Promod offers French chic on a Pinay budget
Parisian style has always fascinated me despite having a New York aesthetic. New Yorkers wear safer clothes and have a thing for black and white, while the French have an innate flair for color, drama and sensuality without being overtly sexual.
The way they tie a scarf, carry a bag or just simply wear clothes has something enigmatic or charismatic about it.
Classic French fashion icons such as Coco Chanel, Dalida and Françoise Hardy had that certain je ne sais quoi.
Today, 21st Century French style is epitomized by ultra-modern girls like Julia Restoin and Lou Doillon.
Julia and Lou are daughters of two of world’s chicest women, Paris Vogue’s Carine Roitfeld and English actress Jane Birkin (of the handbag fame), respectively.
Julia Restoin, now a New York-based socialite and graphic designer, evokes a girl-next-door meets rock chick look, mixing feminine dresses and accents with edgy leather trousers and ripped jeans.
It doesn’t hurt that she has a closet-full of Alaïas at her disposal, thanks to mom Carine. No wonder she became muse to both Tom Ford and Jil Sander.
On the other hand, Lou Doillon is a model, designer and filmmaker heavily influenced by her bohemian upbringing amongst the Parisian artist community.
Lou has developed an unconventionally disheveled style that one can best describe as hobo-meets-the artful dodger-meets-flea market dirty hippie.
“Girls like me who have no boobs have always dressed like boys — tank top (or) open tuxedos with nothing underneath. It’s wonderfully classy and elegant but, at the same time, there’s a lack of humor,” said Doillon in an interview in 2008.
So how do we manage French girl chic on a Pinay’s budget?
Promod is a leading French high street brand offering designer-inspired must-haves as well as timeless key pieces.
Early days of Promod started in 1975 as a family-owned boutique but it has since grown into the most popular and well-regarded prêt-a-porter labels in France. Today, it is one of the biggest fashion chains in France with 760 outlets in 47 countries.
For fall/winter 2009, Promod takes its cue from key trends this season — masculine and tailored jackets, funky ‘80s redux, bohemian eastern European gypsy, lacey gothic romantic. Its strong French aesthetic remains Promod’s focal point giving women versatile pieces that they can easily mix-and-match.
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Promod stores are located at TriNoma, Greenbelt 5, Megamall Atrium, Ayala Cebu and SM Cebu North Wing.
