On a quiet side street off the Pigalle main drag, far from the fashion week crowds and tourists alike, Stephane Ashpool is writing the next chapter in his fashion story with Souvenir Pigalle.
But don’t call it a brand.
“I don’t say it’s a brand. It’s more like a souvenir shop, and it’s here to evolve like a child. It’s open to everyone,” he said. “Don’t count on me to follow the rules of fashion since Day One. I want to be free. So having a shop like this, it’s not a brand, it’s a community.”
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Souvenir Pigalle is a local hub and merchandise shop featuring everyday wear like T-shirts, hoodies and ANDAM prize-winner Ashpool’s first solo-designed athletic shoe (following 10 years of Nike collaborations).
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Among the more unusual offerings are cookies, cakes and freshly pressed fruit juices sold under the label “Jim and Juice” — a nod to his infant son, Jim.
The line also introduces a new elephant logo, which appears across the childrenswear collection for Ashpool’s first foray into kids’ fashion. The animal has personal significance. His mother once collected elephant figurines and he has since come to view them as symbols of memory and community. That spirit is behind the boutique, as evidenced by the many local kids who stopped by to high-five the designer while he was speaking with WWD.
The store’s interior is a retro-futuristic space filled with rounded shapes, bright colors and handmade graphics. “I wanted it to be playful, child-friendly and fun,” he said. The whimsical design reflects Ashpool’s evolving creative ethos.
“I presume something in the back of my head that wanted that [décor] was related to the birth of my son,” he said. “Having something that is kids-related fits well. Instead of trying to do all things for all people, I back up and start from the ground up.”
Located in the former Pigalle Paris retail space, the shop sits across from the community basketball court and street art landmark Duperré, which Ashpool has curated since 2015. It’s also directly across from his former elementary school and just around the corner from where he lives now.
“In Paris, to have the chance to be born in the same place where my child is born is rare,” he said. “I want the shop to be a small part of this environment, this village life.”
Inside, the merchandise reflects Ashpool’s signature blend of fashion and function including knitwear, crocheted pieces and a new Levi’s denim collaboration stitched with contrasting colors. The branding focuses on the playful elephant mascot on items such as baseball caps, scarves and water bottles.
The standout launch item is a technical basketball shoe, developed specifically for outdoor court use. Despite his decade-long partnership with Nike, this marks Ashpool’s first time overseeing a footwear project from concept to production. “I wanted to understand how we really make sports shoes from A to Z,” he said. It was “not easy” and required significant research and investment.
Ashpool paused the Pigalle Paris brand and stepped away from the fashion calendar in 2023, following his appointment as designer for the French Olympic team’s uniforms. After last summer’s success, he will continue in the role for the upcoming Winter Games. Designing uniforms for sports like bobsledding has been both “challenging and fun,” he said, adding that he recently visited specialized winter gear factories as production ramps up.
Souvenir’s opening day brought out high-profile guests including NBA player Bilal Coulibaly and A$AP Nast, highlighting Ashpool’s unique positioning between grassroots community and global clientele.
The boutique also features select pieces that recall his Pigalle Paris wares, including high-end leather jackets priced upward of 3,000 euros. Clients can purchase these off the rack or book fittings for a bespoke version at Ashpool’s atelier two metro stops away.
“We have a different crowd,” he said of the variety on offer. “A mama can buy a hoodie for her child, and then we have a rapper or athlete who’s ready to pay more.”
Refusing to conform to the traditional seasonal calendar, Ashpool sees his fashion future as project-driven, like his recent work with Chanel’s 19M, and eclectic.
For Ashpool, today’s version of luxury has lost its meaning. He believes fashion is “at a tipping point” due to the homogenization of global brands, driven by marketing and identical logo-emblazoned products in malls from Paris to Shanghai to Dubai. “Come on, guys, this is not luxury anymore,” he said.
True luxury, he said, comes from intimate experiences and creating memories as Souvenir Paris will try to create.