A Legendary Heritage
Maurice Renoma took up tailoring and produces his first menswear items. In 1957 he started working in a space set aside by his father in a corner of the family shop. Shortly after Renoma was founded in 1963. Simon Renoma entrusted his sons, Michel and Maurice, with a space adjoining his workshop at 22 rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth. They created their first suits in alpaca, mohair, flannel, and gabardine, followed two years later by the iconic Renoma blazer.
White House at 129 Rue de la Pompe
The White House opened on October 23, 1963. The boutique rapidly became revolutionary for youth fashion in Paris, known for its radical break from the traditional codes of menswear. Renoma is credited with introducing the city to la démode, or “anti-fashion,” transforming the male silhouette through tight tailoring, bold prints, and mod influences that mirrored the energy of Swinging London.The brand emerged not as a fashion label in the traditional sense, but as a movement to a generation of Parisian avant-garde artists, musicians, actors, and intellectuals, including politicians who visited the store frequently. Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan , John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Keith Richards, Jacques Dutronc, Brigitte Bardot, Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Yves-Saint-Laurent and Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.
Renoma's first runway show
Launch of the first linen fashion collection. Presentation of the very androgynous line for women: creation of the trouser suit.
Renoma launches in Japan
Renoma made a powerful entrance into the Japanese market in 1975, through bold advertising campaigns featuring Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, shot by iconic photographers like Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. That same year, Maurice Renoma joined Gainsbourg and Birkin on the jury of the Tokyo Music Festival, marking the start of a deep cultural bond. Renoma’s avant-garde Parisian style resonated with the Japanese audience, leading to widespread popularity and numerous licensed products that solidified the brand’s legacy in Japan.
Exhibitions
From the 1980s onward, he began exhibiting his photographs internationally, developing a dual identity as both designer and visual artist.
The brand focused heavily on artistic collaborations and exhibitions. Highlights include his Sexe, Mode & Révolte series (2000s), a punk exhibition at Palais de Tokyo, and multidisciplinary shows at institutions like the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and Centre Pompidou and Miami Art Basel in 2013. In the 2010s, Renoma collaborated with musicians, writers, and dancers for immersive performances and installations. His Paris flagship was frequently transformed into a gallery, with experimental pieces hanging beside clothing, art books, and photography. Despite rarely appearing at traditional fashion weeks, Renoma has sustained an underground cult following, one that spans stylists, archivists, visual artists, and independent filmmakers. Maurice Renoma's approach to style was inherently photographic and performative, influenced by his ongoing work as an image-maker. The brand’s archives reveal a rich interplay between fashion, art, and sociology. Maurice had exhibitions all over the world, Tokyo, Beverly Hills, Art Basel Miami, New York, Venice, Florence, Milan, Cuba and more. Which explored subcultures and bodily identity through photography and installation.
Multipocket Jacket
Creation of the jacket multipockets, revolution in the world of fashion. Success is immediate and international. Upwards of 150,000 jackets will be sold from the Renoma boutique alone.
