you'll have to admit-- having a scent that is very rare is a very chic thing! serge lutens, who creates exclusive scents for the gorgeous perfumerie salons du palais royale sheisdo, has just come out with his new scent, Sarrasins, his 24th exclusive creation for the boutique. be sure to check out the nearby palais royale gardens nearby.
while doing some shopping 'research' last week, i accidentally-on-purpose stumbled into this colorful jewelry boudoir boutique. geraldine valluet does all sorts of creative things with silver, pearls, etc-- jewels for mom, jewels for bebe, and for yourself too. this all takes place in her colorful boutique-slash-atelier. the best part is the prices, which are completely reasonable for bijoux that are practically made right before your eyes in her workshop. styles run from a simple little pendant to a long ornate pair of earrings. let yourself stumble across this shop next time you are in the montmartre/piagalle neighborhood, and i bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Photographer Willy Maywald moved to Paris in the 1930s and became the photographer of la vie boheme -- photographing artists like Leger and Clader and models sporting the latest duds in the streets of Paris, alongside scenes of everyday Parisian life. Over 200 photos from the years 1931 to 1955 are on display in the charming Musee Carnavalet, until Sept. 30th.
the new chic place to have a drink this summer-- the mini palais under the columns in the grand palais, a new uber-chic summer terrace, complete with baccarat light fixtures and faux croco walls [in the interior.] the menu is by gilles choukroun [of the angl'opera restaurant], and serves up salads, sandwiches, and little plates - plan on spending 25 euros. open from 10am to 1am, 7 days of the week.
if you have always wanted your own French fragrance-- here is your chance. the guerlain boutique on the champs elysees now offers an upclose look at guerlain perfumes. the so called 'atelier de parfumerie' takes place one friday a month. a 'nose' from the venerable perfume house will talk about the house's perfumes, how perfume is made, etc. you get to leave witha mini bottle of perfume. 180 euros for the day, including lunch. call 01.45.62.52.57 for more info.
famed french publishing house assouline has just published a gorgeous 3-volume book set on legendary fashion house chanel. the leather bound set is made to look like chanel's famous quilted 2 55 bag... and it is the chic-est coffee table book that i've seen in a while. [although at 495 euros, you might pay more for it than you do for your coffee table!] another good excuse to visit the assouline boutique, just to take a peek if nothing else....
le domaine de courson, 35km outside of paris, is the home to a lovely chateau and a famous plant show-- this year, the journee des plantes celebrates its 25th year with the architectural plant. stop by from may 18-20th to buy some lovely leaves [if you have somewhere local to plant them!], saveur gardening a la francaise, or pick up some oh-so-chic gardening tools and accessories.
as part of their 'croissette' [red carpet] theme for the cannes film festival, printemps department store is offering us humble mortals the chance to look and feel like glam stars on the cover of gala magazine-- strike a pose, and leave with your very own magazine cover. who knows, your friends back home might just belive you made it to cannes! every saturday in may from 12pm-6pm, in printemps main store on blvd haussman.
up-&-coming designer rosalie de montmatre is showing her new collection this weekend, friday and saturday from 3pm to 8pm, at her atelier, 48 rue de Levis, Paris 17th. stop by and check out the fun summer dresses, and go back to the US with a designer creation that no one else has.
to celebrate the 1st of april [april fool's day for americans, poisson d'avril for french], kiddie fave petit bateau is offering limited edition t-shirts. to fete the holiday, little french kids usually put a paper fish on the back of their friends as a joke-- now you can do the same for your little poission, with a little petit bateau shirt or onesie festooned with fish. (model shown above, 3 months to 18 months, 9 euros)
parisian fave tara jarmon, a canadian who has been designing feminine and colorful duds for over 20 years, has expanded in the st. germain area. a second shop [75 rue des saint peres, 6th] now almost guarantees that you won't leave paris without one of her girly frocks. stop by quickly to pick up one of the limited edition dresses that she designed using colorful motifs by pop artist peter zimmerman to add a little zing to your spring wardrobe.
in response to the ever-more-strict airline restrictions, lagerfeld has come up with the new 'naked bag' for chanel's spring 2007 line. infinitely chic-er than a plastic baggie that the airlines hand out for your beauty products, n'est-ce pas?
Laduree, Paris' uber-chic bakery and original home of the macaron cookie, does it again for Valentine's day, offering up lovely hot pink box filled with goodies. Choose the heart shaped macarons (chocolate/coconut and raspberry/chocolate) for 14 euros, or a box of 8 mini macarons (assorted flavors) for 12.50. After all, what better way to a (French) man's heart than through his stomach? Available starting today at Laduree in Paris.
in case you were wondering what happened to old-school toy emporium au nain bleu, paris' famous toy store that used to be on rue st. honore, they have reopened at 5 blvd malesherbes. this is the place to buy custom clothing for your little one's poupees and those great little bateaux to go sailing in the luxembourg boat pond. the toy store, which has dominated a big corner of st. honore since 1911, must've gotten bumped by a big ogre (otherwise known as a fancy women's boutique), but we are glad they found a new abode.
neighborhood favorite department store, BHV, announces a new department store exclusively for men, BHV Homme. The store, set to open March 7th on rue de la verrerie in the marais, will boast a 'new york loft' look, with over 150 men's labels, an interior courtyard/terrace/cafe, and one of those gorgeous mur vegetal (garden wall), done by Patrick Blanc who did the amazing vertical gardens at the Musee du Quai Branly.
january 23rd marks the opening of the new giorgio armani boutique at 18 avenue montaigne. the 400 sq. meter boutique, his flagship in paris, boasts a brushed-silk and onyx themed decor. armani's classic collections will be on display along with a new sur mesure line for monsieur.
the soldes started yesterday, to the glee of many a shopping fanatic in the streets. while some shops started out with a measly 20% off, others went for the gusto and were already sportingdiscounts of -50%. tonight, thursday night, is a special nuit des soldes, meaning that many shops will stay open until [gasp!] 10pm. most shops will also be open this sunday, in hopes of tempting bargain-hunters to buy during the first few days of the sale. happy shopping!
The scoop:
When I meet visitors to
Strategy for the soldes depends on what you are looking for. My advice is that if it is a one of a kind item and you know it is going on sale, snatch it up on the first day, even if it is only 20% off. However, if there are millions of the cashmere sweater you’ve been dreaming of, wait a week and go back to purchase it at a more reduced rate. Essentially, it’s all about the gamble-- and what you are willing to risk.
As for returns, I encourage you to ask before you buy. Although by law shops are supposed to allow you to make an exchange, this policy is not always in practice. If you are not sure about an item, see if the shop will hold it for you for a short period of time while you make your decision.
The snag:
French sales are not limited to just a few items or a few brands; instead the entire outgoing collection is usually on sale. This means that this season’s hottest blouse, pant, shoe, and bag will probably all be on sale, if you still want them at the end of the season. Everything from electronics to shoes to linens and more goes on sale at the same time, so it is easy to get overwhelmed! I try to make a list before hitting the shops to keep from getting sidetracked by flashing signs beckoning me over to a bargain that I don’t need.
The summary:
The frenzy of French soldes can have you running around town and your credit card might never cool down, but it is a memorable experience. If you happen to miss the sales, don’t worry. Most shops have in-store promotions year round that are almost sales, but not quite. As they cannot technically be called soldes outside of the official periods, these mini sales are often called “promotions” or “fin de series” (“end of series”). Just keep your eye open for bargains, and I know you’ll find plenty of things to make you smile.
1. Hold a stake out: Visit the store before the sale starts, see how many of your beloved item is still in stock, and try to get some information from the vendeuse about its sale price.
2. Avoid the first day: The stores are packed with people and while marathon shopping can be a great sport, shopping the sales on the first day is bound to leave you frustrated.
3. Shop with a friend: She’ll talk you out of that pair of neon green cowboy boots, even if they are 75% off. And you can divide and conquer more territory.
5. Dress for success: If shopping for clothing, wear layers and clothing that is simple to remove to facilitate trying on.
6. Shop well-armed: Bring multiple forms of payment—credit cards and cash—just in case.
