Chloé Pariente of Arbo is Rethinking Menswear

Please briefly introduce yourself and your brand.

My name is Chloé Pariente, I am 23, and I created the brand Arbo in 2018 in Paris after I got a bachelor in Graphic Design at Duperré Applied Arts School.

Arbo is a premium men's ready - to - wear brand that was born out of the desire to offer a wardrobe for men as diversified as women's. With Arbo, I wish to propose new masculine, modern and elegant silhouettes. We offer pieces that borrow many elements from a feminine wardrobe, as in the choice of shapes, colors, materials and details.

How has Arbo grown since its founding in 2018? What are you most proud of so far?

Arbo has grown a lot since the beginning! As I had no contact or experience, I had to seek a lot, both workshops and quality suppliers, but also to build a team of people I trust and feel good with. Today we have our own studio in the Marais in Paris, and we sell online on our eshop.

I am very proud of that, but also to have positive feedback everyday on the brand, and to see many artists wears the clothes makes me very happy.

How were you able to start your brand at 20? What advice would you give to other young designers?

I have always wanted to create clothes.

I entered the only public school in France that offers fashion studies but I was allowed to study graphic design. After graduation, I didn't want to enter a private school, and working would have brought me towards fashion image which was not what interested me. So I decided to create my own brand directly.

To other young designers, I want to say go ! We have only one life, if this what you dream about, just do it. Even if it doesn't work, at least you've tried and you will have gained a lot of experience! And you're still young!

How is Arbo unique from other menswear designers?

Arbo is a socially involved clothing brand. In fact, men have less choice of clothing than women, so we want to propose new forms to try to reduce a difference at this level - there. We create dresses for men. Indeed, the dress is a practical and comfortable garment. It is a clothing which is easy and pleasant to wear, and which is flattering on all types of bodies.

Moreover, to tolerate that men have a choice is to accept to let them express themselves fully. It is also to allow them to better grasp the emotions felt by women according to the chosen outfit, and thus to better understand them.

Do you think the future of fashion is gender-fluid?

To me gender-fluid is more a trend. I think the future means more equality between men and women, and that includes fashion. So, some things have to change. This is what I try to do everyday with Arbo. 

Does Arbo incorporate sustainability practices into production?

We recover stocks of fabrics from major fashion houses. This process gives us access to very beautiful fabrics, but more importantly, it allows us to reuse a material that has been created and is now unused.

This roll end system means that we don't have a lot of stock per material. We therefore do not produce any pieces in advance and proceed only by pre-order. Thanks to this, we have a very large choice of sizes available (from XXS to XXL) and we do not create unnecessary stock. All is designed and manufactured in Paris.

What is the inspiration behind the SS21 collection, Je rêve de Biarritz?

My family has a vacation home in Biarritz, where I spend every summer. At the moment we understood that we were going to set up a quarantine, we wanted to go to Biarritz but we changed our mind at the last moment. So I stayed in my apartment in Paris. This collection was entirely designed during the confinement, so it's a wink to that moment, when we could only dream of traveling. It's both nostalgic and dreamlike.

How has your business adapted to the pandemic?

The pandemic allowed me to step back and think about how I could improve the brand. I used this time to create a more competent eshop, set up new projects... As everything is done in-house, taking a break didn't cause us that many problems.However, I hope that this will not prevent us from having new retailers in the long run.

What's coming next for Arbo?

Lots of things! We are going to collaborate with an artist I love (the release of the pieces is planned for November), we are working with new artisans, we are preparing the new collection for February, the first accessories... and many surprises!