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1905The story of the brand starts in 1905, when Henri HONNET, a commercial clerk, founded his own workwear clothes shop from scratch in the north of Paris.
He opened his shop at 210 boulevard de la Villette, PARIS. |
1906
Henri HONNET understood early the importance of advertising to bypass the fierce competition between workwear dealers: he got printed many postcards picturing his shop and offered them to stationeries. Mail post was the only means for common people to communicate with one’s family. |
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First-part of the XIXth century
Henri HONNET’s wife, Louise-Joséphine helped him for shopkeeping. As a seamstress, she took in charge the altering of clothes and some clothes revamping or customization. |
Famous patrons
A little bit of history: in 1860, in order to thank Napoleon the third for backing the creation (unification) of Italy, Savoy was hand-over to France. As Napoleon III was eager to gain loyalty amid his brand new subjects, he granted a privilege to Savoy inhabitants: they became the exclusive 110 warehousemen of auction house Drouot (from the name of Napoleon (Ist)’s general of artillery…). |
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Les années 80 et 90
In 1964 Henri BLAIS's daughter also took over the family shop. |
A new family
In 1992, just before the effective teardown of the building, a young entrepreneur, Patrick BEERENS, understands the historical importance of the shop for the French workwear. |
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2022
After a few years in reduced operation following a new forced move, A l'Ouvrier reinvents itself through a new address in a new district of Paris. |