One of the good surprises of Christmas was a pair of fancy Venitian slippers made with Uzbek fabric by Capulette. Mine are pink and green but hey come in multiple colors, in cotton or velvet and are the original Friulane shoes worn by gondoliers with a gum sole. They were designed by the very pretty Capucine Lebrun, the owner of … Read More
“Chinoises” is now also in Paris and there are many ideas to steal for Xmas
You might remember when I told you three years ago about Félicie le Blan’s adventures in Shanghai where she started her company Chinoises. Fashion and decorative accessories are easy to order online (delivery is free in France) and she has developed a new line of plates designed by Filipe Jardim, silk jackets and armchairs and cushions. Everything is elegant and … Read More
Don’t miss, this week…
It’s Christmas very soon and of course you have not found any presents yet… Here are a few ideas for you. Inès Olaechea who used to run a beautiful shop of Mexican earrings and handbags on rue de l’Université is now marketing Marine Breynaert‘s lamps and candle holders and she is having a private sale until December 24, at 46 … Read More
Vogue and the history of fashion are disappointing at Palais Galliera
Under Olivier Saillard‘s reign, Palais Galliera was a fun and glamorous Museum of Costume culminating with Comtesse Greffulhe’s exhibition. Now that the downstairs galleries have been completely transformed thanks to the generosity of Chanel, it feels a little gloomy and dark. On the ground floor, the exhibition devoted to the 100 years of Vogue Paris, 1920-2020 is definitely understated. When … Read More
Mugler makes a show at MAD
I was looking forward to finding the beloved Thierry Mugler at MAD’s “Couturissime” with all the creations that we discovered year after year in the 1980’s but was disappointed by the overdone and glittery costumes. No emotion just partying. Which of course pleased enormously the crowds of the Fashion week and correspond well to the spirit of the designer who … Read More
The reopening of La Samaritaine is a non event
I was not disappointed because I did not expect much. The new La Samaritaine is in a similar way as Le Bon Marché, a luxury store for famous brands with no spirit and no imagination, it is managed by the DFS group, duty free shopping. “Tout ça pour ça” as we say I French after more than 800 millions € … Read More
Ile de Ré is in top cultural form
The magical Ile de Ré acquired a bridge in 1988 and since then, it is easily linked to La Rochelle and even more popular than before. There is great social rivalry between Les Portes, at the extreme end of the island, and Ars five miles away, a bit like East Hampton and Southampton in the summer. But in the end, lunch … Read More
Compagnie Française de l’Orient et de la Chine, a mine of good ideas
Compagnie Française de l’Orient et de la Chine (CFOC), which was founded fifty five years ago by François Dautresme, a great traveller and collector of Asian art, has always been a fabulous place for finding Christmas presents, Chinese ceramics, trays in lacquer and exotic furniture. Now that it is owned (since June 2020) by Louis Desazars de Montgailhard and Laurent … Read More