Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais

It's been a while since I've been to the Petit Palais, and I'd forgotten how stunning the palace is. Even more stunning, though, is the YSL Retrospective that opened today. Over 300 couture pieces from the innovative designer are on display, ranging from early pant suits to the famous "Smoking" [Tuxedos], to gowns, gowns, and more gowns. An absolutely gorgeous retrospective of Monsieur Saint Laurent's talent, and kudos to the museum for designing such a magnifique show. My advice? Go early in the day, have a nibble in the cafe's garden, and buy your tickets beforehand to avoid the queue.

YSL at the Petit Palais, until August 29, 2010

Corsets sur mesure

One of the things I love about living in Paris is that you can still find shops with real artisans, whipping up their magic and offering one of a kind items. I haven't checked out this shop, but have heard about it and thought I'd pass it on for those of you who are looking for true Parisian couture...Volute makes corsets of all kinds- from satin and lace to denim and toile. You pick fabric, shape, everything, as they are entirely made to measure. For a special occasion [prom, wedding] or everyday fashion [the 80s thing is coming back, right?], Caroline will whip up your corset sur mesure. C'est chic, non? {Note: The boutique/atelier is only open by appointment, so call/ email before you go.}

Volute Corsets
80 rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris

chic by candlelight

If you are looking for an unusual [and longlasting!] souvenir, and don't already have overweight luggage, check out the gigantic candle by Cire Trudon. Weighing in at 2.8kg [that's over 6 lbs!], the famous candlemaker's luxe candle is adorned with the Trudon coat of arms, and comes in five scents: Roi Soleil, Abdel Kader, Odalisque, Spritius Sancti, and Ernesto. The best part? The long life of this candle is over 400 hours. Vive la bougie!

Cire Trudon
78 rue de Seine, 6th

alice in printemps-land

to celebrate the opening of alice au pays des merveilles [alice in wonderland], printemps department store has dedicated its exterior and interior to the theme. outside, check out the store's windows which contain alice's new wardrobe, designed by some of fashion's biggest names [note the gown by the late, great alexander mcqueen]. inside, stop in laduree's take on the mad hatter's tea room to digest some delectable pastries. if i could take the right pill to land myself in this tea room every afternoon, i'd do it as well! hurry by if you want to check this out, as it ends march 13th.

printemps haussman
64 blvd haussman, 9th

liberty at merci

i have to say, i am easily seduced by a fun liberty print, and it's not hard to get into flower power when liberty is everywhere these days! it has been pretty "in" in France for the past couple of years, but the British label shows no signs of waning....the lastest stop is a huge installation of the floral print, in all its incarnations, in the concept shop Merci. you'll find adorable kids clothing, mugs, suitcases, home decor, and more, all covered in fleurs. all during the month of march. spring has sprung!

merci
111 blvd beaumarchais, 3rd

bijoux bijoux

Gotta love the Marais for its funky little boutiques, like this one: Ostentatoire is a multimarque jewelry boutique, meaning that it contains a bunch of different brands under one roof. Handpicked faves by owners Claire [designer] and David [photographer] include designs by Alice Hubert, Starstyling, and more, presented in a lovely treasure-filled shop.

ostentatoire
11 bis, rue elzevir, 3rd

one for the guys

i'll have to admit: men are hard to shop for. for the most part, they just aren't into keeping up with the latest trends, and don't seem to have the need to "consume" like us girls do....but there are still holidays, birthdays, occasions that we need to celebrate. this is why i'm excited about estime, a line of leather goods for men, or what they call "gentlemen tech". from lovely weekend bags [above] to computer bags, toiletry bags, business card holders, and more, you are sure to find something for the homme in your life. i'm looking forward to the next occasion to shop for my cheri....

estime
61 rue bonaparte, 6th

back to the city of light

as many of you might know, i am now back in the city of light, after spending 2009 in the US on a 'sabbatical' with my family. oh la la, it is great to be back! now i'm back to pounding the cobblestones and checking out the newest and chicest shops in paris...so stay tuned in the weeks to come as i try to get the blog back up to speed....and thanks for your patience!
xx
rebecca