Here are our tips that confirm Paris as the capital of style. The reopening of the legendary Samaritaine department store is outstanding and much talked about.
La Samaritaine
In Paris, LaSamaritaine is an institution. Although the renovation took 16 years, the noble department store has never disappeared from the memory of the French. In 1870, the store was opened by Ernest Cognacq and Marie Louise Jay – as one of the first department stores in the country. It was a real revolution in those days to be able to stroll through the aisles alongside salespeople and try on clothes on the spur of the moment. Today, in addition to 600 boutiques and shops, the new Samaritaine also houses the 5-star LeChevalBlanc hotel with 72 rooms and a lush green terrace in the historic atrium; as well as offices, social housing and a kindergarten. The location on the Seine is also unique: next to Pont Neuf and close to the Louvre.
La Samaritaine, 9 rue de la Monnaie, 75001 Paris, www.dfs.com/en/samaritaine
Birkenstock 1774
Commemorating its founding in 1774 Shoe label Birkenstock is showing off in Paris: “The Birkenstock 1774 showroom, named after the year the brand was founded, was conceived as a showcase for the brand’s special projects and upcoming 1774 collection, and is fittingly located on Rue Saint-Honoré,” the label shares. The 170-square-meter showroom is housed in a quintessential Haussmann-style Parisian apartment with paneled walls, interconnecting rooms, stone fireplaces and parquet floors. The interior design of comes from Nick Vinson of Vinson& Co, who has gathered new and vintage furniture, furnishings and décor items.
Birkenstock 1774, 390 rue St.-Honoré, Second Floor (St.-Honoré), 75001 Paris, https://www.birkenstock.com/gb/1774/
Sandqvist
Bringing sustainability to life. The Swedish bag and accessory brand Sandqvist is represented with a flagship store in a noble location in the middle of Paris. The label already operates locations in Stockholm, Berlin and London. “The first step of our design process is to explore all possibilities of sustainable production. It is at the heart of what we do. We want the look and feel of our stores to feel natural, organic and non-invasive,” says brand director Sebastian Westin of the concept behind the company’s own store.
Sandqvist, Flagship Store 24 rue Berger 75001 Paris, https://www.sandqvist.com/en/
Tom Greyhound
A former luxury apartment serves as the space for this multi-brand concept store, which invites its visitors to an extended exploration trip on two floors. The extremely private atmosphere was chosen to reflect the previous use, only the look is now much more modern. All the wooden goods carriers were specially made, but here and there they enter into a liaison with unusual vintage furniture. International designer brands such as Alexander Wang, Casely-Hayford, Jil Sander, Marni, Off-White, System Homme or Undercover are on offer in the menswear sector, which scores particularly well with expert advice and exquisite service, for example private shopping. A look at the lifestyle range is not to be missed.
Tom Greyhound, 19 Rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris, Tel. +33 1 44613659, https://tomgreyhound.com/
Balibaris
Fashion meets cinema! Paul Szczerba pulls the strings behind the scenes of this flagship store in the new trendy Canal Saint-Martin district. In just a few years Balibaris has become one of the most popular menswear brands in France, and is currently enjoying international success. Modern interpretations of the classic, very trendy, but always wearable – this is the motto of each collection, whose inspirations come from old black-and-white films and which, in passing, recall the fascination of great film classics. Logically, the interior was designed to match and the name was taken from a Stanley Kubrick film. The brand itself also stands for excitement and, of course, quality, which is why it is produced exclusively in France, Italy and Scotland. Exciting accessories perfectly round off the complete menswear line.
Balibaris, 14 Rue de Marseille, 75010 Paris, Tel. +33 1 42415244, www.balibaris.com
