For the timeless and the effortless
In the Cab With
Gauthier Borsarello
A Q&A on the Appeal of Vintage Clothing, "Real People", the Crucial Balance for Longevity, and Gauthier Borsarello's Seven Easy Pieces
by Bart Kooi
His work blends references from past eras—particularly France from the 1960s to the 1980s—with a contemporary edge, creating timeless yet modern pieces. Whether it’s the garments he designs for Fursac or the eclectic styling for l’Étiquette, his passion for authenticity, quality, and culture is clear. With an eye for mixing the old with the new, he remains deeply connected to real people, avoiding the fashionable circles in favor of drawing inspiration from the streets, everyday life, and the stories garments tell.
In this week's article: "In the Cab With Gauthier Borsarello" a Q&A with a very Cabmate creative director, fashion director and vintage collector who loves people who “don’t try to be anyone other than themselves”.
You entered the fashion world through an unconventional path, starting your career as a professional classical musician. When did you realize you wanted to work in fashion?
I’m not sure when exactly I decided I wanted to be in fashion, but I knew quite early on that music wasn’t really for me. In my family, being a musician was the natural path. I passed all my exams easily and got a good job early on, so I followed that path until I was 23. I eventually left the national orchestra to become a salesperson at Cifonelli, then Edward Green, and later Ralph Lauren. I had absolutely no network in the fashion industry, so I had to start from the ground up. I learned so much during those years in sales, and I loved every bit of it.
I learned what real customers truly wanted. Far removed from blogs, forums, and other niche platforms, I found myself face-to-face with real people who simply wanted to look good in everyday life. [My time at] Ralph [Lauren] taught me how to bridge the gap between the niche world of experts or ‘nerds’ and the realities of business, as well as the lives, desires, and needs of people.
What was it that drew you to fashion, what excites you about it?
The garment itself: the quality, the history, the craftsmanship, the sociology. Everything technical about how a garment is made excites me, and it still does today.
I love understanding how fabric is woven, what makes a fabric better so it lasts longer, or how it enhances specific technical aspects. Then, deciding on the right pattern to ensure the client is comfortable and the garment lasts longer — for example, if it’s too tight or not well cut, it won’t age well. But also which thread to use for sewing, and so on.
When you first entered the fashion industry, did you immediately know which career path you wanted to follow, or did it develop over time?
No, not really. I only wanted to work in the vintage business. I couldn’t have imagined, or even dreamed, that it would lead me to become a creative director and launch my own magazine. I've been extremely lucky.
I wanted to work in the field I was most passionate about. At that time, in Paris, no one was doing it [vintage] like the British or Americans. With all the biggest fashion houses based here, I thought it was smart to do it here. I followed the path of mentors like Doug and Roy at The Vintage Showroom, Graham Cassie, and Bob Melet — they were my inspiration.
I launched my magazine to show how natural and cool it is to mix vintage and new clothes that share a focus on quality. Together with Marc Beaugé, we simply wanted to read about menswear in a magazine that wasn’t written in Japanese. It was about creating a French version of our favorite Japanese magazines, enriched by Marc’s amazing expertise in journalism.
You have developed a clear signature style. How would you describe your style, and how has it evolved over time?
I think it's an accumulation of references from films, vintage collecting, and studying the styles of personalities from the past. I like to imagine personas from a particular era and city—what job they might have, for example—and then I design their wardrobe based on that.
A central aspect of your work is your love for vintage clothing. What is it about vintage clothing that appeals to you so much?
The quality of the garment and the authentic patinas. I can’t stand factory-made patinas, so to add depth and texture to a look, I need my vintage archive to put in the mix. I do love a well-made garment made today, but it's much harder to find [laughs].
How do the vintage pieces you collect influence your design and styling work at Fursac and L’Étiquette Magazine?
I buy vintage to incorporate into the silhouettes for L’Étiquette, adding patina and character to complete a style. But I also use vintage pieces to study what worked and what didn’t in garments from the past; it helps me decide what elements to keep and what to avoid when designing at Fursac.
Studying vintage pieces guides me in creating more durable and timeless designs; you can see where vintage pieces fade first, where they crack, and how different fabrics age. It’s really about studying garments through their life with their past owners. Thanks to their use of the garments, I can save time and understand what to do and what not to do.
Movies, definitely, and books—I buy them obsessively. But most of all, it's the streets and the metro. That’s where you really understand what real people want; that’s why I avoid fashionable areas in Paris — so I can stay connected to everyday people. Otherwise, it's easy to start believing that the fashion crowd around you represents reality, which they don’t.
You’ve mentioned wanting to “appeal to real people.” Could you elaborate on what this means to you?
I want people outside of the fashion industry to like what I do, to like the products I design and the style I create in the magazine. If you only cater to a niche, it’s great, but it limits the universality of your work. I admire high-quality, thoughtfully crafted pieces that can speak to everyone.
You’ve expressed a desire to create "the vintage of tomorrow" with your designs at Fursac. What, in your opinion, is the most important aspect of creating a timeless piece of clothing?
I don’t really believe in true timelessness—everything has an expiration date, in a way. We don’t dress like people did in the 18th century, even if they considered their style timeless back then. My goal is to design pieces that fit within the framework I’ve set for Fursac: Parisian, 1960-1980, Left Bank, new money. That's my inspiration frame. From there, I aim to make it modern and cool for today. If it meets all those criteria, I'm happy, and I hope it will age well.
At both Fursac and L’Étiquette, there are many references to past eras, as you say particularly from France between the 1960s and 1980s. How do you balance between these references and being contemporary and relevant?
That’s the tricky part—studying the cycles of fashion and trends. The key is to understand them and follow them while staying within your established framework. You define your classics, then adapt them to contemporary trends without straying too far, so you remain "on brand." That balance is crucial for longevity, in my opinion.
Is there a specific project or collection you’ve worked on that best represents you as a creative / fashion director?
I would say the L’Étiquette styles I’ve been creating since issue number one. There’s no set framework, so I can experiment with many different styles, mixing vintage and new, classics and fashion pieces. It’s really been an amazing playground for the past seven years already.
The collection is inspired by the north of France, with themes of soccer, rock 'n' roll, and funfairs. The pink coat, to me, felt like the perfect piece for a rock star in the ‘60s—worn over a black suit, white shirt, and black tie, paired with Beatle boots, stepping out of a white Rolls Royce. It also reminded me of cotton candy. These elements were all mixed together, and believe it or not, we sell the coat quite well [laughs].
Are there any style icons who have shaped your sense of fashion and style?
Ralph Lauren, Aristotle Onassis, Yul Brynner, Lapo Elkann, John F. Kennedy Jr., Charles de Beistegui, David Niven, Herbert von Karajan, Shia LaBeouf, Kunichi Nomura, Hiroki Nakamura, and so many others.
What is it about these style icons that you particularly like? What do you admire most about their, or someone’s, style?
I love people who represent who they are, who have no equivalent, and who don’t try to be anyone other than themselves, embracing their culture, country, personal history, and so on.
That’s what makes me sad when I see people looking exactly the same in LA, Tokyo, Paris, and Seoul. I think it’s a pity that we lose our unique qualities—generations, cities, social categories, etcetera. We should be proud of who we are and represent it through our lifestyle and style, without trying to be someone else. If you do this and wear your clothes often, allowing them to develop a patina, you will have style, in my opinion.
Donna Karan had her “Seven Easy Pieces.” What would your Seven Easy Pieces (must-have essentials) be?
- Alden modified last black shoes;
- French black moleskin work pants;
- A white tubular crewneck t-shirt;
- An old American sweatshirt;
- A French sailor sweater;
- Any rare and beautiful jacket;
- Black acetate or titanium glasses;
and [as a bonus]: an Oyster Perpetual full gold Rolex watch.
Finally, what makes something very Cabmate to you?
The perfection of the white, blue, and black combination •
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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