Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Contemporary Fashion
Outlandish designs by young rising stars such as Serkan Cura (swiftly making a name for
himself with work-of-art dresses crafted from feathers and Swarovski crystals) or world-
famous couturiers like 'wild child' Jean Paul Gaultier (known for putting men in punky
skirts and Madonna in her signature conical bra) might strut down the Paris catwalk during
fashion week. But you encounter few Cura- or Gaultier-clad women rubbing shoulders in
the metro: Parisian style is generally too conservative for that.
London-inspired street-wear jumps off the shelves in trendy shops around rue Étienne
Marcel in the Louvre & Les Halles neighbourhood, and Le Marais. The Haut Marais, 3e, is
known for its young designer boutiques. Names to excite, watch and wear include Moon
Young Hee, Valentine Gauthier, Yukiko and Sakina M'sa. Anne Elisabeth, a well-travelled
Parisian designer with boutiques in the 1er, 3e and 6e, is a long-standing favourite. Parisian
handbag designers include Nat & Nin, Clarisse (Pauline Pin), Kasia Dietz and Jamin Puech.
BCBG & Intello
In upper-crust circles, the BCBG
(bon chic bon genre)
girl shops at department store Le Bon
Marché or Chanel, and rarely ventures outside her preferred districts: the 7e, 8e and 16e.
The chic Left Bank
intello
(intellectual) shops for trendy but highly wearable fashion at
upmarket high-street boutiques like Agnès b (created in Paris in 1975 by Versailles designer
Agnès Troublé - the 'b' gives a nod to her husband) and APC (Atelier de Production et de
Création). Fast-growing brands like Kooples, Maje, Sandro, Comptoir des Cotonniers, and
Zadig & Voltaire are huge among BCBG.
