I‘m quite taken by this Parisian brand that embroiders 19th century linen dress shirts found in the south of France. The shirts are inspired by nomadic travel, from Paris to Pakistan. Each one comes with its own travel guide from the region that’s embroidered onto the flax-based fabric, encouraging you to discover a little-known destination where the founder has travelled. Alexandra Senes, founder of Kilometre Paris, has been always interested in exploring new authentic and upcoming destinations, or what she calls “the Ibizas of tomorrow”. Kilometre is a curious collision of travel, history and fashion, so you can see why I’m a little smitten…
Such special pieces however, do come at a price. A Kilometre shirt should be seen almost as an heirloom, something you will pass down to your children, just as they have time-travelled from the 19th century to find new life with Kilometre. From the markets of Provence, the shirts then travel to the talented hands of embroiders scouted by Alexandre as far as India and Mexico. The intricately sewn pieces all include the GPS coordinates of the destinations on their sleeves.
“Kilometre uses vintage shirts as its canvas to express the meridians and parallels of travel. The shirts take their wearers on a journey down the road least travelled. Procida rather than capri, Kastellorizo instead of Mykonos, Hudson Valley and not the Hamptons: kilometre evades the expected, and unveils the Ibizas and Saint-Tropezs of tomorrow. Our shirts are covered with embroidered representations of these elusive places – maps, rough sketches, coordinates – each like a cherished memory.”
