The metropolis on the Seine is indescribable in almost all regards, being one of the most multifaceted and diverse cities in the world.
Paris has lived up to its reputation of being a “living museum”, ever since the Baron Hausmann began designing its main streets and magnificent boulevards in 1870, a design the city has retained until today.
Paris is an amalgamation of elements, at once the traditional tourist’s destination (Eifel Tower, Moulin Rouge, Toulouse-Lautrec, Montmartre, etc.) yet at the same time a strikingly creative and intrinsically developing organism. One thing above all else is certain: It is, and will remain, the city of love and the city of lights.
From 7th to 11th september, the French top show for home design will happen again. Essentiel is the main theme of the second edition of MAISON&OBJET 2012. Why? Because it is important to calm dowm and to return to what’s crystal clear and what is the essence of life.
Beyond the vicinity of a crowded, noisy world, we can unburden ourselves of the artifices of superficiality and uselessness. We prefer the best to excess in all things. To clean ourselves from the impurity of the world through a clean, molecular design: tha’ts the challenge of the brands that participate.
Minimalist luxury is reestablishing a bare, serene timelessness. The contemporary spirit is contemplating Beauty in its most elementary sobriety. The older, the current and the future are being reconciled. Discoveries in the techno-sciences are reinvigorating an optimistic vision of the future. Attitudes and styles are maximizing the senses and sensations and giving a highly desirable art of living a vibrant new spirit.
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Here is a video from last January’s edition, where Boca do Lobo was considered trend by Nelly Rodi.
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Once you are in Paris for the trade show, you should visit Marc Jacobs exhibition at Les Arts Décoratifs. The exhibition explains how Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs acted as innovators and cultural phenomena in their own right, in so doing “writing history of contemporary fashion”. At the exhibition you will find a contrast of the lives of Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs. The exhibit runs until 16 September.
No trip to Paris is complete without spending a day at one of the many fle markets around town. Marche aus Puces – Saint Ouen is the largest flea market in the world. If you love antiques and enjoy a good stroll – this is a great way to spend a leisurely day in Paris.
If your shopping mood persists, I recommend that you stop by Colette, one of my favourite concept shops in Paris. As well as cutting-edge fashion from the likes of Gareth Pugh, Comme des Garçons and Lanvin, Colette houses a bookshop, a famous water bar serving more than 100 types of water and regularly hosts dance classes, music shows, and art exhibitions. Unmissable!
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And now a tip for the foodies: at the Alain Ducasse, the tables are always adorned with thousands of crystals, and the service is always excellent – the best in Paris, some say. The wine list is unbelievable, including wines from thousands of different grapes.
Many classics of French cuisine were conceived of here, or redesigned, for instance asparagus with sauce “Maltaise”, or the unbeatable lobster “thermidor”. The menu here is a synthesis of 19th and 21st century French cuisine, with all dishes being slight redesigns of “reliable” French classics.
To sleep we highly recommend KUBE Hotel! Situated in the heart of the XVIIIth district, a few steps away from Montmartre, KUBE Hotel is tucked away in a quiet street at the summit of Paris’s multicultural Montmartre district, sheltered from the city’s crowd.
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It is a retro-future hotel that defies the city’s classical clichés. Upon entering KUBE Hotel, visitors will be forgiven for thinking they’ve walked onto the set of an achingly smart 1960s sci-fi film. Welcome to the future!
Murano Urban Resort is another suggestion. This hotel is a trendy location in which to be seen, yet also to see, as it is frequented my much of the Parisian elite. The lobby room here is snow white, a perfect match for the beauty of many of its guests. The bar is completely solid, featuring 150 different vodkas. The rooms are accessible only with fingerprints and are uncompromisingly equipped – even the color of light in each room is up to you!
Don’t forget that there is a new nightculb in town:! Must go! And if you still have time please do visit the exhibition of . She is a Portuguese artist and the first woman and youngest to exhibit contemporary art in the French national monument.
