Article from December 13, 2023

THE NAME OF THE ROSE

Like every season, the whole of Paris waits impatiently for Patricia Blanchet's new collections. And instead of putting themselves under insurmountable pressure, the Team takes the opportunity each time to surprise everyone by bringing out models that are each more stunning than the last. But it's the names that Team Blanchet give them that always arouse curiosity. Let's meet the finest team since the Dream Team.

Renaud, Patricia, Laurent, Catalina, Max, Déborah, Constance, Jeanne and Christina, could you tell us a little about the names you give to your fabulous models, in any order?

In general, it happens when we all get together in our meeting room, the cocktail bar. It's become fashionable in Paris. For better or for worse, because there are some very good, fabulous ones. And then there are others who are taking advantage of the trend to follow in the footsteps of their elders by copying them and doing things less successfully than they did. Not unlike some of our competitors.

Oh, because you feel you have competition?

(she laughs) Actually, no. I couldn't care less about any of them. Let them do what they want and be as successful as they deserve to be. That's not a motivation. What is a motivation is to do your JOB well. The rest is just make-believe.

But let's get back to your meeting room, the cocktail bars.

Yes, so we go to those places, usually to celebrate something or life, and then at some point when we have to, we launch a name contest. But remember, the names have to have something to do with culture, well-being, humour, reflection, theology, philosophy or tautology. In short, as you will have understood, it has to make you think and open up new horizons. That's why I like to give our models names that have meaning. Even if it's a forbidden one.

Are there any names you refuse to give your shoes?

Apart from anything racist, stupid or nasty? I ban anything that's Marylin, James, Mick and all those silly references that don't invite you on a journey and are as much a workout for the imagination as doing the dishes. That's taking people for idiots.

Why don't you for exemple explain Salamanca and Bandini to us?

Salamanca is simple. It's an island in Colombia, and when I imagined my little vintage pump, I was in Colombia, where I spend a lot of my time. I love it there. Part of my family lives there. As for the Bandini... it's linked to my love of literature in general, and American literature in particular. Bandini is the name of Jonh Fante's alter-ego, who appears in a number of his novels, which I highly recommend to anyone who hasn't read them before. It's fabulous and intoxicating. I thought it suited my little open-toe pump with a shooting star on it. Very appropriate. In the same vein, the Chinaski, a boot with the same star, is a tribute to Bukowski's alter ego, whom I love just as much, but for different reasons. Behind each name is a reference, more or less clear, visible, if not hidden, but always made and thought out to flatter the intellect of my customers, whom I love above all else.

This year you've got the Bee Gees, for example.

Well, when I was a kid they used to play a whole load of crazy films on the now defunct Channel 5. Their programmes were bling-bling and stupid, but they played films all day long. And that's when I discovered Saturday Night Fever. I knew Travolta well from Grease, but Saturday Night Fever had something extra, a crazy soundtrack composed by three brothers. I'm delighted to be able to pay tribute to them in my own way.

Do you have any favourite themes?

That's down to inspiration. So in this case it was Colombia and Japan. As for the rest, it's all fun and pop culture. What counts is having fun and doing good.