Shopping - Paris e-guide: The Travel Guide with its Own Website - page 55

Centre

10 E4

Helmut Lang master of minimalism
219 rue St-Honoré, 1er • 01 58 62 53 20
www.helmutlang.com Open 11-7 Mon-Sat
Lang's gallery-cum-boutique features a concrete stair-
case flanked by two imposing, black monolithic boxes,
black vinyl ottomans and art by names such as Louise
Bourgeois. These clean lines are also evident in the
men's and women's clothes: razor-sharp pants and
jackets, figure-hugging dresses and skinny T-shirts.

9 C2

Madelios male domain
23 boulevard de la Madeleine, 1er • 01 53 45 00 00
www.madelios.com Open 10-7 Mon-Sat
A one-stop shop for men's fashion, with two floors of
stylish, if faintly conservative, clothing. This means
sharp suits by Dior, Paul Smith and Givenchy; stylish
casuals by the likes of Lacoste and Diesel; plus a
large range of accessories and shoes. Also found in-
store are expert tailors and a men's beauty salon.

10 F4

Pierre Hardy his-and-hers heels
156 galerie de Valois, 1er • 01 42 60 59 75
www.pierrehardy.com Open 11-7 Tue-Sat
Former Hermès accessories designer Pierre Hardy has
had a big hit with his sophisticated, own-brand range
of shoes. His elegant boutique is located within the
up-market arcades enclosing the Palais Royal gardens
(see p162) : lit by a wall of coloured neon tubes, it
has something of a gallery feel to it, an impression
reinforced by the fact that the shoes are presented
on one long black shelf running round the walls.
Hardy's women's collection revolves around vertigi-
nous heels, daring foot “décolletés” and open-toed
stilettos in nude pink and coral that fasten with
lingerie straps. But fans of flatter styles are also well
served with kitten heels, sexy gladiator sandals and
cute ballerina shoes in candy colours. The designer's
capsule men's collection includes stylish cowboy
boots, kangaroo-skin lace-ups and white leather desert
boots. Unusually for Paris, service is with a smile.