
Our new Café de Flore capsule is a celebration of the legendary Paris coffeehouse and celebrity haunt as seen through the eyes of Babar in Babar à Paris. The launch coincides with Paris Men’s Fashion Week, and kicks off with an invitation-only event at the iconic café.
“I LOVE BABAR, AND I LOVE CAFÉ DE FLORE. CREATING THIS FOR PARIS MEN’S FASHION WEEK CAME VERY NATURALLY.”
“I love Babar, and I love Café de Flore,” explains our founder Jack Carlson. “Creating this for Paris Men’s Fashion Week came very naturally. Last season, we launched a new collaboration and a new watch with another famous Paris institution — Harry’s Bar. It was so much fun. I like doing something like this in Paris every season.”
The predominantly cream-and-green capsule features apparel and accessories adorned with Laurent de Brunhoff illustrations from Babar à Paris, including a direct-embroidered and chain-stitched chore coat based on the construction of a vintage French piece; an all-over printed viscose button-down shirt; heavyweight embroidered French terry crewneck and hooded sweatshirts; a cotton graphic tee; and a piqué polo top with a contrasting collar and trim. Accessories include a gold-trimmed ceramic catch-all dish, a skate deck, a dad hat and a canvas tote bag.
Babar the Elephant first appeared in the 1931 French children’s book Histoire de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff, inspired by a story his wife Cecile invented for their children. Brunhoff and his son Laurent developed Babar’s rich world in a series of subsequent books, which came to encompass glamorous, mid-century jet-set travel; family dramas and diversions; feasts and parties; and, occasionally, even matters of state. Babar à Paris — otherwise known as Babar’s Guide to Paris — saw the beloved elephant visit Café de Flore, which first opened in the 1880s.