London, Paris Perth?
The Fair City is not known as a hotbed of haute couture fashion, but one business was stunned when top design firm Chanel asked for their expertise.
However the Perth firm in question is neither a haberdashery, milliner nor weaver but a fly-tying supplies company.
Flybox, which sells feathers, furs and threads used by trout and salmon anglers to construct fake flies, received a phone call from the fashion house asking for a supply of a special vinyl.
The High Definition Hotspot and Holographic products are more usually used for fashioning fly cheeks, wings and bodies.
Normally sold in 4×3 inch sheets, managing director of Flybox, Ian Christie, had to source larger rolls of the material to satisfy the fashion house’s demand.
The vinyl is expected to be used in a film to promote the Chanel’s autumn/winter range of running shoes.
Ian said he was astonished to receive a call from the firm.
“At first I thought I was hearing things it’s not every day you get a call from Chanel asking for fly-fishing products,” he said.
“I may have asked them to repeat their request because I was so taken aback.
“But we had exactly what they needed, and we were able to despatch it to them in the timescales they needed so I was glad to be of assistance.
“They ordered laser gold, laser silverand fire orange which is really bright.
“I was curious what they would be using the vinyl for they had ordered such a large quantity of it, so I asked.
“Apparently it will feature in a promotional video for their running shoes.
“I can’t wait to see the finished product.”
He added that the shop stocks the material in one-metre squares, which they cut down for sale to anglers, who then cut it down further.
Perhaps fittingly, the fashion house’s founder, Coco Chanel, started her career in fashion as a milliner and would have been familiar with the types of materials sold by Flybox, many of which are used by modern milliners, as well as fly-tyers. Chanel could not be contacted for comment.