Vanina Escoubet

The 9th arrondissement is perfect for a Sunday stroll, complete in a plethora of great (and expensive) little boutiques – the sort that make you want to throw out your entire wardrobe and start all over again as an epitome of classy French style. One of these is Vanina Escoubet, the eponymous brand from a designer who has had her workshop and boutique here for the last three years. It’s a cosy space with stone walls, done out in vintage and second-hand finds. The feel is a modern, feminine take on retro styling – Escoubet has spent the last 10 years making the most sophisticated styles comfortable for women’s contemporary lives, using beautiful materials and brilliant cuts. Each piece has a unique detail – lace on silk, leather on cotton – nothing but perfectly teamed textures. Escoubet produces two collections a year, full of fresh, feminine, delicate pieces, like a silk polka-dot blouse (€95) cut away with chiffon to reveal the upper back, or the ‘Raoul’ trousers (€105), one of the brand’s staples, more masculine rolled-up trousers worn playfully with high heels. And you can find all the accessories you need here too, chosen by Vanina from among some of Paris’s best young designers: glittery boots by Patricia Blanchet, colourful bags by Petite Mendigote (around €100), soft t-shirts by Zyga (€45) and unique pieces made from second-hand objects by La Tonkinoise. Vanina herself is a helpful and down to earth guide, welcoming and happy to show you around.