Make My D: Ecclectic European Fashion Hits Montmartre

February 7, 2010  by Tory Hoen

Our friend Linda Donahue (of Parisian Salon) has a sixth sense for shopping. Most recently, it led her to one of Montmartre’s newest boutiques opened by Nathalie Bui, sister of French fashion titan Barbara Bui. It’s cheekily named “Make My D,” and we can’t wait to check it out!

Geneviève Sandifer

Text by Linda Donahue

Fashion shouldn’t be intimidating, at least not according to Nathalie Bui. The petite fashionista spent ten years working with her sister, the European designer Barbara Bui, all the while cultivating her own sense of style. And now she’s bringing her creative energy to the Paris fashion scene with the opening of her own boutique, Make My D.

Located in Montmartre’s newly trendy Abbesses neighborhood, Make My D is more like picking through your sister’s closet—that is, if your sister has a wardrobe that’s just to die for. Bui took over the space earlier this year, transforming a locksmith’s workshop into a sprawling boutique that showcases around 20 of Europe’s trendiest designers, all of whom strike a nice balance between price and design.

Linda Donahue

Bui is clearly a huge fan of the designers she carries, wearing their ready-to-wear designs as she happily interacts with her customers. She pulls some of her favorite pieces off the racks, including an empire-waist dress by France’s Zoé, a Chanel-inspired coat by Indi (Spain) and a cashmere tunic by Denmark’s Margit Brandt. The blue leather and suede boots by Lise Lindvig are not only found on the shelf, but also on Bui’s feet. In fact, she comfortably wears all of the designers in her boutique, serving as a beautiful mannequin who’s always in motion. As if to prove this point, she also points out the wide range of accessories she carries, from jewelry to bags to scarves.

Geneviève Sandifer

Bui and her business manager Philippe picked the Abbesses location knowing it would attract a nice mix of Paris-based customers and visitors who were sightseeing in the popular Montmartre area. Once they found the old workshop, they were careful to recreate a space that, like the fashion it would hold, paid attention to the details. That included a dedicated fitting room with exquisite fabric wallpaper, vintage fixtures and antique furnishings.

As for the boutique’s open-ended name, Bui explains that since fashion is only what the person who wears it makes it to be, she wanted the name of the store to reflect that. “Obviously, everyone thinks of Clint Eastwood and his line, ‘make my day,’” she explains. “But it could be anything. ‘Make my design.’ ‘Make my dress.’ Anything.”

And that’s everything.

Geneviève Sandifer

Make My D. 7, rue la Vieuville in Montmartre (18e). Metro: Abbesses. More info here.

Check out our Tips for What to Wear in Paris in the Winter and one of Paris’ new concept stores, Merci.

Edited by Tory Hoen for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Tags: barbara bui, linda donahue, make my d, montmartre boutique, montmartre shopping, nathalie bui, paris boutique, Paris Shopping
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