Tag Archives: Paris
Ann Demeulemeester SS2011
No wonder this is such a chic city: Paris has the perfect fall weather for fashion. Though we may get some rain later this week (requiring yet more trenches), right now it’s cloudy and cool enough to require a jacket, some new boots, and of course, the artfully-draped scarf. At Ann Demeulemeester, guests gave this fall uniform a particularly avant garde spin.
Modern Gothic. (more…)
Chez Julien
Though efforts to modernize Parisian dining with slick interiors and fusion cuisine should be commended, if you’re a visitor with only a few days to dine there, what kind of restaurant do you really want? Chances are it’s the beautiful Belle Epoque setting and bistro food of Chez Julien.
This gorgeous, mirrored jewel box of a restaurant, with a private upstairs dining room that’s often reserved by a fashion crowd during Paris fashion week, was established in 1780. It was revamped in 2007 by the Costes group, which seems to be snapping up Paris restaurants with the speed of Michael “Bao” Huynh in New York. (Given my previous experience that week with a Costes restaurant, I might not have gone had I known this, but Chez Julien is a radically different type of endeavor than Delaville.) (more…)
Georges
A huge amount of light and space, bordered by clean lines, with a stunning backdrop of the Paris skyline: Georges on the top of the Centre Pomidou is a veritable temple to modernity. But before you get all serious in the face of art, know that Georges is not nearly as austere as it seems. It’s New York’s Modern meets Fred’s at Barneys – a sleek, contemporary space that’s a real social scene, with forward-leaning French cuisine to match.
Though you could have a romantic dinner here, Georges is the perfect spot for a long, leisurely lunch. Just take the escalators to the top floor before you view the museum and put your name in at the door. (more…)
Chloe
One of the last shows of the season, Chloe took place in the Tuileries when it was just beginning to feel like spring. This year, “spring color” means something a little toned down than usual. White and ivory, neutral khaki and olive green, camel, animal-print silks, and the occasional bright pop of color make up the palette for the new season.
A model in an ivory jumpsuit dodges the shoe paparazzi. Wearable, chic jumpsuits were a key part of the Chloe fall/winter 2010 collection as well. (more…)
Chanel
It doesn’t get more see-and-be-seen than the Chanel show in Paris, held on a bitterly cold morning at the Grand Palais. Ladies who lunch mixed with fashion editors and put their best foot (and shoes, and coats, and hats, and jewels…) forward.
One of several gray chinchilla coats at the show. Also, many Chanel bags, suits, and shoes were instantly recognizable – such is the power of the brand. (more…)
Yves Saint Laurent
The YSL fall winter 2010 show took place right across from the retrospective honoring Yves Saint Laurent at the Petit Palais. The guests lived up to the late great designer’s vision of sophisticated eveningwear.
The almost mannish silhouette of this big shouldered fur goes well with the modern version of YSL’s le smoking – the black silk suit underneath.
Brasserie Lipp
Though New Yorkers may think of a cool restaurant as something new and trendy, one of the coolest restaurants Marie Fromage and I visited in Paris was also one of the oldest: Brasserie Lipp. Here the maitre’d will greet you with the hauteur befitting a place that’s been a see-and-be-seen destination since 1880. If you walk in without a reservation, they will look you up and down and see if they could possibly find a place for you, and the odds aren’t good. Fortunately for us, we made it to the back room, where we found a very good dinner and some familiar faces from Paris fashion week.
Sonia Rykiel and John Galliano
Two shows converged at the industrial warehouse setting of Halle Freyssinet in eastern Paris. Sonia Rykiel’s show was followed immediately by John Galliano’s, and both drew many fashionably-dressed people out in the bitter cold.
A great bright yellow parka adds great color in winter. (Despite the fact that it was a March day, it was freezing.) Note the cropped trousers and oversized scarf. On him: black fur. It’s not just for women anymore. Excellent sunglasses on both of them. (more…)
Ann Demeulemeester
Ann Demeulemeester’s modern goth aesthetic is often described as edgy and avant garde; the same description could also be applied to her fans. On the runway, the long, lean, black silhouettes of her fall 2010 collection were broken up by flashes of red patent leather detailing. Outside in the courtyard of the Couvent des Cordeliers, black, minimalist clothing was favored by many of the guests, too.
She has this androgynous petit gamin look that’s just fascinating. A good example of how the guests can really bring a designer’s vision to life at a fashion show.
(more…)
Delaville Cafe
Sometimes just getting a meal in Paris can be a titanic battle of wills. Take the steak frites place we tried to go to on a recent night. Though recommended by a seemingly reliable guidebook (plastered on the windows there), it was nearly empty at 9:30. We walked in, walked out to consider our options, then walked back in to give it a chance. “The kitchen is now closed,” the proprietress told us. “We can’t stay open just for you. We are tired.” It was a Friday night, and two in our party had put on five fashion shows in one day. Tired.
On to the next place: Delaville, a newish addition to the slew of Costes restaurants in the city. When we asked for a table in the shabby chic dining room, we were referred to a tall guy who barely paused between waiting on tables, bartending, and managing the staff to tell us that the wait for a table would be at least an hour, though there was no sign of anyone else waiting. We were welcome, however, to eat in the bar, so we settled in there. Our table on the cold, glassed in patio had all the charm of the old Dallas BBQ on 8th Street. Ah, Paris. (more…)
Viktor & Rolf
Viktor & Rolf took over the tent at the Tuileries and attracted mobs of onlookers on this Saturday in Paris. Editors and buyers mixed with French fashion bloggers and paparazzi. The vast, wide open space and very windy day made the dry grounds of the Tuileries feel like something out of Lawrence of Arabia – with more fashion.
A patterned cape and exaggeratedly long black legs with wedge boots. (more…)
Isabel Marant
With three stores in Paris and another opening in New York’s Soho in April, French designer Isabel Marant has developed quite a following. Her distinctly urban, cool-girl clothes work really well on the streets of Paris or anywhere else that calls for a tough chic aesthetic. A couple of the guests looked familiar for a reason: they were spotted the day before in Marant’s store in St. Germain.
A fluffy gray fur jacket catches the March afternoon light in the courtyard of the Couvent des Cordeliers. (more…)
Christian Dior
How many generations of fashionable Parisians have taken a turn around the Tuileries to show off their exquisite clothes? The tradition continues, with editors, buyers and chic Christian Dior customers walking from the Place de la Concorde to the tent that housed Friday’s Dior show.
One thing is very different from olden times – there are many more photographers! (more…)
La Ferrandaise
By Parisian standards, La Ferrandaise is a very young bistro. Open only a few years, manned by a chef who has yet to see a gray hair on his head, this spot in St. Germain falls into the same traditional category as venerable institutions that have been open a hundred years or more. Yet it hasn’t had any trouble keeping up: it was packed on a recent night, and it won the Lebey award for Best Parisian Bistro in 2006.
Paris Practicalities
Call me old-fashioned, but I like to stay in a Parisian hotel that actually looks Parisian. Located in the Latin Quarter, near the wonderful shops of Saint-Germain but not perilously close to them, Hotel du Pantheon has 36 rooms decorated in toile and framed botanical prints. Beneath the rooms’ traditional exterior is a highly-functioning interior, however: the hotel was renovated in 2001, and there is WiFi throughout. The staff is courteous and happy to call you a taxi when you don’t dare brave the nearby metro in those Louboutins.
Hotel du Pantheon
19, place du Pantheon
5eme
Paris, France
+ 33 1 43 54 32 95
Though it may be super kewl to have the Wallpaper guide to Paris, Time Out Paris proved to be the best overall guide. (Full disclosure: I also write for Time Out, but, sadly, not the Paris guide.)
Miss Thing brought this Luxe guide with her, appropriately pictured here at Kong. We used its walking tour of the Marais.
Another excellent insider guide to the Marais is the French blog Haut Marais.
Restaurants were found through Chowhound, Time Out, Wallpaper, various French and Paris-frequenting friends, and of course, the Michelin guide.
Directions were found through… Google maps! Yes, also available in Paris, especially if you have WiFi in your hotel room.
You can now also download Google maps to your mobile phone or Blackberry. The easiest way to do so is to access Google maps via your phone or Blackberry browser and download the free program.
Driving directions were found through the life-changing GPS gadget TomTom. You can buy and download maps of Europe through the TomTom site and upload them onto your device.
P.S. It also helps to speak a bit of French. As Miss Thing infamously quipped at one point, “I’m surprised how many people here don’t speak English!” Give French a whirl with a course at NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.