The Moon Fishermen of Paris
The Luncheon of the Boating Party, Pierre Auguste Renoir, The Phillips Collection, 1880
Hidden in the labyrinth alleys of Paris’ oldest flea-market, charming boutiques are filled with vintage fashions, lace, linen, passementerie, golden threads and gossamer lingerie. The marché-aux-puces has captivated Parisiennes for over a century and it’s thanks to the nocturnal exploits of the mischievous moon fishermen, pêcheurs de lune.
L-R Clockwise from Top: Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine sur la carte d'état-major, 1936, The Flea Market at Porte de Clignancourt, Luigi Loir, late 19th century, Habit de Fripier, Nicolas Larmessin, Collection de Costumes Grotesques, 17th century, Histoires Galantes, Laundry Day in Paris along the River Bièvre, Anonymous, 19th century.
A chiffonièr worked in the rag trade, collecting unwanted clothes and fabrics, chiffons, to be reused and repurposed. In the late 19th century there were 25,000 chiffonières in France, but they were banished from Paris and so a little community of them settled in the small village of Saint-Ouen. Under cover of darkness and guided by the light of the moon, they returned to Paris with the tools of their trade, a long hook or fishing rod, used to ‘liberate’ laundry from clothes lines! This earned them the nickname pêcheurs de lune.
Remembering that in the late 19th and early 20th century clothing was much more expensive and valuable than it is today. Either it took you a long time to make it yourself or you paid high prices for someone else to make it. There was very little ready-to-wear at this time.
Guingettes: The Pleasures of Dancing en Plein Air
La Bal du Moulin de la Galette, Auguste Renoir, Musee d'Orsay, 1876
On Sunday afternoons Parisiennes would make the trip out to Saint-Ouen to stroll among the merchants looking for a bargain, listen to jazz manouche, eat, drink and dance at the open air concerts called guingettes. In 1920, the first wooden kiosks were constructed, rent, electricity, and water were introduced and the marché-aux-puces became increasingly popular and reputable.
Today, the sprawling flea market boasts a dizzying 2,000 stands, and many of the merchants are experts in their fields. Even though they count museums, galleries and antique collectors amongst their clientele, customers are greeted with smiles and curious questions are often rewarded with the fascinating stories and patient explanations.
Madame Virginie Chorro certainly has plenty of tales to tell, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of French fashion, her cosy boutique is a well kept secret amongst fashion and costume designers seeking inspiration for a new collection or accurate references for a period production. As a young woman, Virginie refused to go to university and insisted her father, an antiques dealer from Bordeaux, train her as his apprentice and since then her passion for vintage clothing, accessories and costume jewellery from the 18th century to the 1960s has only ever increased! Virginie’s enthusiasm is evident as she takes the time to unravel the history behind a dickie, a provençal printed cotton or an extravagantly embroidered and embellished mourning bodice from the Callots Soeurs.
Marcel & Jeanette has two locations and in the menswear boutique you will find Madame Merry Liuzzo, who grew up surrounded by antiques at the flea-market, working for the esteemed experts to earn her pocket money, argent de poche. Merrys’ boutique has everything an elegant gentleman requires for an evening at the opera; charming silk embroidered braces and handkerchiefs, exquisite 18th century men’s embroidered waistcoats, and jet black top-hats. A long rail of bleu travail, the sturdy blue cotton French workers jackets favoured by New York fashion-photographer Bill Cunningham, is a treasure trove for any dapper-dresser. With expert knowledge (and in English - phew!), Merry reveals the intriguing history of French design in her store of utilitarian leather satchels, wicker bags and calico totes.
If you would like to join me on a Flea Market Tour to visit my favourite vintage fashion and textile experts you can follow the link below. If you are an intrepid textile traveller, the Textile Travels Paris guide includes a selection of some great flea markets and vendors to visit!
