Biography
Stéphane Ashpool entered the fashion industry in 2002 when — along with his mother — he founded creative agency Vida9, which produced shows for Rick Owens , Gareth Pugh , Christian Dior and Nike. Ashpool’s experience with Vida9 set him up for his next project, a store named Pigalle that opened in 2008. Pigalle stocks past-season designer items from the likes of Rick Owens, Sharon Wauchob and Gareth Pugh alongside Ashpool’s own collections and took its name from Paris’ most notorious neighbourhood. Situated on Rue Henry Monnier, the shop sits opposite the basketball courts where Ashpool played as a teenager. The designer now coaches a young team on the court and has created a basketball-inspired fusion line.
Pigalle Basketball and Pigalle’s main line are carried by over 20 stockists, with the former having its own online store. In Autumn 2015, Ashpool launched e-commerce for his main line — part of a strategy to move away from wholesale and build a more vertically integrated business. The same year, he won the prestigious €250,000 ANDAM Prize, which also included mentorship from Chanel Fashion President Bruno Pavlovsky .
Ashpool is part of a three-pronged creative collective ‘PPP’ that includes Pain O choKolat, an art collective and Le Pompon, a nightclub, whose parties and signature street style have made the group notable figures on the Paris scene — a recognition Ashpool has leveraged into business for his brand.
Ashpool's collections have been picked up by major music industry figures such as A$AP Rocky , frequently seen in Pigalle T-Shirts and hoodies, boosting the brand's visibility. The brand has also collaborated with the likes of Nike and Converse and decorated entire basketball courts with colourful, eclectic designs around the world. Ashpool continues to work closely with the Chanel Atelier, under which he was initially mentored as ANDAM Prize-winner.