Tucked into the corner of an 18th century hotel in the heart of Strasbourg, Colette Ravier’s boutique is easy to miss if you don’t know where to look. Since opening her doors to the public in 1989, the founder has stood stoutly by one resolution: to create original, one-of-a-kind fashion collections, cocktail dresses, and wedding dresses.
Entering into the store is like stepping back in time, into an era where clothes are considered individual expressions of personality. The pale violet walls are accented with sensuous silhouettes of women in dresses, creating a space pulsing with an artisanal vibrancy.
Our French class is here to practice posing interview-style questions to Colette, but she hasn’t arrived yet. The two interns receiving us are a bit nonplussed, but they kindly wave us into the racks of dresses.
The dresses are a medley of fabrics and patterns
They range from silk splashed with a pink-and-yellow flower pattern to a wedding dress featuring a pearl halter tie that doubles as a necklace. My favorite piece is a short, simple black dress styled in tennis fashion accented in silver, with shiny zipper in the front that goes all the way down to your navel.
When Colette arrives, she’s dressed in all black except for large purple drop earrings set against gold. She has an expressive face and a ready smile, which immediately sets us at ease. The five of us are on a mini field trip, organized by our teacher so that we can practice posing interview-style questions.
Colette is warm and friendly in her responses to our questions, carefully delivered in the formal vous. In a voice like melted caramel, she tells us how a former instructor inspired her passion for designing and laughs at a long-ago memory of selling dresses out of her own home.
At some point, the discussion shifts to the two young women who first let us in
They’ve been working diligently in the background of this discussion the entire time, however, they light up talking about their internship experience. Colette’s emphasis on individuality and creativity gives the girls enormous freedom. For example, each is currently designing her own collection. Pauline, an outgoing blonde, eagerly shows us the custom leather jacket she’s working on. Meanwhile Nadia, at Colette’s encouragement, shows us an airy, blue, two-piece ensemble.
That reminds us to ask one last question—where does she get the fabrics from? Surprisingly, this simple question prompts a detailed response from Colette, who imports fabrics from all over the world in order to ensure her clients’ and her own satisfaction with the final product. Her clientele is hugely diverse, (she’s made dresses and formal wear for clients from England, Italy, and Japan, just to name a few) with her most recent clients hailing from Chicago, USA. The reason for the renown? Simple word of mouth.
“Everyone is different. Some people come in with an idea for a dress, other times they see a dress they like and ask us to make one in their size.” Whatever the circumstance a client enters her shop, Colette guarantees a personalized experienced and a wholly unique, one-of-a-kind product.
Visit Colette Ravier in Strasbourg
Colette Ravier
11 rue de l’Epine
67000 STRASBOURG
03 88 75 94 80
Follow Pauline’s Designer Journey on Instagram: @paulinerebourtcouture
First, kudos to your teacher for providing a meaningful and engaging lesson outside the classroom. Secondly, if I were younger and had the gumption, I would love to do an internship or even just a short workshop here! Working with fabrics? Fabulous!