In the beginning, Balzac Paris sold bow ties. In 2011, Chrysoline and Victorien de Gastines joined forces with their friend Charles Fourmaux to craft them to measure in France. For the name, they borrowed from Honoré de Balzac and his Traité de la vie élégante, published in 1830. The bow ties became literary sweatshirts, then, in 2014, a complete women's wardrobe.
Before Balzac Paris, there was a slammed door and the keys locked inside. One evening, Chrysoline de Gastines found herself locked out with Victorien. They took refuge nearby at the home of their friend, Charles Fourmaux. That night, an idea was born to build something together. In 2011, the trio began modestly with custom-made bow ties, crafted in France. All they needed was a name. They turned to Honoré de Balzac and his Traité de la vie élégante, an 1830 text in which the writer observed the clothing, distinction, and manners of his time. After the bow ties came the Littéraire sweatshirts, followed in 2014 by a complete women's wardrobe.
The family story itself grew almost Balzacian: Chrysoline and Victorien married, while Charles met Capucine, Chrysoline’s sister. Quite naturally, the brand named its community the "F(amis)lle." Fifteen years later, Balzac Paris dresses the women of Paris while championing its TPR (Toujours Plus Responsable) initiative—anchored in conscious fabrics, predominantly European production, and second-hand life.
Taste
Chrysoline de Gastines · Victorien de Gastines · Charles Fourmaux · Honoré de Balzac · Traité de la vie élégante · Parisian wardrobe · French literature
