9-5: Lauren Rubinski of Rubirosa’s Doesn’t Dress to Please Anyone But Herself
“I love wearing color,” Lauren Rubinski says on our call, gently tugging at her pistachio green polo—a Rubirosa’s original—which she’s wearing with cherry red pants.
The fine jewelry designer, famed for her chunky, chain-link gold chokers and playful signet rings, has found a new form of expression in Rubirosa’s, an elegant neighborhood shirt shop in Paris’s historic 7th arrondissement. Though a relatively new space, its Art Deco-inspired signage, dark wood paneling, wall-to-wall red velvet carpeting, and vintage haberdashery shelving make Rubirosa’s feel like it’s always been there—and that’s exactly how Rubinski intended it to be.
The space took shape in just under a year, a passion project with no grand strategy—and no website. Since opening on Rue de Grenelle last June, the boutique has drawn a steady crowd of cognoscenti seeking out Rubinski’s refined unisex cotton shirting, vibrant cashmere knits, and soft leather loafers. “It was a dream to have something for myself,” Rubinski says of the store, which is as much a physical manifestation of her taste as a reflection of how she curates her own wardrobe—one rich in color and texture, with exquisite details that invite a closer look.
“I wear a shirt almost every day,” Rubinski says, reflecting on her own style, which eschews trends in favor of classic pieces with a twist—like a piped pink pajama set worn with black croc loafers and an oversized leather jacket, or paint-splattered men’s chinos with a distressed chore coat and hardy suede boots. Her penchant for shirting is, by all accounts, a natural one, passed down by her father and grandfather—both bespoke tailors who instilled in her an exacting eye for quality and execution. But that doesn’t mean she’s fussy: “I want to feel confident and strong, but I don’t need my clothes to be perfect.”
With a uniform grounded in practicality, her finishing touches—which can range from an heirloom belt gifted by her father to a hard-to-come-by Hermès Mini Plume suede top-handle, or an ultra-rare 1960s Patek Philippe Ricochet pocket watch worn as a pendant on a black cord—befit her collector’s mindset.
An entrepreneur and mom of two with a packed schedule, Rubinski is now focused on expanding Rubirosa’s offerings and physical footprint, with a second, larger (750-square-foot) space set to open next door this June. Here, Rubinski shares with Vogue her perfectly laissez-faire approach to getting dressed.
Earth Tones
For everyday ease, Rubinski relies on a rotating cast of Ralph Lauren staples. “I buy a lot of men’s Ralph Lauren,” she explains—including these distressed earth-toned cargos, which she’s tailored to fit her proportions. She’s wearing them with a pale blue Rubirosa’s pajama top with white contrast piping, in a smaller size than her usual for a cropped effect. A rare collectible—a 1960s Patek Philippe Ricochet pocket watch—is strung on a cord and worn as a pendant. Soft ballerinas from The Row ground her look (“I rarely wear heels during the day,” she says), alongside a big-buckle Ralph Lauren belt for considered contrast.
