For many designers, showing in Paris is a milestone that signals an arrival to the global stage—but getting there takes far more than just making great clothes. For Ben Oleynik, founder of Grand Collection, it’s been years in the making. What began as a skate-rooted menswear brand in New York has grown into a cult favorite line known for its sleek silhouettes and high-quality fabrics, with Oleynik's own personal storytelling interwoven throughout. This year, Oleynik brought that sensibility to Paris with a showroom during Men's Fashion Week to give buyers, editors and more a firsthand look at the Spring 2026 collection.
Ahead, he gives Coveteur an exclusive look inside his process, favorite Parisian hotspots, and more.
Lukas Gansterer
How do you think being in Paris shifts the perception of Grand Collection?
Ben Oleynik: "There’s definitely a cache to having a showroom in Paris. But it’s much more about utility. It’s impossible for buyers to really understand the quality and fit and feel of our collection through a catalog. It’s so much better for them to touch and try on pieces and experience the brand this way. They take an empty rack and put together an edit right there in person so they can see how the collection will look in their store. It’s a completely different experience than them seeing the collection through email."
Was there anything about the Paris showroom you wanted to feel different from what people experience in New York?
BO: "I kept the space very clean and minimal to reflect the overall aesthetic and design language of the brand. I want people to come in and be immersed in the collection. Have a coffee, have a sparkling water, catch up on life and then focus on the pieces."
Grand has such a strong NYC DNA—how do you maintain that core identity while expanding globally?
BO: "The main aspects of Grand are things like family, quality, timelessness, aspiration and doing things you love. These are qualities that translate everywhere. Also, I’ve been going to Paris for so many years now, that we have our go-to cafes and boutiques and spots. We’ve started to do collaborations and events with these places the same as we do in New York, so it’s all a very natural extension when we travel globally."
Grand Collection
Has your design language evolved in the past few seasons?
BO: "Our design language is always the same: pure, minimal, refined. I love to create things that are understated but still have something unique and compelling about them. A piece from us can look quite simple, but when you get closer you can see how everything is highly considered. That’s one of the reasons having a showroom is so important."
What’s something people don’t realize about putting on a showroom during fashion week?
BO: "Maybe just how sick it really is. It’s a chance to have buyers, editors, other brands you’re close with and friends from all over the world come together during one week. You get to catch up and spend time together in an amazing city and also experience the collections first hand. You can get so much done in one week. And it’s nonstop. It’s hard to get any sleep. It’s appointments all day, then maybe some early event, then a late dinner, then the next event, and on and on. The next morning you’re up early for emails and more appointments. You got to make sure you’re eating right and trying to get as much sleep as possible while also making the most of your time there. That’s the other thing. These trips really are what you make of them and the energy you put into them."
Grand Collection
Are there pieces in this season’s collection that feel especially personal or significant to you?
BO: "It’s all very personal to me. There’s a graphic tee that my best friend Mackin made that has a painting of my wife and his wife sunbathing in Central Park. There’s a trumpet tee which is a node to my son. The tracksuits are a personal favorite of mine every season, but these ones in particular. I spent forever finding the perfect cotton-nylon fabric so they would be breathable for spring and summer and have the best feel. The piece that got the most attention in the showroom, I’d say is a 100% combed cotton Harrington jacket we did with our signature track jacket piping on it."
If Grand could collaborate with anyone next, who’s on your list?
BO: "We’ve got a few collaborations coming up in the next year that I’m really looking forward to. But other than those, definitely Perrier [Laughs]. It was so hot this week, I was drinking Perrier all day in the showroom. And I don’t really drink alcohol, so when I was out, it was Perrier all night. They have iconic colors. Would look sick conceptualized into our style of design."
Grand Collection
What’s your favorite hidden-gem spot(s) in Paris?
BO: "Well, they’re not too hidden haha. I’m such a creature of habit. I go to Cafe Chalot too much, like everyone else. Get the chocolate eclair before it sells out daily. Arrow and Beast is my go to skate shop. They always have art shows in their gallery during fashion week as well. Double Dragon has a braided donut with ice cream that is a must. I also love all the magazine shops and stands around the city that also serve coffee."
Any favorite Paris Fashion week memories?
BO: "Over the years, there’s been so many. Seeing my brother Diego Najera walk for Willy Chavarria, attending Pharrell’s LV shows, spending hours just talking with friends at Charlot, late night dinners with my brother Ross Westland. But overall, the most special thing to me is just being able to host my own showroom for my own brand and have all my people visit it. I was talking to my friend Anthony who does the brand Punk and Yo. They had a sick pop up for the week. He was saying how amazing it is to see how things have shifted for us in just a few short years. It went from us going to Paris for fashion week and going to other people’s showrooms and other people’s events and pop-ups [to now all of us] hosting the showrooms and throwing the pops-up and events. It’s our time now. I couldn’t agree with him more."
