La Ballerine Repetto (the Repetto ballet flat)

Foreword: 

This story is dedicated to Marion L., Repetto collector. 

No one talks about the 'Repetto Experience' as eloquently as Marion. No one.
Favorite Marion quote: 
"The Repetto ballerine is like Harry Potter's wand; 
the shoe chooses its owner!" 

(courtesy of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann)

Il était une fois, une jolie petite chaussure... Once upon a time, there was a pretty little shoe...

Charming. Chic. Classic. Comfortable: La ballerine (the ballet flat) seduces women around the world. Check out your favorite retailers or online stores this spring, and you will see it everywhere. Offered in a wide selection of colors, styles, materials and prices, the ballet flat is a must-have in every woman's wardrobe, from the average Jeanne, to fashionistas and the world's First ladies. 

Carla Bruni Sarkozy is a fan, on the town... 

... or at work, while shooting Woody's "Midnight in Paris"

Madame Obama loves her ballet flats...

The Obama girls in J. Crew ballet flats

The great Inès de la Fressange at home

Beyonce and her new baby:
Mother and daughter wear ballerines!

Not all ballet flats are created equal. One brand has ruled the market (and the heart of the world's ballerine lovers) for over 65 years: Repetto. 


The story of the ballerine can be traced back to 1947: In Paris, Rose Repetto perfects a pair of revolutionary ballet slippers and pointe shoes for her son, Roland Petit (1924-2011,) a renowned dancer and choreographer. Rose Repetto's shoes are such a hit with Roland that his friends Rudolf Noureyev and Maurice Béjart start wearing them too.


Rose's secret: exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail. Repetto dance shoes are entirely handmade, fit the dancer's foot like a glove, and prove more durable than their competitors. In the following years, Rose's shoes acquire a dedicated following among the ranks of the Paris Opera Ballet. Dancers flock to her small workshop to order the magical shoes.

Madame Repetto (1907-1984)

Rose Repetto and her son, Laurent Petit
(France Soir)

If Repetto shoes were an almost immediate hit with professional dancers, the rest of the world may have never heard about them without Brigitte Bardot, the famed French actress and animal rights activist. In 1956, the young French star is about to shoot the movie that will turn her into an overnight sensation, and one of cinema's greatest sex-symbols: Et Dieu Créa La Femme (And God Created Woman.) Beautiful and sensual Brigitte, a classically trained ballerina, asks Rose Repetto to create for her a comfortable but elegant city version of the ballet slipper. "La Ballerine Cendrillon" (the Cinderella ballet flat) is born. The world is going to take notice, and Brigitte Bardot becomes one of the most influential fashion trend setters in the 1960s and 1970s.

A young "B.B." mesmerizes at the Cannes Film Festival

The 1960s belong to B.B.!

Free-spirited, vibrant and sensual, Brigitte Bardot - or "B.B." (pronounced "Bébé",) is going to impose a style: les ballerines, le pantacourt, "le chignon choucroute," (ballet flats, capris and sexy, voluminous hair.)


Add la marinière (the French sailor shirt,) and behold the iconic Bardot look, a classic still in vogue today.

The original: B.B. in 1956

Emma Watson

Kate Moss

Trying too hard?

We must pause here and give credit to lovely Audrey Hepburn who discovered ballet flats (made especially for her by designer Salvadore Ferragamo) while shooting Roman Holiday in 1954. Did Audrey - also a classically trained ballerine - inspire Brigitte? Or did Brigitte inspire Audrey? We will never know. Different women, different styles.  But they both made the look work, wouldn't you say?

"Roman Holiday:"
A princess wears ballerines

Mid-1950s

Still sporting ballet flats in the 1960s...

There were other celebrity endorsements along the way, and they helped propel Repetto beyond its competition. After Serge Gainsbourg, the controversial French singer and composer, adopted the "Zizi" model, once created by Rose Repetto for her daughter in law, famed dancer and one-time actress Zizi Jeammaire, male customers took a closer look at Repetto shoes.

Serge Gainsbourg, a valued customer,
had a closet full of Repettos!

The "Zizi Richelieu" is still a best-seller today!

The great Zizi Jeammaire

While Repetto's fame kept growing through the 1960s and 1970s, the French brand - like many other traditional companies - hit a snag in the 1980s. Consumers' taste had changed, and Repetto's former customers now favored different styles of shoes. Even professional dancers were moving away from their once- favorite brand. Rose Repetto died in 1984, and sales kept plummeting.


A business man came to the rescue. HIs name was Jean Marc Gaucher. He had successfully launched Reebok in France and took over the venerable French company in 1999. Through savvy marketing (including partnerships with famous designers and brands such as Isse Myake, Karl Lagerfeld, Comme des Garçons and Colette,) a focus on foreign markets (more noticeably Japan,) and new distribution channels, Gaucher orchestrated the renaissance of Repetto. In 2012, the brand has cornered the consumer luxury market for ballet flats around the world; while re-establishing itself as a leader in the world of professional dancing.

Jean-Marc Gaucher, Repetto C.E.O.

Repetto Collection by Comme des Garçons

Karl Lagerfeld collection, for Repetto (2009)

In 2006, the Repetto flagship store located 22 rue de la Paix on Paris' Right Bank, was given a make-over befitting a worldwide brand. Today, customers flock to the elegant boutique and do not hesitate spending over $200 on a pair of ballet flats! (The "B.B." python model, named after the famed French icon, fetches 400 Euros, or $430!) You do not like ballet flats? Not to worry. Other products are available for discerning customers: a complete line of dance wear, bien sûr; handbags (inspired by dancers' bags,) and accessories. I heard the sales personnel can act a tad haughty on occasion, in typical Parisian fashion! Ha!

Repetto flagship store on the prestigious Rue de la Paix

Repetto "B.B." in flame red: a hit in Japan!

Jean-Marc Gaucher does not rest on Repetto's prestigious past and ongoing success... The French company is investing in its future, too. This year, a training school opened in the beautiful Dordogne region, near the Repetto's outlet store and production center (85% of Repetto shoes are still made in France.) Gaucher's goal is to provide skilled jobs for unemployed French youth, while ensuring that the company's focus on excellence and craftsmanship is passed on to the next generation. 

Do you own a pair of Repettos? Several? What is your favorite brand of ballet flats? Are you a Repetto fan or do you prefer les ballerines Maloles (a competitor on the French market)?


As for me, I can't really afford these... 

... and Seattle is too dang far away from the Repetto outlet store in the Dordogne.


In my little corner of the world, I am partial to J. Crew's Cece ballet flats and have just invested in a new pair for summer.


Still, you can be certain I will visit the Repetto flagship store when I go back to Paris. After all, who can resist the appeal of a luxurious shopping environment; colorful [if overpriced] shoes; and snooty sales staff? Ah, Paris, I have missed you so...

A bientôt...




Further reading/viewing:


Excellent article about J. M. Gaucher's impact as CEO of Repetto.


Behold "B.B." in And God Created Woman... A classic...