TEMPUS Magazine redefines time, giving you a glimpse into all things sophisticated, compelling, vibrant, with its pages reflecting the style, luxury and beauty of the world in which we live. A quarterly publication for private aviation enthusiasts.
Issue link: http://tempus-magazine.epubxp.com/i/107193
Vignettes F Cashmere Couture exemplaire makes art of a fashion staple From the moment twenty-somethings Jean-Victor Meyers and Louis Leboiteux met, they knew they had a shared fashion sense. Attired in identical wardrobes (down to the same sneakers), they had a mutual love of all things modern, minimal, and luxe that has transformed into a small yet exceptional line of cashmere basics that refects their fashion-conscious yet timeless personal style. This sense of style is what compelled them to start the fashion company Exemplaire. Meyers, grandson to Liliane Bettencourt, one of the world's wealthiest women and the force behind cosmetics empire L'Oréal, was schooled in business with a master's in marketing, business, and fnance from the Institut Superieur de Gestion. But his passion has long been fashion. To attain his own sense of style, he often custom ordered sweaters—waiting months for the fnished product to arrive. It didn't take long for Meyers and Leboiteux to grow tired of altering and customizing traditional cashmere sweaters into slimmer fts just to achieve a balance of quality and style. They came up with the concept of making their own and then spent months scouring market research on men's spending habits. "The idea was to start with the fundamentals in basic colors frst," Meyers explained during an event at Barneys, one of the select places this exclusive line is sold. That meant colors that veered toward the darker end of the spectrum—navy, gray, black. A neutral palette is versatile, the pair explains. "The idea was to have 16 Tempus-Magazine.com . Spring 2013 Business partners Jean-Victor Meyers and Louis Leboiteux have a shared passion for high fashion and the finer things in life, including luxe clothing. a collection that people could wear from noon to midnight," Meyers says. And, the pieces are also understated. "They have a low profle; they're very subtle," he says. "They are not for showing off." Instead, the opulence of an Exemplaire sweater is in the details. Be it a Teddy cardigan or a cable-knit shawl collar pullover; a chinchilla sweatshirt or a biker-style blouson, Exemplaire's designs are as elegant as they are exceptional— casual for connoisseurs of fne cashmere with a selective style sense. With visible seams and deep-cut V-necks, Exemplaire sweaters showcase thick cuffs at the wrist and a dense knit, created by hand, that prevents any pilling. Consider a single-ply cashmere crewneck sweater: It also features leather inserts at the shoulders and drumdyed lambskin yokes at the elbows, in addition to exclusively sourced cashmere from countries that have been harvesting this fne fber for hundreds of years—places like Nepal and Tibet, among others. Buttons on a three-ply cardigan are a matte black horn, and a simple hoodie is elevated by being made with 80 percent cashmere and 20 percent chinchilla, and accented with black drum-dyed lambskin braiding. The collection is as limited as it is luxurious. A dozen styles, with varying iterations of V-necks, crew necks, cardigans, and hoodies, are available. The line is carried by selective stores, like Barneys New York and Beverly Hills, and a handful of European boutiques including one in Paris, and another in London. For more information, visit exemplaire.com. photograph Courtesy of exempl aire By Heidi Coryell Williams