Normandy, Brittany & the Best of the North_ With Paris (Fodor's) - Fodor's [175]
Chanel (42 av. Montaigne, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–47–23–74–12 | Station: Franklin-D.-Roosevelt | 31 rue Cambon, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | 01–42–86–26–00 | Station: Tuileries) is helmed by Karl Lagerfeld, whose collections are steadily vibrant. Great investments include all of Coco’s favorites: the perfectly tailored tweed suit, a lean, soigné black dress, a quilted bag with a gold chain, or a camellia brooch.
Chloé (54–56 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, Louvre/Tuileries, 8e | 75008 | 01–44–94–33–00 | Station: Concorde) is revising its image yet again with Hannah McGibbon at the helm; less romantic and feminine than days of yore, the line still features flowing layered dresses but with an asymmetric edge. Bold colors and patterns on lovely diaphanous fabrics made a big splash recently.
Christian Dior (30 av. Montaigne, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 75008 | 01–40–73–54–44 | Station: Franklin-D.-Roosevelt | 16 rue de l’Abbé, St-Germain-des-Prés, 6e | 75006 | 01–56–24–90–53 | Station: St-Germain-des-Prés) may have dismissed long-time designer John Galliano, but the store still features wild designs like body-skimming evening dresses paired with high-tops and a Davy Crockett raccoon hat.
Colette (213 rue St-Honoré, Louvre/Tuileries, 1er | 75001 | 01–55–35–33–90 | Station: Tuileries) is the most fashionable, most hip, and most hyped store in Paris (and possibly the world). The ground floor, which stocks design objects, gadgets, and makeup, is generally packed with fashion victims and the simply curious. Upstairs are handpicked fashions, accessories, magazines, and books, all of which ooze trendiness. The basement has a water bar and a small restaurant that’s good for a quick bite.
Jean-Paul Gaultier (44 av. George V, Champs-Élysées, 8e | 01–44–43–00–44 | Station: George V | 6 Galerie Vivienne, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 2e | 75002 | 01–42–86–05–05 | Station: Bourse) first made headlines with his celebrated corset with the ironic i-conic breasts for Madonna, but now sends fashion editors into ecstasy with his sumptuous haute-couture creations. Designer Philippe Starck spun an Alice in Wonderland fantasy for the boutiques, with quilted cream walls and Murano mirrors.
GIFTS FOR THE HOME
Maison de Baccarat (11 pl. des États-Unis, Trocadéro/Tour Eiffel, 16e | 75016 | 01–40–22–11–00 | Station: Trocadéro) was once the home of Marie-Laure de Noailles, known as the Countess of Bizarre; now it’s a museum and crystal store of the famed manufacturer. Philippe Starck revamped the space with his signature cleverness—yes, that’s a chandelier floating in an aquarium and, yes, that crystal arm sprouting from the wall alludes to Jean Cocteau (a friend of Noailles).
Muji (47 rue des Francs Bourgeois, Le Marais, 4e | 75004 | 01–49–96–41–41 | Station: St-Paul | 27 and 30 rue St-Sulpice, St-Germain-des-Prés, 6e | 75006 | 01–46–34–01–10 | Station: Odéon) runs on the concept of kanketsu, or simplicity. The resultant streamlined designs for sportswear, housewares, and other supplies are all the rage in Europe. Must-haves include a collection of mini-necessities—travel essentials, wee office gizmos, purse-size accoutrements—so useful and adorable you’ll want them all.
Le Monde Sauvage (11 rue de l’Odéon, Quartier Latin, 6e | 75006 | 01–43–25–60–34 | Station: Odéon) is a must-visit for home accessories—reversible silk bedspreads in rich colors, velvet throws, hand-quilted bed linens, silk floor cushions, Venetian mirrors, and the best selection of hand-embroidered curtains in silk, cotton, linen, or velvet.
GOURMET GOODIES
À la Mère de Famille (35 rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, Opéra/Grands Boulevards, 9e | 75009 | 01–47–70–83–69 | Station: Cadet) is an enchanting shop well versed in French regional specialties and old-fashioned bonbons, sugar candy, and more.