Anthropologie for adults: Ventilo

My GF Huguette, visiting from Paris, wanted to dart into Anthropologie. She was attracted by the riot of colour and pattern in the window. "How is it?" she asked me. "Young", I replied, but we went in anyway.

She needed a summer skirt, something to wear in the Canadian heat, for which she had not packed adequately. Huguette is 62, trim, with a graying bob, snapping brown eyes and terrific taste.

She admired a strapless sundress, several skirts. But they were all too short for her. Why can't we have those skirts longer than 18 inches? Well, because Anthropologie's prime market is the 18-to-26 post-Urban Outfitters crowd.

As she flipped price tags, she expressed surprise that 20-somethings could afford $200 sundresses, and found the prices high given the quality of fabric and finishing.

Huguette was drawn to the shop because she loves, and therefore buys, clothes by Armand Ventilo, whom Anthropologie reference, but cannot begin to match for refined design and sumptuous quality.












Shown, examples from recent Ventilo summer and fall collections. It's easy to see what she falls for: gorgeous fabrics, unexpected colour combinations, boho-chic detail, and lengths long enough for a woman to feel current yet covered enough.

The designer is pricey (similar to Marni or Max Mara), but La Redoute sell Ventilo's second line, La Colline, and both new and used pieces turn up on eBay, worth bookmarking.

This new embroidered silk tunic, a US size 12, is listed by seller whitefashion with a BIN of $150, pas mal, considering that the retail price is about $850.

To accommodate a slimmer budget and wider hips than Huguette's, I'll assemble my fall wardrobe with Ventilo's audacious colours and textures in mind, mostly from what I already have.


Strict-ly smashing






Ventilo designs less-embellished pieces in the style sub-genre I call 'strict'. A sigh of pleasure for the blue-gray shoes worn with the black dress, far right, above.

I will also channel these refined and deceptively simple looks, as far from Eileen Fisher as a pop tart from a brioche.

Ventilo's web site reminds me not to settle for ho-hum, sloppily-tailored and uninspiring choices just because I can fit into them.

And the accessories, formidable!

All images © Ventilo Paris; retrieved from Ventilo Paris web site and not intended for commercial use.