Paris

• 

Shopping tips and trends

Paris has been the world’s fashion mecca at least since the reign of Louis XIV, when the Sun King sent ambassadors bearing dolls dressed in the latest looks to neighbouring European courts.

Today, even if the futureof haute couture hangs in the balance (and few locals can afford the latest runway look or accessories in sumptuous leather, so the market is held aloft largely by wealthy tourists), luxury is still the standard on which the city’s reputation hangs. The cost of craftsmanship being what it is, you can count on the fingers of one hand the well-known houses that can still afford to produce domestically.

 

But whether or not what you buy was truly Made in France, the simple act of purchasing something, watching the staff take special care over wrapping it, and taking a little part of Paris home with you carries unbeatable cachet.After all, where else in the world can you find an atelier devoted solely to the making of watchbands, a family-owned hardware store whose window displays can rival some of the greats of modern art, or a shop devoted solely to oils of every kind – many of which you may never have heard of? Call them proud, call them fussy, you can’t fault the French when it comes to their obsession with style.

Fashion forward
Paris is a rite of passage for any fashion designer worth his or her sketchbook, and the city embraces and nutures talent as no other world capital can. The legendary houses are alive and well thanks to the talents of Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, John Galliano at Dior, Nicholas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga and Marc Jacobs at Louis; more recently the fortunes of Rochas have been revived by Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens, those of Azzaro by English designer Vanessa Seward and Lanvin’s return to the limelight is to the credit of Israelian-born designer Alber Elbaz. At Yves Saint Laurent, Stefano Pilati has received a nod from the master himself and, after an identity crisis that lasted close to a decade, the house that Hubery de Givenchy built may yet be saved with thanks to newcomer Riccardo Tisci.

 

Meanwhile, fashion’s focus is gravitating to semi-couture (aka luxury ready-to-wear) and unique pieces, allowing a new generation of designers to come into its own. Martin Grant and Andrew Gn are two cases in point. Grant is known for his sharply-cut trenches and modern Kennedy-esque separates; Gn for his exquisitely embellished coats and high-luxe ensembles. Other up-and-comers include Canadian designer David Szeto, who has been designing origami-precise little black dresses for years. Rather than rush into opening signature boutiques, such designers continue to serve a private clientele from their ateliers, allowing influential fashion magazines and stores such as Le Bon Marché to bring their work to wider attention. Meanwhile, if you wander around the edgier neighbourhoods, such as rue Oberkampf (11th), rue Keller (10th) and rue Charlot (3rd), you’ll find plenty of atelier boutiques by names you have never heard of but probably will someday.

 

Culture club
Antiquarian bookshops are scattered throughout the city but tend to cluster around the Sorbonne; bibliophiles will also want to check out the famous bouquinistes along the banks of the river.

 

Likewise, if you are into browsing rather than hanging out at emporia such as Virgin Megastore on the Champs-Elysées or the national chain Fnac, you’ll find a good selection of new and used books, CDs and DVDs at the bookshops on boulevard St Michel. On the right bank, explore the warren of pedestrian streets around Châtelet, expecially for DVDs and old vinyls.

• Did you find this useful? Yes No
• 

      

---