Olivier Paquet, the luxury craftsman committed to Berry

He swapped the spotlight of Parisian luxury for the tranquility of Argenton-sur-Creuse. After a career in haute couture, Olivier Paquet, 57, chose to return to his native Berry, determined to offer an alternative to mass consumption through a selection of committed brands. Since 2022, he has been at the head of the ready-to-wear boutique Casa Noé, located on rue Grande.

“They thought I had burned out”

Born in Châteauroux, Olivier Paquet left the city at the age of 19 to try his luck in Paris. Without a diploma but determined, he began his career as an intern at Louis Féraud, a famous fashion designer of the 80s. “I drew, I dreamed of becoming a stylist”he remembers. In the workshops, he begins by carrying the coffee and the rolls of fabric, but above all by handling materials, understanding colors and capturing the essence of luxury. A learning from the shadows, which will eventually bear fruit.

Guy Laroche, Sonia Rykiel, John Galliano and finally Yves Saint Laurent: the most prestigious fashion houses come one after the other. Olivier Paquet rose through the ranks to become deputy director of several European boutiques. “At Yves Saint Laurent, the level of demands was pushed to the paroxysm. The flowers were changed twice a day, the toilets were embroidered. » But after years of surpassing himself in this ultra-coded universe, he ends up burning out.

The death of his father, during the Covid period, suddenly brings him back to reality. Faced with loss, he feels the need to return to simple things, to find his roots. “There is this cabin on the shores of Lake Éguzon, my cousins' house, which is one of my refuges. » It was there that he made a decision: to return to Indre and create a store that resembled him.

A new lease of life for Argenton

The 1^is July 2022, Casa Noé opens its doors. Olivier Paquet imagines a space that reflects the Berry art of living, while offering committed brands such as Patagonia, Barbour, and Veja. “When I approached these brands, they thought I had burned out and above all, they didn’t know Indre,” he still laughs. But, true to his approach, he did not let it discourage him.

Far from impersonal chains, the leader has recreated a universe in his image. The store, a modest space of 30 m² initially, expanded with the opening – in part – of the second store, in November 2023. A year later and after some work, the second store was fully opened and offers 90 m², when the original one has given way to another business.

After traveling the world of luxury, he chose to slow down: “I have no regrets. But today I want to offer others what I found here: a little tranquility, meaning and beauty. »