BHV Homme: Men's Heaven
So long that men had been taught to be overly virile and rough and to see fashion as something deemed too sissifying for words. With much slower pace in development in terms of style and much fewer shops specialised in menswear, I am utterly delighted to at last see a whole department store devoted to Men's fashion.
BHV or Bazaar de l'Hotel de Ville is an ancient department store best known for the DIY things for your house such as screws, hammer, knots, etc, etc and many things that you could hardly find elsewhere. Like other department stores, it also offers many other products such as cosmetics, garments, house decor, but with dubious identity because it's stuck in a state of limbo not being able to go luxe as it attracts the DIY crowds and can not afford to go right down to the rough side as it is too big to just focus on DIY things alone.
Until recently, it has opened a new department occupying a whole new block and named it BHV Homme - BHV Men. This is a new concept to Paris where men's department is just part of a department store and not the whole department store like it is here.
From the outside lies the hyped and hip French creation of Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc while inside is an industrial-ish cool menswear paradise from underwear to outer garments and then some, catering to the men from head to toes.
In my opinion, I think that this is an admirable idea as the BHV Homme is located in the heart of the Marais which is the Gay District of Paris.
When you notice the pictures of Michael Angelo's David, rest assured that you have arrived.
BHV Homme
36, rue de laVerrerie
75004 Paris
www.bhvhomme.fr
metro: Hotel de Ville (ligne 1)
