Coïncidence Paris
Proprietor: Lenny Guerrier
age 30
entrepreneur, bargain hunter & stylist
Coïncidence is more than a shop, it’s where fashion, design and culture meet.
CF
Can you tell us which path led you to create Coïncidence?
LG
I first started to work as an assistant in a Parisian press office. Thanks to this experience, I learned a lot about the fashion world and all its protagonists.
In 2006, I’ve been introduced to the advertising agency ‘NoGoodIndustry’. Sharing the same idea of what should be a concept store, we decided to create the Nogoodstore. Actually we designed this whole concept more like a “fashion-laboratory”, emerging talents came together with established brands. Fashion’s archives, such as YSL, Cristobal, and Balenciaga were melted with upcoming designers to experiment something if it’s not new at least different.
When Nogoodstore reached its purpose it was time for us to improve our expertise on others projects.
And then came after some other rewarding works with L’Eclaireur, and Pierre Hardy.
All these unpredictables encounters led me to create Coïncidence 2 years later.
CF
What is your approach of fashion?
LG
When I was a child, fashion was dream. In the 90’s, designers such as Rei Kawakubo or Martin Margiela were such wizards to me (I was from a hood where hip-hop was the prevailing lifestyle.)
I understood early enough that this open-mindedness will allow me to combine the best of different cultures to bring something fresh, an alternative.
It all began with the Nogoodstore. Our customers were or specialized buyers specialized in vintage clothing or stylists looking for the unique piece. Same thing for furnitures, accessories, music …etc
CF
How did you end up by setting up Coïncidence in this quite unusual place?
LG
Well, as everything else, discovering this untypical shop was a really pleasant coïncidence.
I started to hang out in this neighborhood thanks to ‘Le Derrière’ (one of the best restaurants in Paris), and the ‘Andy Whaloo’ to end up with more recently ‘Jules and Jim’s hotel’. All of these places share the same way of receiving their guests in a warm feeling sprinkled with avant-garde.
I guess subconsciously I linked this impression to the area.
I have been told that this shop should definitely have a look, cause I might be surprised by its potential. And it’s exactly what happened!
It was not love at first sight but the more I walked in, the more I wanted the place to be mine. This place is marked by history with its stony walls and its stone beams, and more than everything its quite impressive basement…
I’ve just been seduced!
CF
Let’s take a tour at Coïncidence…
LG
Come on in!
So at the ground floor you will find all that you need to quench your curiosity. A present for a colleague, this small object which you did not think of and now you can’t live without, or still this skateboard in this limited edition… The idea is to propose an offer constantly renewed for an affordable price.
Let’s push your curiosity up to the basement, space we thought as a “cabinet de modes”. In this room will be proposed upcoming know designers, as Martine Rose, Sabina Kasper, Tim Hamilton, Unused, Etudes, Ens, Etudes, D-efect, Laurence Airline, Porter, Olivier Borde, Anve, Outils de Production with some ‘Avant-Garde’ designers like Ann Sofie Back, Silent Damir Doma, Dark Shadow Rick Owens. And of course, all of this will be presented alongside archive’s pieces of renowned fashion brands.
I first thought at this space as an apartment and set it up with mainly Scandinavian’s furnitures from the 50’s/60’s and with other pieces I had a crush for on some bric-a-brac trade. As all the rest, this furniture are also for sale, then that space lives and constantly gets visitors inspired.
I invite you to just have a sit there and experiment, discover, feel the mixing up … I’ll be there if you need a piece of advice.
CF
You seem to have a one-of-a-kind way to advise your customers, could you tell me more about it?
LG
People ask me why did I choose to come in this much less visited part of Le Marais. Sometimes going on the wrong way, it’s going exactly in the right direction. I wanted something intimate, exclusive by its offer and there was no such place as 11 rue Chapon to give that feeling.
My previous work experiences made me realize that customers often come over for something more than a simple purchase, they’d like to exchange with salesperson, get some advice. That is why besides the opening hours of the week, Coincidence will open its doors for customers in demand for an adjusted advice on Sundays and by appointments only.
And because every customer is different, besides the exclusive vintage clothes, brands are sold in limited quantity.
CF
To sum up, would you define Coïncidence as a concept-store?
LG
Since the term concept-store exists, things have been evolving and some of them became institutions.
Dover Street Market, Colette, L’Eclaireur or still Opening Ceremony are examples to be followed.
There is no way to compare yet. Nevertheless I see Coincidence as a concept-store in its first sense.
That is a place always on to the next one, in search of what will please you tomorrow, a tool of creativity for customers dressed in their strong, good looking, and individual way. I would like for Coïncidence to be a place where fashion becomes galvanic.
