Building brand credibility is hard. The lengths companies will go to in order to convince particular consumers that their product is genuine, relevant and in touch are great, to say the least
There are a number of routes international brands use to earn this kind of authenticity. From collaborations and endorsements from musicians and celebrities to engaging their audience in unconventional ways, brands are constantly chasing that increasingly elusive, highly coveted yet frustratingly abstract tag: being irrefutably ‘cool’ .

This is an issue Stephane Ashpool has little difficulty with. Since his modestly sized fashion store, Pigalle, opened its doors four and a half years ago, its daring yet accessible designs have earned him international recognition and legions of fans – some more famous than others. His loyalty to his roots is perhaps largely responsible for how readily he’s been accepted by the notoriously snooty fashion gliterati.

“Pigalle is an area in Paris, I was born there, so I guess the store actually started 30 years ago” he says. Stephane, along with several of his friends formed the Pain Au Chocolat collective. Made up of multi-disciplinary, passionate and productive young Parisians, they made a name for themselves throwing roadblock parties. “We built our scene and it grew up and up and up.”  

The idea to open a fashion store began when a space opened near the crew’s office. “I wanted to do something with my friends to do with clothes.” But why fashion? “My Dad is an artist, but made clothes for theatre and contemporary dance. While my Mum was a dancer, who walked for Thierry Mugler... So fashion was around me when I was young, but at the time I was more interested in playing basketball.”  

Stephane’s penchant for street culture has certainly played its part in his designs, however his style is incredibly tricky to pigeonhole. “One day I’m feeling high fashion, then another day I’m feeling more grimy” he says, “I put the two together and play basketball, and maybe that’s my inspiration.”

He seems unwilling to label himself, or decide where exactly he fits within the fashion world. But then perhaps that’s why he’s been so successful. Stephane doesn’t seem all that interested in defining himself – he’s happy to just do what he does and let the rest of the world decide where to put him. “With every collection I have a story in my mind that I follow," he explains, "but it’s not like I want the people to call it this or that. I let the people give a name to it.”

I don’t try to position myself, as soon as I’m happy, I don’t care about the rest.

This laid back approach to his place in the market feels characteristic of Pigalle’s brand ethos. “I don’t try to position myself, as soon as I’m happy, I don’t care about the rest.” This is reflected in the diversity of the kind of products he sells. From affordable €30 t-shirts to more premium, almost high fashion items like €1500 jackets, Stephane explains how the store's diversity is reflective of Paris “It’s this mixed culture. It’s world music and Hip Hop, it’s black and white, it’s French elegance and street.” This natural, effortless cool is an asset that no amount of marketing savvy or promotional dollars could match. “I didn’t go to marketing school. The only marketing I know is the street and it's one I learnt by myself.”

And this easy-going, yet exciting attitude to branding is perhaps what caught the eye of 2013’s hip hop poster boy, A$AP Rocky. “Again, there was zero marketing behind it, it’s something we did spontaneously” Stephane explains. Quite understandably, once Pigalle’s clothes were associated with the New York rapper, their international status sky-rocketed. “He’s from Harlem, which is in my opinion is one of the places in the world that can build trends. They come out with trends... and then the rest of the world, step by step, follows.” And perhaps A$AP Rocky is an embodiment of this relaxed, yet creatively adventurous mindset, and this is why he’s so compatible with Pigalle. “He’s in the perfect generation, I think he’s exactly of this period. He’s able to wear both street and high-end fashion and I feel comfortable with this because it’s also what I’m doing”.  

So with what is an unofficial endorsement from possibly the hottest pop culture commodity in the world, what’s next for Pigalle and its break neck ascent to fashion royalty? Stephane is unsurprisingly relaxed. “I leave it to instinct. As soon as I’m happy it’s fine. As soon as I can get a taxi and eat at a restaurant everyday and all the little things, I’m fine.” His laid back, take things-as-they-come approach seems to have worked out pretty well so far, and there seems no reason to believe his quintessentially Parisian aura of cool is in danger of slowing down any time soon.  
Photography Vivek Vadoliya