Elena Mottola (@elenamottola) and Lô Batifol (@lobatifol) of Nuovo. Photo: Courtesy of Elena Mottola and Lô Batifol 

Every once in a while, there’s a vintage store that reminds you why you love shopping. It makes us fall back in love with the hunt for a great find. It’s even better when it’s evident that the employees love the clothes there just as much. Nuovo in Paris hits that sweet spot. Located in the Marais, the store boasts a killer stock of clothes that make getting dressed fun and shopping a memorable experience. The shop was started by Lisa Lingenti only a year and a half ago. Before launching Nuovo, she was an intern at a press office, and turned to buying and reselling vintage to supplement her income. Slowly, she began to realize that her off-hours hobby could be transformed into an actual business. Lingenti, who loves the thrill of the vintage hunt, wanted to bring that concept into her store. “The dream of having a vintage store, which initially only existed in my mind, was born out of the desire to convey the unique feeling of finding the good deals,” she says. “I wanted to give others the opportunity to find the perfect piece that would suit them and that they would love at a reasonable price without having to spend hours rummaging through bins or websites.” While walking in the Marais she found a vacant store. The rent was too high, but the owner believed in Lingneti’s vision and made the store work within her budget. From there, Nuovo was born.

Nuovo’s success can be credited to its laid-back philosophy. Lingenti doesn’t necessarily seek out the hottest labels, but rather cultivates a vibe and pulls inspiration from the women around her. “My first inspirations were my mother, my aunts, and the other women in my family,” she says. “They are who I think of when I choose the pieces. Or rather, I think of myself as a little girl looking in awe at layered jeans, the flare cut of pants, the feel of a suede jacket, the smell of leather, the transparency of a mesh top. These memories are not just mine, but those of an entire generation.” She keeps in stock babetastic clothes ranging from Miss Sixty, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Mugler, Diesel, and Versace, as well as a slew of Italian labels that Lingenti describes as “an explosion of sexy chic sometimes on the verge of bad taste.”

 Soraya Cabardos (@sorayacbs) of Nuovo. Photo: Courtesy of Soraya Cabardos

Lingenti’s curation is also inspired by her employees, who she notes are also her friends. That’s evident whenever someone walks in. The women who work there love clothes and look like well-heeled, effortlessly cool extras from an early Sex and the City episode if it were happening in the French capital. The employees are an integral part of the store—one of them, Loup, even created a whole upcycled collection from unsold and defective items without using any new fabric. “Nuovo is first and foremost a women’s affair,” Lingenti says. “I also choose the clothes with them in mind, so that each piece represents their complexity and therefore represents all women: Chic, sexy, classy, sometimes extravagant, but always free and independent.” Meet the women of Nuovo below.  

“Here is Lô (left), who worked at Nuovo as soon as she could. At the time, she was working here while studying communications. When she finished her studies, it seemed obvious to offer her a permanent position. Today, she takes care of everything related to the image of the brand like press relations, Instagram, and shootings.”

 Photo: Courtesy of Loup Lélass (@loupills)