It’s been eight years since Colette, the cult Parisian concept store that practically invented cool, shut its doors on Rue Saint-Honoré. At the time, co-founder Sarah Andelman swore it was over for good—no revivals, no nostalgia-fueled reboots. She wasn’t bluffing either. Despite endless offers (and even one die-hard fan naming his daughter after the shop), the world’s most influential boutique remained sealed in fashion history.
But fashion, like fate, has a way of bending the rules. Enter Virgil Abloh: The Codes, the blockbuster exhibition opening September 30 at Paris’s Grand Palais. Alongside a sweeping showcase of the late designer’s work comes something no one thought they’d see again: Colette, reborn—for 10 days only.
Think of it as the ultimate meta moment: a concept store reimagined as a living installation-slash-gift-shop inside a retrospective. The pop-up will echo Colette’s iconic ground-floor vibe—emerging designers rubbing shoulders with graphic tees, sneakers, fragrances, limited-edition drops, and stacks of glossy mags. The kicker? It’ll even smell the same. Andelman is resurrecting the store’s signature “L’Air de Colette” candle, the cult scent that shoppers still DM her about years later.
And for those who remember spending hours in the store, its return comes with a wave of sensory nostalgia—not just the smell, but the soundtrack. Colette’s playlists were as iconic as its racks of Comme des Garçons. Luckily, you can still tune into that world: listen to Colette’s legendary mixes here.
Of course, this wouldn’t be a Virgil moment without merch. Expect reissued pieces Abloh once designed for Colette, plus new collabs and collectibles from friends and acolytes like Travis Scott, Cactus Plant Flea Market, and Sterling Ruby’s S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA.
The result is part shrine, part shopping trip, part déjà vu. For anyone who ever lined up outside 213 Rue Saint-Honoré, this is more than just a pop-up, it’s a resurrection.
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