French fashion label Destree has brought its Parisian sensibilities stateside. The buzzy brand, cofounded by Géraldine Guyot-Arnault and Laetitia Lumbroso—and whose investors include Beyoncé, Rihanna, Reese Witherspoon, and Gisele Bündchen—has garnered worldwide success with its colorful, expressive designs.
Earlier this year, Destree brought their ready-to-wear pieces and accessories to Palm Beach, holding a trunk show at Carriage House. “This was a great opportunity for us to discover this gorgeous place and meet women there. We spent the day welcoming guests and presenting our Parisian brand to American ladies; it was the perfect match,” say the founders. “We can’t wait to be back.”
The duo speaks exclusively with PALMER on expanding into ready-to-wear, the origins of the brand, and their artistic inspirations.
How did Destree begin?
After Geraldine finished her studies at Central Saint Martins in London in 2016, she went back to Paris. At that time, she always wore a hat, and felt that she couldn’t find a great hat brand in Paris. So, she spontaneously launched a collection of hats, working with a Parisian modist (traditional hat maker). She presented them to Le Bon Marché, and the Destree journey began.
Initially, Destree was all about accessories. What made you want to get into ready-to-wear?
Between 2016 and 2020, we started with hats, then onto leather goods, followed by jewelry, belts, and scarves…a world of handmade accessories, made by talented craftsmen that we individually selected to create a real, authentic partnership.
In 2021, we wanted to create a complete expression for the brand. We started with a small and exclusive RTW capsule for Le Bon Marché—still one of our retailers—that sold out in three weeks. (It was supposed to last two months!) We were very excited about the feedback from our clients and journalists, so, we started bigger RTW collections.
When we launched, the feedback was so positive: the collection is “so Destree.” Characteristics that defined our accessories—structured, colorful, geometric, and asymmetrical—were now being expressed and recognized in our RTW pieces.
Who is the Destree woman?
The Destree woman is unique: assured but delicate, confident but discreet. She feels confident in wearing stunning pieces, singular silhouettes. She is urban, working, and goes out; she loves museums and galleries, art, and music.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Destree is infused with artistic references. Géraldine grew up surrounded by art catalogues and was lucky enough to experience the sensation of discovering museums and galleries around the world. [She] developed a certain sense of color combinations and assemblages. Today, art holds a powerful place in [her] life and therefore is the core of Destree. It’s the brand’s DNA.
We pay tribute to contemporary artists that [we] are fond of: Lucio Fontana, Richard Prince, and Sonia Delaunay to name a few. The references are subtly distilled by stitching details and patterns.
What have been some of the most exciting moments for Destree?
Each step has been important and exciting: the first time we saw our hat collections displayed in the iconic Le Bon Marché; the launch of leather goods for the opening of the Nordstrom Manhattan store; the fundraising in March 2022; and the opening of our first flagship on Saint Honoré in Paris, to mention a few!
