EN FACE ARE BRINGING FASHION CLOSER TO HOME
It can’t just be me that thinks many of the streets in Paris look quite similar. But on Rue de Picardie, located in the energetic district of Le Marais, the nonchalant strut of Foxy between two of the road’s most populated stores lets you know you’re in the right place.
Who is Foxy you might ask? Alongside being the street’s guardian, greeting every visitor of both En Face and Structure Paris with a lick and a sniff, Foxy is a dog. Foxy’s owner Jacks Phaël, who alongside his business partner and good friend Ben Comuce, proudly operates the curated vintage archive En Face.
After the shutters closed on a wholesome evening hosted by Gauchoworld in En Face, I sat down to speak to both Jacks and Ben about the store, which was kept warm by familiar faces, even on a chilly winter evening.
With experience in the fashion retail industry from a slightly different perspective, Jacks has been running Structure - a consignment store - for the past five years, so brings his logistical expertise to the forefront of running En Face day by day. So when I ask him, why, after five years, he was interested in opening a new space, he explains he spotted an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up: “I have a lot of friends that work in fashion, or just love to dress well. We don’t have time to buy and sell online, so that’s where the idea for the store was born.”
Ben, a fashion stylist and buyer, is responsible primarily for incoming items, and curating the store to give it its esteemed look and feel. Focused on creating a space where everyone feels welcome to reaffirm their fashion sense, or discover new aspects to it, he sees En Face as the natural home for that discovery: “I just want to buy and home clothes that a lot of people can find more of themselves in”.
Although the clothes are the mainstay of the store, you might have to avoid eye contact with Ben when reaching for any of the books they have on sale in the store. The large catalogue of reading material, particularly “the Issey books, the old school magazines”, is Ben’s favourite feature of the store. For Jacks, you can’t beat a well fitting jacket, especially from some of the Japanese designers that many have grown to love. “I love them [the jackets], especially from Junya [Watanabe] and Commes [des Garçons].” Jacks says.
Leaning on each other's strengths (and weaknesses) in their respective trades, one of the most important qualities that acts as a solid foundation for En Face is simply friendship. Although they sometimes don’t have the exact same vision, or may run into difficulties away from work, their strong bond means they’re able to overcome any hurdle in their way. “It’s not easy, but it [their friendship] is very important. Things are so much easier when you have good people around you. You know you’ll get where you need to, step by step,” says Jacks. Nodding in agreement with a slight smile on his face, Ben adds “Of course I have my vision and Jacks has his. But when it gets complicated, it still feels safe. When I have a problem or Jacks does, it’s easy to communicate because of the strong friendship we have”.
A strong friendship and a shared vision is also complimented by the general state of fashion, where people are taking a slower, more personal approach to their buying habits. Sourcing clothing from everywhere between LA and Tokyo, there’s a wide selection, with - as Ben put it - “something for everyone”. Rather than buy the latest hyped sneaker, they’re opting to invest in storied pieces from some of their favourite designers, without having to necessarily break the bank in the process. “People want to buy good pieces, at a good price,” says Ben, whilst Jacks echoes a similar thought: “everyone wants to be different, they don’t want the hype thing everyone is wearing,” and what better place to get it than the second-hand haven that En Face is.
