Photography by Michael Stephens
Located in the Marais on rue des Blancs Manteaux, you’ll find Precursor_ a great little clothing boutique that carries all British labels and accessories. Held by Jill Moore and Laura Parks, both very stylish with a keen eye for beautiful pieces imported from across the channel.
We had the privilege to meet up with Laura, and shoot her in some of this winter’s collections. Below she answers some of our questions regarding the Precursor_ boutique and the designs they offer:
LF: How did you and Jill meet?
Laura: We met through one of my best friends, a teacher at Wembley High School where Jill also used to work as a textiles teacher.
LF: Which of the designers / pieces are your favorites?
Laura: We hand-pick our designers (and the entire range) so love all of them but if I had to pick it would be Hurwundeki for their womenswear - all limited edition, well-cut pieces that are bang on trend (for the past 5 years, half my wardrobe has come from there!). For men it would be Folk - they always use the best fabrics and the fit is great.
LF: Many of the pieces carry a Mod look. Are there particular figures / bands that inspire your selection?
Laura: Some of the menswear does have a mod-ish feel (e.g. Baracuta, Aertex and Pretty Green) but it’s not really a deliberate statement, more a reflection of one of the stronger British trends that we feel deserves a presence in our store. Some brands carry more of a Dandy feel, others a workwear bent, and some are just there as we love the people behind the brand and what they’re trying to achieve.
Overall, we just hope we have something for everyone - and the inspiration comes from what’s happening back home on the streets of London.
LF:Are there other signature pieces that we can find at Precursor? (I’ve noted the Baracuta jacket.)
Laura: Yep, there is the Baracuta Jacket (the G9 Harrington Jacket is a mod classic). The rest would be more signature brands than pieces – of the 30 brands in store, we’re the only stockist in Paris for all bar 3 or 4, which is what makes us unique and gives us our signature look compared to our Parisian competition.
Precursor_
34 rue des Blancs Manteaux
75004 Paris
www.weareprecursor.com
Photos feature (in order of appearance):
1. Black Satin and Jersey Dress by Public Beware 2. Misc. Acessories from Hurwundeki, Ilk, Antoni + Alison, JoJo & Malou 3. Black Lace-topped Grey Dress by Toki & Nabi 4. Jewel Shoulder Black Cardigan by Toki & Nabi 5. Black and White Check Flannel Shirt by Hurwundeki 6. Grey Cropped Blazer by Hurwundeki, Gold Leather Bag on Chain by Ilk
