A magazine once called it “your best girlfriend’s closet”. Others liken it to a dollhouse or a high- end flea market. The best way to find out what the French vintage store Fille de Joie (pronounced Fee-ya duh jwah) really is, is to actually hop on the L train and find out for yourself.
Since its opening in January, 2007 just steps away from hipster haven Bedford Avenue, this quaint boutique has been drawing “oohs” and “ahs” (and even “oo-la-las”) from customers. The now-landmark of Williamsburg is the brainchild of French native C.C. McGurr, a Brigitte Bardot fanatic who collaborated on the clothing label Mini Girl in the ‘90s. “I used to love flea markets. For me it was like looking for archaeological treasures,”she remembers.
A lover of things from the past, she founded Fille de Joie (Lady of Leisure) to share her passion for everything vintage. The racks of the light-filled store are stacked with clothes and handbags from style powerhouses such as Chanel, Dior, Vuitton, Ferragamo, Gucci and Sonia Rykiel, along with all the treasures CC picks up from her travels to Paris, Saint-Tropez, and Tokyo. The treasures include everything from bikinis to hats and old typewriters and lamps. Every item in the store, even the bed and the huge mirror at the back, is for sale. “It’s like a boudoir” smiles McGurr, referring to a lady’s private dressing room in 18th century France.
Mix in the flashy art work, including paintings of voluptuous females by CC’s daughter and artist friends, and you have the perfect recipe for glamour and hipness. “I’m still looking for the Holy Grail,” she admits, “which would be a dead stock of Crazy Horse clothes from the ‘70s.”
Fille de Joie: 197 Grand St (between Bedford and Driggs Aves) Brooklyn, NY11211 – L to Bedford Avenue – Open Daily 1pm-8pm – P: (718) 599-3525 – Website: www.filledejoienyc.com
