PARIS — French tabloid sensation Zahia Dehar is teaming with the king of Hollywood vintage, Cameron Silver, for the U.S. launch of her couture and ready-to-wear lingerie collections.
The Zahia Dehar lines will be available exclusively at Decades in Los Angeles beginning in October. The pair will celebrate the partnership with a dinner on July 4 at L’Eclaireur’s store and restaurant on Rue Boissy d’Anglas, which is hosting a “pâtisserie-boudoir” pop-up shop for Dehar from Monday to Oct. 15.
“Decades has always been the United Nations of fashion, so it’s another opportunity to introduce to our discriminating clients something very exclusive and international,” Silver told WWD.
“I’m very attracted to the idea of presenting extremely glamorous lingerie, because it’s really part of the history of Hollywood,” he added. “Plus you can’t put on a great vintage couture evening gown without really nice underpinnings, so it’s a nice alternative to Spanx.”
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The temporary space at L’Eclaireur marks the debut of Dehar’s rtw line, with a “Gâteau-bonbon” theme derived from her fall couture collection. The 21-year-old designer said she worked on the line with Les Atelières, a cooperative made up of former Lejaby workers who have set up their own lingerie factory.
“I wanted to get as close as possible to the details of couture and to keep the spirit of the theme intact, and it’s very complicated to translate that into a commercial collection,” she said, explaining why rtw is only just launching three seasons after she started showing during Paris Couture Week.
The baroque-style pop-up store and tea room, partly inspired by Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette,” will also feature a smattering of accessories ranging from a heart-shaped minaudière that appears to be covered with icing flowers, to nipple covers in faux meringue made from silicone, Dehar added.
They will be sold alongside edible treats created by hot young pastry chef Sébastien Gaudard. Dehar said she would take the “pâtisserie-boudoir” concept to New York and Tokyo next, adding that she hopes to eventually open stand-alone stores in Paris, New York, Los Angeles and Tokyo.
Described by Karl Lagerfeld as a contemporary French courtesan, Dehar hit the headlines in 2010 for allegedly selling her sexual services to top French soccer players while she was still a minor. The trial of Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema was due to start last week but has been postponed until January.
Dehar has since put the scandal behind her to focus on her brand, which is backed by Hong Kong-based equity fund First Mark. Her infamous curves have been immortalized by the likes of Pierre et Gilles, and at the end of her couture show in January, she came out on a horse-drawn carriage, a baby lamb at her side.
“She’s fascinating. She’s like a Barbara Walters special,” said Silver. “The fashion world is so filled with outside-the-box personalities — who I think tend to be the ones that succeed the best — and I think she’s a perfect example of being outside the box but really very committed to creating this brand.”