Printemps unravels a mischievous knitted tale this Christmas
At the legendary Paris department store, cats and mice set off in pursuit of a colossal ball of red yarn, unravelling a hand stitched story told across animated window displays from November.
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A ball of crimson yarn unspools across Boulevard Haussmann this November, trailing a cast of mischievous cats and quick footed mice through the storied rooms of Printemps. The department store’s Christmas narrative, “Un Noël bien tricoté,” unfolds as a tactile adventure woven through the very fabric of the building, each animated vitrine a chapter in this quirky handmade tale.
The story begins when curious felines discover the enormous ball and set off in spirited pursuit. From the attic, where needles the size of pointers frame a kingdom devoted to the craft, through hallways alive with family portraits and onto a veranda transformed into a weaving workshop, the yarn rolls onward, gathering the household toward a climactic reunion beneath a Christmas tree entirely composed of knitted stitch. Every character, every accessory, has been crafted by artisans at the Atelier Montex, a house founded in 1949 and bearing the distinction of Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant, its makers ensuring that each thread carries genuine handwork.
The creative direction flows from Alix Bortoli, while the seamstress Valérie Cuter and puppeteer Sylvain Dulucq have breathed the peculiar charm into these figures. The spell extends beyond the windows: Bryan Esposito, the pastry chef at Printemps, has reinterpreted the traditional Forêt Noire as “La Pelote de Noël,” a Yule log shaped as the very ball of yarn that sets this curious Christmas in motion.
The vitrines open on November 10, with the entire experience continuing through the season at Printemps Haussmann and Printemps.com.
Imagery courtesy of Printemps (@printemps).