Back in 1987, when Jean Touitou founded his fashion brand, did he believe he’d still be in business 30 years later? “No, because I thought the world would collapse in 2003, or something,” he replied. And now that A.P.C. has reached this point, does he feel much has changed? “I was trying to come up with the words; I think we are unnoticeable but remarkable.”
The description was equally applicable to our surroundings: two floors below the A.P.C. store on Rue Royale, where a series of connecting rooms house the brand’s gigantic archive of garments plus miscellaneous accessories, quilts, and vintage music systems. In lieu of a show or formal presentation, Touitou invited guests to thumb through this color-coded treasure trove while discovering both the latest collection and a capsule edit of reissued pieces. In the beginning as Touitou’s attempt at non-branding, A.P.C. didn’t have a name aside from its season, so Hiver ’87 (the French word for winter) has returned as the message fronting shirts and scarves, bridging past and present.
In general, Hiver ’17 didn’t much diverge from what’s come before, namely, classic corduroys, a pair of jeans with elasticized sides, subtly patterned knitwear (by Pierre Marie), sheepskin utility jackets from in-house designer Louis Wong, and denim separates the hue of Haussmann limestone. The accompanying photos, shot by Collier Schorr, exist outside of time or trend. Should this seem anticlimactic, it is also authentic to A.P.C. “I am proud of this history since we managed to remain relevant even if sometimes boring,” Touitou wrote in a letter to mark the milestone. “I am actually even proud of this boring factor, since it had so many different aspects over time.”
Touitou, whose outspoken opinions make him a refreshing voice in fashion, suggested that integrity is as important as ever. “You keep your beat,” he advised. “There’s so much uncertainty in the world, it’s better to be safe.” Not no-fun safe, though, as made clear by the irreverent words on the lanyard attached to the new molded pochette: “I want to drink it straight, no chaser.” And on that note, cheers, A.P.C.!
