A Gallic take on functional American workwear with contemporary touches, Bleu de Paname’s first collection launched in spring|summer ‘09 through a few select stores. With denim originating from France (The Serge fabric was originally made in the French city of Nîmes therefore known as ‘Serge de Nîmes’, the name was shortened to ‘denim’ by Americans in the late eighteenth century) it’s interesting to see French designers putting their spin on what we’ve come to consider typically American.

Historical anecdotes aside, these garments look great. The denim and hickory shirts stand up against the best in any collection, and the baseball style bomber jacket is a nice understated take on a classic design, which often gets over-cooked.

Some pieces are available at Oi Polloi in the UK but Starcow in Paris seems to have more of the range with added delights.