Claude MONTANA by Premier Etage - Spring/Summer 1996 Collect - Lot 266

Exhibitions February 23 and 24, 2026 10am - 12pm / 2pm - 5pm

"A life of fashion, design and finery

It all began in Paris, at the dawn of the 70s. As soon as I arrived in the capital, my first steps as a model led me to the illustrious house of Yves Saint Laurent. I was plunged into the fascinating and demanding world of haute couture. I particularly remember rue Spontini and that mythical January 1971 collection - a show that has become legendary for the scandal it caused and the wild audacity it embodied.

It was during this effervescence that I crossed paths with promising young designers destined to shake up fashion history: Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana. I regularly parade for them, in the heart of a Paris vibrant with creativity and avant-garde.

It was at the Café de Flore, the epicenter of the art scene at the time, that my path crossed with Michel (Lanz), then a student at the Beaux-Arts. It was to be the turning point in my life, and we never left each other's side. A symbiotic relationship quickly developed: we shared the same aesthetic sensibility, a deep love for shapes, materials and the freedom to create.

The jewelry adventure began almost by chance. A friend, Renaud, then head of accessories at Carita, entrusted us with a stock of snakeskin bracelets. We decided to sell them at the Flea Market, and were an immediate success. The first boutique placed an order, soon followed by many others.

Buoyed by this momentum, we began to imagine our own designs. We found stocks of glass buttons, chandelier tassels and diverted elements, which we assembled with instinct and daring. Our consecration takes root on rue Montorgueil, in a unique space that merges showroom and workshop. Michel came up with an innovative idea: to install the showroom on the second floor, which inspired the name "Premier Étage". The space was an instant hit with the press, with an increasing number of publications and collaborations with leading fashion and ready-to-wear houses.

It was during this period that I decided to devote myself fully to our joint project. It was an era of intense creativity, absolute freedom and shared happiness.

Annie ferrari "