Linen sanctuary
SIMON THISSE • La Serviette Paris
WORK • Friday Routine
SIMON THISSE • CEO & AD • La Serviette Paris
Neighborhood you work in: Bourse/6th arr.
Neighborhood you live in: Neuilly-sur-Seine
It’s Friday afternoon. How are you rolling into the weekend?
Friday afternoon means Friday night! So a dinner at home with friends is a must. I love getting into the kitchen, even if I’m not a top chef. I just really enjoy the space — it’s super convivial and always ends up bringing everyone together.
The next day, like every Saturday, I stop by our shop in the 6th arrondissement, at 26 rue Saint-Placide, right across from Le Bon Marché. Alexane, our store manager, and Matei, our sales advisor, are always on point, welcoming and full of good vibes. But I like checking that everything’s running smoothly. I might be a bit of a perfectionist!
With our architect Adeline Hémonnot, we designed the shop to feel like the lobby of a grand early-20th-century hotel, with carpet on the floors and walls, walnut wood, brushed stainless steel, and lots of artistic nods. I love it.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Today I’m starting by reviewing all the photos from our latest beach towel shoot, which we did in an incredible setting: at a house right at the foot of Europe’s largest sand dune in Pyla. Then I’ll be working with our product teams to develop a custom bed linen line for a five-star hotel in Marrakech, and a new bath linen collection for the spa of a palace in the south of France. And in the middle of it all, one of my favorite moments: lunch with my business partner Benjamin. On the menu today: a bite from rue Saint-Anne, just next to the office.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
If I had to choose just one: Cibus, a tiny Italian trattoria in one of Paris’s most beautiful neighborhoods, Palais-Royal. Cibus is 10 tables, max. No fixed menu, no fixed prices either. But the food is incredible, and the decor is as outdated as it is authentic.
How about a little leisure or culture?
For me, museums and galleries are sanctuaries where I feel safe and totally at peace. Almost every Saturday, I make the rounds in the Marais, visiting places like Thaddaeus Ropac, Karsten Greve, and Galleria Continua. The way artists work with materials, shapes, and colors is a constant source of inspiration for my collections.
Any weekend getaways?
My family home in Burgundy, in a tiny village in the Yonne region with 500 residents. My brother and cousins have their own places there too. All the doors are open, we move from one house to the next, from one wine cellar to another. And otherwise: Arles, from July to October, for the Rencontres de la Photographie. Beyond the creativity, Arles is History with a capital H, and it’s got some amazing restaurants too!
What was your last great vacation?
Pantelleria, a small island between Sicily and Tunisia, which I discovered during a shoot for La Serviette Paris’s beach collection. It’s simple, wild, and because of its remote location, not easy to reach. I took some great photos there and later made some great connections too. One place that brings it all together: Parco dei Sesi, the gorgeous guest house run by Margot and Massimiliano.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A lithograph by Alex Foxton, an artist I discovered at OFR. bookstore — the most inspiring art bookstore in Paris, run by siblings Alexandre and Marie.
What store or service do you always recommend?
Drôle de Monsieur, rue de Poitou in the 3rd. A French menswear brand whose boutique, like their collections, has that certain je ne sais quoi of French chic and retro flair. It’s a kind of French elegance that mixes materials (wood paneling, tapestries, marble) and styles (from Gatsby to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). One of a kind.