Artists and intellectuals have come to the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur since the start of the 20th century. The Riviera\u2019s hotels<\/a> granted them peace and quiet; the dream-like coasts were a fruitful source of creativity. Discover the fashion brands who continue to draw inspiration from the South of France. <\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen a client enters one of my boutiques, I\u2019d like them to feel like they\u2019ve just arrived on the C\u00f4te D\u2019Azur,\u201d says Arthur Lahitte, a young fashion designer from the Riviera, who last year started the high-end leather goods brand Bob Carlton. The name is a mix between an alias which is smoother on the tongue of his transatlantic guests, and the name of film character Bill Carson, from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n The young designer draws inspiration from the Riviera\u2019s long-lasting love affair with the film<\/a> industry: from Cannes\u2019 film festival to the timeless elegance of celebrities who like to hang around these turquoise shores long after their film shootings wrap up. \u00a0\u00a0“You can almost feel the sea’s scent and hear the old car rumbling on the ledge… There’s a casual chic side to OSS 117. It has the elegance of James Bond<\/a>, Cary Grant or Grace Kelly<\/a>, ” he says.<\/p>
\n “My inspiration is Roger Moore, in The Persuaders – that scene in the Bay of Villefranche – or Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief<\/a>, shot in Monaco and Cannes… That’s how the myth of the Riviera was created,\u201d he explains.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lahitte has lived on the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur since 2007, and it is on its beaches that he found his first clients. \u201cAt the beginning, I sold canvas bags in the Croisette\u2019s private beaches. The collection was very successful, particularly amongst foreign clients. Very quickly, I decided to move my business towards more exclusive products. That\u2019s how I ended up going into leather goods,\u201d he says. Currently, Lahitte\u2019s aim is to make a name for himself in the luxury travel bag sector, and then to expand his brand in the fashion industry.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\nBob Carlton: Cinema\u2019s Golden Age on the C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur <\/h2>\n\n\n\n