of vintage dressmaking fabric hidden under a dark cloth. The most mouth-watering shades of pink, nude and gold peeped out from beneath. The material was a sort of stiff net with flocked decoration on top - the type of thing you can imagine New Look party dresses being made up from. But where did it come from? Top secret. I'd love to know! They must have spies out all over Europe looking for old stock. But what a find!
On the slightly more mundane but still marvellous side of the road, you'll find a button for everything as well as a wide range of ribbons and silks. Go go go!
No comments:
Post a Comment