PARIS — For Stephane Plassier, nothing is as masculine as a hodgepodge of stuff.
With that idea in mind, Plassier has opened Gus, a men’s store in the garment district here that he describes as “somewhat of a bazaar,” selling books, radios, shaving creams and razors, lamps and wine. All of that alongside clothing, ceramics, vintage barbells and even a Triumph motorbike.
“I wanted the store to be kind of rough around the edges but to also have a soigné side,” said Plassier. “I feel we’ve gone beyond categories today. When you shop, you want to be excited and amused, to see things you can’t find so easily. Also, I didn’t want it to be geared to one type: heterosexual, homosexual or metrosexual. It’s more about guys with a certain lifestyle, who appreciate being guys.”
The store marks the introduction of Plassier’s nascent Gus brand, which is mixed in the store with other lines, including Plassier’s own two-decade-old eponymous collection.
The designer describes Gus as high end and highly wearable but with a twist. For the moment, the line is mostly made up of accessories and underwear, but Plassier plans to roll it out across all categories over time.
As for the store, shoppers enter what was a former fabric depot to spy a clubby built-in shelving unit stuffed with books, DVDs, men’s skin care and knickknacks, such as molding clay, rulers and a globe.
A fireplace has been turned into an aquarium. Much of the rest of the 2,000-square-foot space has a brutish industrial feel, with graffiti by young art students covering the walls and ceilings.
Downstairs, Plassier features clothing from brands such as Fred Perry and John Smedley, with a corner devoted to underwear from 12 different labels, ranging from Ralph Lauren to Calvin Klein. In another corner is a shelf full of desk lamps.
Plassier said the store began as a project to develop a new men’s underwear collection, Gus, with his business partner, Gislaine Guichon, who used to run a bed factory in France. But as they delved more deeply into the idea, both agreed there was room for a full lifestyle brand for men. “There’s so little out there that really offers a full statement,” he said.
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Plassier, who parallel to his clothing lines works as a freelance image consultant for the likes of Hermès, Le Monde and the Musée d’Orsay, said he and Guichon wanted to use this first store as a template for future units. Though Plassier said there are no immediate plans for a second Gus shop, an e-commerce site, gusconcept.com, launched late last month.
“People are looking for new ways to shop,” he said. “Gus is a response to what’s in the air today. We work as a creative agency, and we wanted Gus to represent all of our savoir faire.”