Based in Paris, Kilometre believes that the future is embedded in the past. Sweet memories of exploration are threaded in each of Kilometre's pieces; they use vintage shirts as the canvas for each design, employing artisans from around the world who embroider each garment with maps, rough sketches and coordinates that showcase the wonders of travel. Through their unique approach and ornamental designs, the brand translates its primary sentiment that world discovery is the ultimate luxury- discover for yourself, exclusively in the closets of @karlamartinezdesalas and @whitstreet.
Blurring the boundaries between the past and the future, the canvas shirts are immune to time, a destination to immortalize memories.
- Alexandra Senes, Founder of Kilometre Paris
Learn more about the brand's origins and how the inspiration culminated into a truly one-of-a-kind label dedicated to storytelling through craftsmanship from our interview with founder @travelwithalexandrasenes.
With vintage shirts as the canvas to take the wearer on an individually unique journey, where do you start with that blank canvas?
Blurring the boundaries between the past and the future, we consider our canvas shirts to be immune to time, a destination to immortalize stories and memories. A lot of our pieces are embroidered 50-year-old shirts and mechanics’ coveralls. The shirts are sourced from an off-road village in the 3rd district of Paris–a district that will be the next Marais.
Through the pieces, Kilometre sheds light on future places of hype and notoriety, such as the next Ibiza or St. Tropez.
These vintage shirts are used as a blank canvas to illustrate anything from a travel guide to a memory box to a piece of art. Through the pieces, Kilometre sheds light on future places of hype and notoriety, such as the next Ibiza or St. Tropez. Our method is three-fold: we choose the destination, the illustrator, and the mode of storytelling - whether it's in words, outlines, or with macro details. From there, we feel we are able to take our customers on an individually unique journey.
At Kilometre, you believe that the ultimate luxury is not found in a logo, but rather the expertly detailed craftsmanship. How does your brand keep up with the endless trend cycle?
The motor of Kilometre’s past and future journeys are destinations - all brought to life by the craftsmen. No piece is the same - from the natural details to the folds of the shirt to the signature of the embroidery. With the blank canvases as our perennial form, we model our creations to be everlasting classics and basics that find beauty in every place and time.
The motor of Kilometre’s past and future journeys are destinations - all brought to life by the craftsmen.
As an experienced adventurer that has traveled all over the world, how did you go about narrowing down your first collection to only 18 destinations?
As a travel addict, I believe that each destination will offer you a feeling, scent or sound that no other place can. However, I did manage to narrow down my first collection to Japan and India. Both countries managed to make me feel out of place while still nurturing my desire to return and embrace the disorientation of experiencing a new culture. Discovering those hidden gems protected from tourism and notoriety inspires our mission and approach to design at Kilometre Paris.
Share a special memory that inspired you to create.
I'll always remember my interview with Hassan from the brand, HSY, when I used to work for a daily newspaper. He showed me a $15,000 shawl and described its unique typography. I was able to feel the personality, geography and history of the country embedded in the garment. Its value was instantly legitimized, and it inspired me to pay tribute to craftsmanship, designing pieces that travel around the world and celebrate undiscovered treasures and talents.