TenOverSix

If you are in Los Angeles I recommend a visit to TenOverSix, a funky, quality boutique with a great selection of men's and women's clothing as well as accessories and objects and art. If you are not in LA you can check out their online store. A mix of cutting edge labels like Rachel Comey, Vena Cava, as well as their own line, TenOverSix, is combined with choice accessories including jewelry from Aesa and objects for the home such as this great Ursa the Bear toy. It is an open and inviting store to browse through slowly as M and I did over the holidays.

Paper goods

I realized I never blogged about Intaglio, an amazing printer (imprimerie) in Batignolles and now just opened on rue de Fleurus in the 6th. Intaglio does custom cards, stationary, business cards and invitations for all occassions (we had our wedding invites done there), as well as selling individual cards for the holidays, new year, thank you's, etc. They also have a selection of cards which have recipes for madeline's, chocolate cake and other French specials, and little boxes which look good just as objects if not used to offer a small something to someone.

They do engraved press as well as regular printing and though they can do the traditional cursive style, their overall look is bold, graphic, contemporary design. Their website is very helpful, showing the range of colors and typefaces possible if you are creating invitations. I highly recommend checking out their holiday cards this year which I saw decorating their vitrines the other day. If you have any attraction to paper goods you will be drawn in like its candy.

Astier de Villatte

I stopped by Astier de Villatte yesterday thanks to the recommendation of my friend, Emilie. What a beautiful shop- a visual escape from the city. The interior is all wood and country home like, but the home of a super creative spirit. The store is filled with variation of their trademark ceramics, white glaze over a gray earthenware which slightly shows through. Plates, glasses, vases, bowls, etc. Also on hand were gorgeous notebooks and calendars, candles, and a selection of beautiful decoupage plates and paperweights from NY based designer John Derian. The impression leaves one feeling dreamy and creative. 173, rue st.honore.

FOR SALE!

First ever deux frontieres sale! Well, basically I was doing a clean out of the shoe closet and I have had these great pairs of high heels which my life no longer provides for, perhaps sadly, because I do love these shoes--I hate ebay and instead of going around to the depot-ventes in Paris I have decided to try and capture an interested party via the blog. They are both in good condition--Not ever heavily used. The Gucci's have a little fraying at the toe and the Lulu's a little on the heel/talon do to (i think) stepping into a grate...not important.
Check them out!





GUCCI's: Size 7.5 Price: 50 Euros or $75

LULU GUINESS: Size 38: Price: 50 Euros or $75

Prices may be negotiable--especially if you want both of them!

The lowdown: If you are in Paris-free hand delivery-- If you are in the USA and can wait until the holidays I will ship them from California for free...otherwise I will need to charge shipping. Please email me at bdessent@gmail.com or leave me a comment if interested. More pics can be sent as well.

gift ideas

It is my 200th post. Cool. Clearly today has been a day of internet surfing, seeking inspiration and ideas from the good old (new really), WWW. With the holidays coming up soon (insane but true, although it does feel like winter in Paris already), this website, greenergrass, might be a good source of gift ideas. The site is clean, simple to use and has a great 'curated' selection of items. Keep it in mind.

All Saints

I was late to work today because I got caught up in (what I thought was a new) boutqiue called All Saints, at 49, rue Etienne Marcel. I was wandering down towards the Louvre after having paid a visit to a newish concept store called Hotel Particular. I had read a couple of reviews of this swank fashion outlet but was not wholly impressed by the selection, more impressed by seemingly friendly staff. Hotel Particular stocks high end threads such as Gaspard Yurkiervich, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Charles Catelbajac. It is men's and women's and very unisex at times as two items I was looking at were apparently for men. The store itself is lovely, boudoir meets hotel costes, sort of. It was easy to walk out empty handed. It's not my scene but I do appreciate the attempt to do something different in Paris.

So back to All Saint's, which I stumbled into, as it is sort of tucked back on a corner right near Place de Victoires. The store in fact has been around for a year, and talk is for a new store in the Marais soon. You enter into a huge, darkened space full of distressed metal and wood furnishings, everything in muted tones of beige, gray, black, navy and cream. The lighting is low, not clublike low which can be anoying, but dull, requiring concentrated focus to get what is happening. I was skeptical at first and not even in a shopping mood when all of a sudden, I wanted ten things. The cuts are, generally speaking, deconstructed but with form/shape. A few jackets that reminded me of Vivienne Westwood, with the gathered necklines and diagonal cuts, but prices are quite reasonable. New approaches to cardigan sweaters that reminded me of the Danish designers Best Behavior, draped around the body to be worn open or wrapped closed, layered tunic like dresses, great options for winter wool coats. Prices seemed to range between 80€-€400 depending on the item.
Everyone is probably in the know about this place, but if you are not, go check it out. www.allsaints.com

Textiles and Tunisia

Check out these beautiful fabrics handmade in Tunisia, found at Le Comptoir de Tunise, 30 rue de Richelieu. The colors are fantastic-bright pinks and oranges mixed with soft greens and blues. There was just something different. Also-gorgeous hand blown glass jars and bowls. This lovely boutique just opened a small cafe upstairs which looked worth a future visit.

MERCI

Merci could be seen as a anti-crisis endeavor. It may--read is-- a reflection of the new retailing times that seems to consist of unique, "curated" concept-esque stores that provide a new type of service and aesthetic. As we know, the big banks and big names are failing-leaving it to more individualized business to perhaps start the new market going. I am no economist, but Merci was certainly thriving with people throughout its huge, 1500 sq. meter space--formerly a wallpaper factory, on blvd. Beaumarchais in the 3rd.

Founded by Marie-France Cohen, the founder of children's luxe brand Bonpoint, Merci includes on the front end, a gorgeous flower shop and a warm cafe surrounded by books. The interior space is a 2-floor shopping fun house filled with things from a special line of artisan parfumer, Annick Goutal, designer vintage threads, a small fabric shop for the crafty-types, and small collections by mens, childrens and womens designers including Isabel Marant, Stella McCartney, APC, Paul Smith, Bonpoint, and others; a house and home section that stocks crystal chandeliers as well as colored glassware, a whole range of chairs, tables, etc. Here is the catch. Mde. Cohen, who made such a good deal on the sale of Bonpoint some years ago is not in the business now to make a new retail empire. Rather everything sold at Merci is given to charities that support impoverished children around the world. It functions as a non-profit. It is truly a feast for the eyes and wake-up call to shoppers who can feel perhaps less guilty about spending some money! Merci: 111, boulevard Beaumarchais 75003. 01.42.77.00.33

Zoum-Zoum

Zoum is my new favorite sneaker shoe store. I am probably one of the last to know of it, but better late then never. There are several locations around Paris-I stumbled upon one in the 12th and came out with a sweet pair of Tiger hightops with orange laces. It was an impulse buy and I must of thought I was 21 in terms of the style I picked, but whatever- for 50 Euros they'll go a long way. I know there is one in the 9th, south of Pigalle, in the 18th and the 17th as well. I can't find a website tho.

Goumanyat

Goumanyat & son royaume is a specialty store featuring teas, spices, essential oils, some cookbooks and cooking products and utensils. The business started in 1809 as a father and son venture, which I believe has continued throughout the generations up to the present. They have expanded to include special cooking classes and of course modernized kitchen utensils, but many of the spices and oils retain the artisanal tradition. Saffron was an early import for this company and there are still many saffron based items. The best thing about this lovely shop is they are friendly, helpful and not ridiculously expensive, like Mariage Freres, which has amazing teas, yes, but insanely overpriced. 3, rue Charles-Francois Dupuis, 3rd arr. www.goumanyat.com

The Berliner

Just back from four days in the hipster haven of Berlin. For some time now I have been curious and intrigued to visit this city so frequently praised and cited in terms of art/fashion/cutting edge bars and so on. With all the hype I was bound to be somewhat disappointed by the real thing, but I wasn't. I was surprised by how large of a city it was and realized 4 days is too short-though I did get a flavor for it. W

We arrived late afternoon on Tuesday and M went off to finish his installation at Art Forum Berlin- so I was left to wander for a few hours by myself. I was psyched to hit the Berlin pavement, but it was already pitch black at 5:30, so I kept my stroll to a small circumference around our groovy pension, the Weltempfaenger. (Carry the card with you should you need a taxi to take you back as there is no way of trying to pronounce this if not German). This small pension is located a little up from the Mitte. Rooms are sparse and concierge type service basically nil, but the bar/resto is a great hangout with good food. I was immediately enamored with the Mitte--i felt like I kept hitting cool, little galleries followed by young designer shops-often with workshops onsite. It was exactly what I imagined. Some cool highlights from this were Fiona Bennett-www.fionabennett.com, a fabulous hat shop; JA Designkonzepte-www.j-a-designkonzepte.de, whose konzepte is vintage and new fabrics transformed into beautiful scarves/eye shades/pillows/decorative items, etc.; Wolfen- www.wolfengermany.com, a lovely boutique, simple clothing, but simple in the sense of elegant designs done just right. kind of like APC does it; and Swert, www.s-wert-design.de, another fabric based concept store tho this time with an architectural//kind of retro look to the designed fabrics used as curtains, pillows, and also on clothing.

We ate (too) well in Berlin. I love the German or Dutch style cafe with the big bar, soft lighting and great coffee served with cookies. In the cold/wet weather we had for a couple of days this is essential to keep up tourist stamina. One night we had Russian food at Gorki Park and another night ate at an old-school restaurant called Einstein’s that had big, high ceilings and kind of a German-1920s vibe to it. We also had the requisite hotdogs or currywurst-(hotdog with curry spices) which left me semi-nauseous but satisfied. The weirdest thing about Berlin is how fast it can change to become a wasteland of strange (bad) architecture and void of sentiment. At the same time this also reminds one of the newness of this city and the scars that are still apparent.

Art highlights were seeing the Neue Nationalgalerie (a Mies van der Rohe building)at night; KW Institute of Contemporary Art; the Casper David Friedrich paintings on the top floor of the Alte Pinacotheque, the new Capitain Petzel Galerie located on Karl-Marx Allee-which was the long route to Moscow out of East Berlin, once upon a time, and of course, M's installation at Artforum Berlin.

Here are some pics. M took better one's so I have to wait until gets around to downloading....

Buenos Aires in Paris

I have to admit I have become addicted to facebook this week, which I finally joined and have now entered the phase it appears everyone goes through when they first join...finding all the people you know on it..and often finding people you don't want to remember you know! However, before it ends tomorrow I wanted to mention
that up on the 2nd floor of The Bon Marchè is a special presentation of things Argentinian. On one side is a cafe that is selling Argentinian style food and wines and offering classes in Tango. On the other side is a selection of clothing, shoes, pillows and throws, as well as books showcasing the natural beauty of the country, classic novelists like Borges, and a selection of food products. I thought they would have found sightly more interesting designers, but rather they seemed to go for the sterotypes of the country, selling such items as vintage, 40s dresses (à la Eva Peron?), gaucho type riding boots, tango-like shoes and lace tights, and earthy looking knit jackets and scarfs. There is also a nice photo exhibition of street scenes from the 1980s by Mario Pignata Monti, who studied science in France in the before turning to photojournalism. A couple of shoe designers really stood out, Mish and Divia. It is a cool concept but kind of fails to offer anything unique. Rather it looks like an exibition organized by the toursim board of Argentina. Lovely, but typical.

Shoes baby, shoes

So it's fall and the weather in Paris has been...typically Parisian although there appears to be sun for the moment today. In any event, fall means good clothes--or rather, looking good before the winter wardrobe of jeans, gray sweaters and boots takes over, so this weekend go to Estelle Yomeda and get a beautiful pair of shoes and make yourself happy. Estelle is the designer and the boutique has been open a bit over a year. Her shoes are striking, sexy to top it off, comfortable. They are handmade in Portugal and the heels are typically such that you can walk for more than 10 minutes without regret. Color is an essential part of the shoe, often with combinations such as black + gold or brown and turquoise-Her designs are truly unique and surely will be timeless treasures. These images are from the summer collection, and fall is just as nice.www.estelleyomeda.com
4, rue de Normandie-75003

Vintage goodness

Three vintage stores to change your life, or at least your wardrobe:
Stepping into Ragtime, 23, rue de l’Echaude-75006, is like stepping into any fashionista’s dream. Run by the voluptuous and gravel voiced Francoise Auguet for over 20 years, Ragtime is full of delectable haute couture from the early 20th century up to the 1980s. On a recent visit, highlights included a Nina Ricci a-line, crepe de chêne dress from the 1960s, a perfect condition 1970s Lanvin dress in a fabulous orange-based ethnic-looking print (700 Euros), a floor length pink silk robe from the 1920s (280 Euros), and a purple toned Pucci mini-dress. (No website)

Pretty Box, (marais.evous.fr/Pretty-Box), 46, rue Saintonge-75003, has been around for just a year and is run by friends Nicolas and Sarah. Filled with one-of-a-kind vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories mainly for women, but there are things for men as well. The vibe is 1980s, with some 1970s and 60s thrown in for good measure. In addition, Sarah has started her own line of clothing four years ago called Garde Robe that fuses classic 1970s and 80s clothing with modern fabrics and cuts.

Le Depot-Vente de Buci, 4, rue de Bourbon-le-Château-75006, is a two-part vintage store, run by Celine and her daughter Lawrence and filled with clothing, accessories and shoes from the mid 20th century up to the early 1990s. On the one side is couture, with pieces by such designers as Chanel, Valentino, Lanvin, and Leonard, and the other is full of prêt-a-porter finds such as Paul Smith, Issy Miyake, Thierry Mugler and Sonia Rykel. Prices vary anywhere from 30 Euros upwards of 300 Euros. (No website)

Monoprix + Me

I guess you could call it a dirty, little secret, but Monoprix makes me happy. It rarely fails to put a smile on my face due to some rather unnecessary item purchased such as a Pyrex bowl or a lacy camisole for 5 Euros. I don’t buy food there—that is not what I am referring to. Rather, I am talking about those Beauty Monop’s or the Monoprix stores with the selection of clothing, household items, and beauty products. Maybe it is the closest thing to Target, where every once-in-awhile you go in and binge buy all your shampoo, underwear and maybe a new set of sheets all in one stop. Typically the event starts with a simple need like toothpaste. This was the case yesterday when I stopped in to pick up a discount 3 pack of Colgate and left spending 60 Euros on a new, white, linen skirt (yes its rainy and cold again but I know I’ll need it), a pair of socks for M, printed napkins, and a random supply of grooming products like Organic coco scented body soap. Despite the money spent, it seemed to take me out of my gray mood and put a smile on my face. A classic shopping therapy success story. Thanks Monoprix.

Cherche Midi

On rue de Cherche Midi-between Blvd. Raspail and Blvd. Montparnasse, there is a series of second-hand boutiques called Chercheminippes. Many may already be in the know. I discovered them about a year ago when I took that street towards the subway after my Alliance Française classes. I happened to be in the neighborhood yesterday and once again took pleasure in these stores. Scattered along the lower portion of the street, closer to Montmartre then Raspail are separate boutiques for children, home, men + three for women which more or less include shoes and accessories, designer label, and more casual wear. Today I saw a vintage Gucci valise with the classic red and green strip and brown fabric- asking price 671 Euros but I also saw a great pair of navy Antik Batik pants for 35 Euros and Isabelle Marant top for 65Euros. The men’s store is fantastic-finds include Hugo Boss or Armani dress shirts for 30 Euros. Not everyone gets that thrill of finding a designer skirt or blouse in perfect condition but for a fraction of the price but for some reason I do, and so if you do, I suggest you check out Chercheminippes.

Shoe PJUX

I am filling in a few days at Plagg, the great little boutique at 41, rue Charlot, which features all Scandinavian designers, the majority of whom practice an eco-friendly approach, and they are having great sales by the way...hint hint to any Parisians reading this and in the mood for shopping...However, wanted to share a new discovery, shoe designers PJUX, who design sustainable shoes using vegetable tanned and chrome-free leathers, wood is solid beech wood which is sourced from sustainable forests in Europe. The designers live and work in Copenhagen but the shoes are made in Spain--which is not only famous for its long history of quality shoe production, but this is where they found an artisan shoemaker who would adhere to their eco-requests. The A/W 07 collection featured short boots (bottines in french; i love that word), heels and flats that have a semi 1940s or 50s feel. Also a line of mens wear is available. Plagg has a great pair of the black leather bottines available..I think the only store in Paris that carries them as well or visit their website www.pjux.com

Discovered

Margo Milin: Margo Milin is a designer of women’s clothes whose tiny boutique is located at 1, rue Charles Francois Dupuis in the 3rd arrondissement. Her designs spin off of classic blouses, sweaters and tops, giving them a more stylish cut, very feminine, but not overly designed. The clothes are well structured and can be worn dressed up for a dinner party, job interview or made casual for Saturday shopping depending on how you pair them. Cotton, wool and silk are dominant fabrics with solid colors in gray, blue, black, white. There are also tunics, jackets and larger wool coats that fit like a robe, wrapping around the body with a belt to close. The scooped, backless shirt is super sexy for those not needing to wear a bras and the thin, silk semi-wrap dress looks ideal for summertime or a warm, winter getaway. An online boutique opens soon. www.margomilin.com

Plagg: Plagg, a slang term in Swedish for clothes, is a gem of a boutique at 41, rue Charlot in the Marais. The store specializes in Scandinavian clothing designers, which for me was a new discovery. Mostly I am familiar with Scandinavian design for objects and home décor, or the cutesy Marrikmekko, but here there are some fantastic, unique, affordable and flattering things to be had by designers such as Ivana Helsinki and Best Behavior. For the autumn/winter 2007 they have sexy and funky sweaters and knit-based items, voluminous, deconstructed jackets and a great pair of purple ankle boots to brighten up the winter.

So Vintage

So Vintage-soooo good
16, rue des Moines
17 arrondisement

Housed inside a tiny, unassuming storefront on the rue des Moines, there is no awning and no sign, is So Vintage, a true mecca of vintage fashion. Paris is full of some of the best vintage stores I have seen with prices that are generally better than New York, but none-the-less, expensive, particularly if you do the euro-dollar exchange. What’s more, typically part of the bargain of scoring a great, one of a kind Pucci dress is the particularly pungent smell of clothes that have been sitting in some dank basement or god knows where and the first week of new ownership the item sits at the dry cleaner, waiting for a slight facelift.

So Vintage is not super vintage in the sense of finding anything pre-1970s, but why it rocks so much is that it has managed to find rarely, if ever been worn Yves St. Laurent, Balenciaga, Lanvin, Thierry Mugler, Rykiel, etc. Always on hand is a huge rack of mostly sweaters and funky tops at 30 Euros each and another with dresses, skirts, sweater dresses, and tops at 50 Euros. I scored a never been worn, Balenciaga, navyblue silk shift dress on this rack last week. I felt like I was on candid camera and was waiting for someone to pop out and say “gotch ya!” Another item that grabbed me was a deep purple, silk YSL tunic with slightly chunky gold buttons on the sleeves. 30 Euros.

For men, well, I haven’t looked that much yet because I had to get out of there before I spent any more money on my part time budget, but someone is getting a 10 Euro Thierry Mugler tie for Christmas…maybe two of them.

So Vintage is just a nice, low-key store filled with some rare, funky finds. What’s more, there is another store at 50 Legendre, also in the 17th and another in the 19th, which is reportedly 3 floors. You’ll have to ask for the location. I was scared to ask.
There is no website.