Not everything that’s great and French comes from Paris, you know. Take Quiche Lorraine, cognac, or Eric Cantona, for example.
Another stellar instance is Drôle de Monsieur, a menswear label that is most definitely not from Paris.
Head to their Instagram account and you’ll find the mantra “Not from Paris Madame” in their bio, as well as on many of the products it's produced since its founding back in 2014.
In fact, Drôle de Monsieur is some 350km from the French capital based out of the famous city of Dijon, a region renowned for its mustard – which is quite ironic because that’s exactly how I'd describe the brand’s garments.
Ready-to-wear with an emphasis on clean lines, quality fabrication, and bold design, Drôle de Monsieur has garnered a loyal following throughout its relatively short existence, not just in France, but across Europe as a whole.
For its FW22 collection, Drôle de Monsieur honed in on the nineties, mixing florals with knitwear, and checked patterns with the brand’s new-look monogram.
Elsewhere, diagonal patterns that feature on polos and jerseys draw inspiration from VHS videotapes, as denim styles arrive as a nod to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Naturally, the aforementioned “Not from Paris Madame” slogan has been given a vegetable-inspired update, arriving alongside equally eye-catching BMW and ice skating graphic tees.
Drôle de Monsieur is – and always should be – one of many reminders that just because something is French, it doesn’t make it Parisian, and that ambition, talent, and love for craft isn’t reserved just to capital cities.
