An ARNYS PARIS ‘Cotton Jacket (Cornac)’, estimated to date from around the 2000s.
A truly special piece has arrived.
ARNYS PARIS is a maison that began in 1933, when the brothers Léon and Albert, sons of the Ukrainian-Jewish tailor "Jankel Grimbert", opened a shop at 14 rue de Sèvres on the Left Bank of Paris.
Once spoken of as ‘Hermès on the Right Bank, ARNYS on the Left’, it was one of the great names of the Left Bank of the Seine.
Where the Right Bank leaned towards the aristocratic and the conservative, the Left Bank, so it is said, had a more popular, innovative and artistic character.
ARNYS brought its own interpretation to traditional French tailoring and classic menswear, and established a style of its own.
With refined design and high-quality materials, it expressed a distinctive French elegance.
While respecting the basic structure of classic business wear, it made subtle changes to elements such as pocket placement and the shape of the jacket, achieving a striking look and a slim silhouette.
It was mentioned in the same breath as Hermès, and its tailoring is first-rate in every piece.
The house even used different workshops depending on the item, such was its devotion to making things well, and you can feel that quality in every piece.
In 2012 it was acquired by the LVMH group, and ARNYS disappeared.
LVMH bought all of its shares and folded it into Berluti, so ARNYS no longer exists as a brand in its own right...
ARNYS held an important place in French menswear, known for its distinctive designs and fine tailoring.
Its closing is regarded as the end of a chapter in Parisian fashion.
From that house comes the "Cornac", known as one of the house's great models, distinguished by rare suede panels and a colour scheme that is pure ARNYS.
The "CORNAC", a name that comes up often in connection with ARNYS.
Translated literally from French, the word means ‘elephant trainer’ or ‘mahout’.
The model is characterised by a gently rounded collar in the French vintage manner, three minimal slit pockets and a softly falling drape, giving it a distinctive air that is both formal and casual.
What I personally recommend above all is the "suede" panelling used throughout.
Among the many ARNYS items, those made in leather are especially rare and almost never circulate on the market.
I have been looking for them myself, and I rarely see any, whatever the condition or price.
In this piece the suede does not make up a large proportion, but the mere fact that it uses rare leather is enough to lift the spirits.
Suede is used not only on the collar, which accounts for much of it, but also for the piping on the buttonholes and each slit pocket: understated, yet showing a care for detail that is unmistakably ARNYS.
The front buttons are stamped "ARNYS-PARIS" and edged in the marbled finish particular to ARNYS.
A design so accomplished that you find yourself admiring a single button is probably something only ARNYS achieves.
The details are ARNYS through and through, but what must not be forgotten is the "singular sense of colour" that this piece also displays.
The shell is a chic green-grey, well suited to grown-up dressing.
The lining, by contrast, is red, a colour that makes the opposite impression, and the sleeve lining is a purple that is understated yet in harmony with the other colours.
They could hardly fail to work together, yet the way this combination is shown with such perfect nonchalance is simply masterful, and it is a singular "experience" that ARNYS can truly claim as its own.
Roll up the sleeves and a glimpse of the purple appears, so personally I think wearing it with the sleeves rolled up is the most ARNYS way.
ARNYS's singular sense of colour is sometimes said to have been inspired by the kimono, since the wife of Jean Grimbert, the third head of the house, was Japanese.
Beautiful. There is nothing more to say.
The fabric is "100% cotton".
Being 100% cotton, the fabric suits any season, so it can be worn all year round.
ARNYS often used cottons not seen at other brands, and this piece is one of them.
It is hard to put into words, but it is woven from dense cotton and is wonderfully pleasant to the touch.
It is 100% cotton, but the lining is quilted, so it is better suited to autumn and winter.
Refined design, tailoring, fabric and colour.
A piece born of this golden combination deserves to be called a garment for life, and we warmly recommend it to anyone looking for something they can keep wearing for years, regardless of trends.
It lends dignity to the wearer and blends into any combination, while keeping a presence all its own.
A piece we recommend with confidence to anyone seeking a classic style that is loved across time.
ARNYS pieces were often made in Italy, but this one is a rare example made in France, the house's home country.
A welcome point for anyone who cares about French manufacture.
Marked size "48" — a rare size that many people are surely looking for.
This corresponds roughly to a Japanese "M ~ L".
Judging by the actual measurements, it is an ideal size for Japanese builds and should suit a wide range of frames.
Period catalogues also show it worn large, with dropped shoulders, so it will look good on a smaller frame too.
There are signs of use such as abrasion typical of the fabric, but no significant damage that would affect wear, so it has plenty of life left in it.
Whatever the era or model, it almost never appears on the market: "ARNYS PARIS", a brand that no longer exists.
We would love for you to wear this superb piece, made in its day by a legendary maison once named alongside Hermès.
This is not something money alone can buy, and we cannot promise that another will come our way.
A piece that is as at home in the wardrobe as it is in a collection or as a source of design reference.
The brand has recently been receiving renewed attention, with features in magazines and elsewhere, and given that it no longer exists, prices are certain to keep climbing; if you have been looking, we suggest considering it soon.
