Vive La Fair

Centre Commercial/Paris

VIVE LA FAIR Sustainable fashion is still difficult to find in the French capital. One of the few exceptions: Centre Commercial. With their store, Sebastien Kopp and François Ghislain Morillion, creators of the Veja eco-sneaker brand, have opted for an innovative mix of green fashion and fairly manufactured products.

The driving force behind the store are the founders of the Veja eco-sneaker label, Sebastien Kopp and François Ghislain Morillion.

Sustainable, eco-friendly, and fair - all products at Centre Commercial fulfil all three criteria with mod- est sincerity.

“T he store’s name was initially a project title based on the work of philosopher Bernard Stiegler and American sociologist Mike Davis. We wanted to redefine the idea of consumption,” explains Sebastien Kopp. All Centre Commercial products are manufactured responsibly. Some are produced in France, others have organic quality, others are sustainably certified. When selecting brands, the duo attaches particular importance to transparency and design. “We were eager to create a place where tomorrow’s society could express itself,” adds François Ghislain Morillion. “One of the reasons why we founded our Veja brand was that we were fed up with listening to people who talked about necessary change, but then failed to act and thus changed absolutely nothing. The same applies to the store. We want to create a place where people have a stage to create and build something.”

On- and Offline In the meantime, Centre Commercial has opened two offshoots in addition to an online store: a 90-square-metre kids store just around the corner from its bigger brother and, in 2017, a second branch on the other side of the Seine in the 6th district’s “Rue Madame”. For this summer, the brands People Tree and Mara Hoffman, who founded her sustainable label in 2000 after studying at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, have been added to the product range. Other additions include the collections by Holiday Boileau of Paris, Rita Row of Barcelona, bags by Herbert Frére Soeur and Isaac Reina of Paris, and sandals for women by Atelier Sabot. The concept store’s portfolio also encompasses candles, books, cosmetics, perfumes, jewellery, watches, porcelain, and tableware. At first glance, the store looks like any other boutique or concept store in the area. Only when you take a closer look and talk to the employees does it become clear that one is on the safe side when it comes to the origin and manufacturing of the products in terms of social and environmental compatibility. With Centre Commercial, Paris has not only gained a contact point for conscious consumption, but also an example of how change can be achieved with the necessary commitment.

Centre Commercial

2 Rue de Marseille 75010 Paris/France www.centrecommercial.com Opening: November 2010 Owners: Sebastien Kopp and François Ghislain Morillion Employees: 25 Sales area: 150 sqm Brands: among others Ami, Albam, Avnier, Baserange, Bleu de Paname, Etudes, Homecore, Norse Projects, Officine Générale, Patagonia, Paraboot, Roseanna, Veja, YMC