Paris Fashion Week is starting on Tuesday and after having followed every detail of London Fashion Week in envy, I am so looking forward to the fashion spotlight being on my adoptive city. Paris Fashion Week is such a busy time of year, with all the running around between different venues so for those of you flocking into the city for work or pleasure here are my top places to be seen. Research done, you’re welcome.
Where to eat…
In a city with a restaurant on every corner and more, finding a good place to eat can be both hard and overwhelming so once I find somewhere I keep going back again and again. For a nice cheap breakfast or decent lunch, I head to the used book cafe of MERCI, which also has an amazing concept store attached. Being situated in the 3rd arrondissement, it is perfect for us fashion week goers seeing as many showrooms and previews take place just a stone’s throw away. Their equally cool sister restaurant, GRAZIE is a couple of minutes walk down boulevard Beaumarchais and it serves amazing pizza and cocktails.
For those of you who feel you will hardly even have time to eat at Fashion Week, grab yourself a takeaway falafel pitta from CHEZ HANNA on rue des Rosiers. This is honestly the best falafel I have ever had and you’ll thank me later if you find the time to squeeze one in.
If you fancy heading a bit further afield from the fashion conscious Marais area, I recommend Canal Saint Martin for eating, drinking and generally hanging out (more about that later). LA MARINE, situated right on the Canal’s bank, is one of my favourite restaurants. The food is great – try the sea bass with roasted vegetables and green salsa, it’s amazing! There are lots of places to eat along the canal and if it’s nice weather you could get pizza delivered to your hang out spot from PINK FLAMINGO!
Where to shop…
Of course it completely depends on your budget, style and desires but as a vintage clothes and bargain obsessive I would seriously advise that you check out PARIS’ VINTAGE SHOPS regardless. It is definitely the best city I have been to for vintage because the clothes are so cheap and the price is excellent. Make sure you try to extremely successful KILO SHOP, where, if you haven’t guessed already, you buy clothes by weight – fun eh?! Coiffeur on rue des Rosiers and Free ‘P’ Star on rue de la Verrerie are great for a rummage too!
If you are looking for some upmarket high street brands such as Zadig & Voltaire or Les Petites, take a stroll in Le Marais along rue des Francs Bourgeois, rue des Rosiers and rue Vieille du Temple. For high street and designer, head up to boulevard Haussmann for department stores Galeries Lafayette and Printemps as well as H&M, Monki, Zara and Sephora to name a few.
Where to hang out…
There’s a lot of hanging around at fashion week so it’s important to know where to do it. If you want to get papped or find some inspiration from fellow fashion week goers, the best places to hang out are outside VENUES WHERE SHOWS are taking place. I find the best places for taking street style snaps are outside Palais de Tokyo because the entrance is set back from the street so there’s lots of space for milling around, or in the Tuileries gardens where you will get that classic PFW shot on the sandy gravel. The 3rd arrondissement is often where the fash pack will be when not attending shows, taking a break on a French terrace on rue de Bretagne, rue de Turenne or boulevard Beaumarchais.
Fancy getting a break from the crowds? Check out Le Comptoir Général on Canal Saint Martin where you can grab a drink, relax, take a look at their stuffed animal collection (!) and be in a bit more organic atmosphere.
Where to drink…
If you are tired after a long day and fancy a quiet drink where you can sit and reflect on the day’s collections, Le Marais is the place for you. More specifically, indie bars PICK CLOPS and LA PERLE which both have great buzzing atmospheres but you are likely to get a seat. Pick Clops also do great food including bagels with mounds of cream cheese and smoked salmon.
For cheap drinks in a busy and hip atmosphere, I recommend Le Mauri 7 et Chez Jeanette opposite in the more gritty area of Strasbourg Saint Denis. If you have enough energy, bar crawling along rue Oberkampf and rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud is the way to go. Check out the amazing cocktails and decor of PILI PILI or the 1920s vibe of CAFE CHARBON.
Have a great Paris Fashion Week everyone!
Izzie x