Paris_ The Collected Traveler - Barrie Kerper [247]
We provide two services: buying at auction, and our courier service at the main Paris flea market (Puces de Clignancourt) and professional trade shows (déballages). We take customers under our wing at the flea market and protect them from dishonest dealers and unsavory characters who tend to congregate near the market. (We know a Manhattan dealer who got his cell stolen right out of his hand and an old woman whose teeth were knocked out at an ATM. Tip? Never put cash in your purse; thieves will rip it right off your shoulder.)
Tackling this sometimes seedy world, though, has its fruits: beautiful antiques found at great prices. We really do it all from A to Z, honestly and with a genuine pride in seeing to our customer’s satisfaction.
Q: What are Les Grands Ateliers de France?
A: Simply put, they’re the best artisans in France—la crème de la crème in their field, of upholstery, gilt bronze, embroidery, furniture restoration, etc. Maison Brazet is one; Rémy Brazet’s fine upholstery atelier may be visited in an inner courtyard on a shopping street in the sixteenth. Many locals don’t even know it’s there. Last time I went, he was placing feathers on Catherine the Great’s bed that the Getty Museum had bought from Bernard Steinitz. Brazet also works for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and once had a New York customer who flew on the Concorde to discuss trim with him. His work is so perfect that one museum thought he’d cheated by using foam instead of horsehair. He sliced open the chair to prove them wrong.
Q: I know you have literally hundreds of Paris addresses, other than Maison Brazet and some known only to the trade, in your attaché case. Can you share some of your favorite and most distinctive with Collected Traveler readers?
A: Dealers never give out their sources. That’s how we make our living. But here are a few I can share with my brief notes:
Fried Frères (13 rue du Caire, 2ème / +33 01 42 33 51 55 / friedfreres.fr). Supplies crystal beads, sequins, and pearls to haute couture houses. Sold prestrung for crochet embroidery. Stockroom stuffed to the ceiling! Minimum order. Worth a visit to feel the energy of the Sentier, the garment district.
Lesage (13 rue de la Grange-Batelière, 9ème / +33 01 44 79 00 88 / www.lesage-paris.com). François Lesage, the father. Right beside Drouot. The master of French hook (crochet) embroidery and has a school open to the general public. Courses, beginning level I, expensive. His haute couture atelier for designers like Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, and YSL is never open to the public.
Jean-François Lesage (207 rue Saint-Honoré, 1er / +33 01 44 50 01 01 / jeanfrancoislesage.com). François’s son. Luxurious home embroidery produced in India; mostly gold and silver thread. Don’t even bother calling unless you’re professional or seriously interested in ordering. Works only with high-end customers: Saudi Arabian princes, aristocrats, and foreign governments.
Boisson (181 rue Saint-Denis, 2ème / +33 01 45 08 02 61). Rue Saint-Denis can be disturbing, as prostitutes of all sizes and ages hang out in doorways. A single woman, especially a pretty one, might be bothered if walking alone. Don’t let that stop you from visiting this boutique stuffed with thread and yarn of all descriptions for weaving and embroidery. Cotton warp thread for tapestry and rug making. Owner welcoming and knowledgeable.
Au Ver à Soie (102 rue Réaumur, 2ème / +33 01 42 33 52 92 / auverasoie.com). The best store in the world for silk thread! Located in the heart of the garment district. Silk thread and ribbon in all forms, shapes, and sizes, even chenille. Color palette