I was in Paris last week. Bit of a vay-kay. Bit of time away from the computer screen. A bit of time to drink miniature lukewarm coffees beneath sullen skies. I used the trip to debut my new Engineered Garments embroidered corduroy parka. It’s a euphoric mash-up of utilitarian practicality and etherial needlework. A stupidly brilliant piece: while you want to watch yourself around misjudged cigarette tips, it is a joy to wear. An expensive and fragile joy.

I managed to wear it for four days straight without catching the end of a Gauloises or an errant frog’s leg. It was ideal for the confused climate and, for a massive duvet of corduroy, remarkable easy to wear.

It took me up the Eiffel Tower and across numerous bridges of presumed historical importance. However, while attempting to seek out a Parisian purveyor of Engineered Garments I came unstuck. Japanese menswear (via New York or anywhere else for that matter) is a tough find. A guy in the Han Kjobenhavn told me no one sells it: aside from the odd pieces of Post O’Alls I found and Comme des Garcons of course, I think he’s on the money.

Still, there are a number of great stores to check. There’s the aforementioned Comme and the standalone Comme des Garcons BLACK. Plus you should make time for Colette, Merci, The Broken Arm, Balibaris, Centre Commerciale, French Trotters and Christophe Lemaire. Don’t go looking for Needles, Nanamica or Kapital though, you won’t find ’em.