The elegant Christmas tree will be the centrepiece of the hotel lobby and will be adorned with Repetto delights including pink and black satin ballet shoes, gold medals and Repetto-wrapped presents.

Designed by Victor Louis, the 18th century luxury palace hotel is located in a prestigious spot at La Place de la Comédie, overlooking le Grand Théâtre. Repetto’s Bordeaux boutique is just a stone’s throw away on the Cours de l’Intendance, making the Christmas tree a very neighbourly collaboration.

Here’s a preview sketch of the Repetto christmas tree before the grand unveiling in the lobby of The Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa…

Founded by Madame Rose Repetto from a tiny Paris studio near the National Opera of Paris in 1947, Repetto ballet shoes have graced the nimble feet of dancing greats from Kirov to Cendrillon.

Since then, they have become synonymous with understated French style and have been a wardrobe staple of Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve and Kate Moss.

Chérie City has long been a fan of Repetto’s exquisite ballet slippers, but on a recent trip to the Selfridges Shoe Galleries, I recently discovered Repetto’s heavenly ballet-inspired handbags.

A Repetto Besace ‘Adage’ bag under the Repetto tree at The Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux & Spa would be the ultimate Christmas dream!

For more info, visit: www.ghbordeaux.com and www.repetto.com

For centuries, Versailles has symbolised French royalty – think Louis XIV with his decadent feasts, Marie-Antoinette and her ladies in splendid gowns and wigs.

Even now, its reputation remains untouched with 70% of the visitors coming from abroad.  It is all about the grandeur – even the roofs are decorated with gold leaves, the rooms are magnificent with paintings up to the ceilings, and gardens so huge it takes more than a day to see everything they have to offer (including a farm and rowing on the main canal).

However, the younger generation tends to find it pretty boring and often ignore the site.  Versailles started fighting back a few years ago. Too classical a background?  Not trendy enough?  Better then, to mix both worlds: historical and modern.

Jeff Koons was the first to present his collection – try to imagine his famous balloon dog, giant size, in the gallerie des miroirs!  Xavier Veilhan followed last year, with intricate creations, the favourite one being a carriage with horses made with origami like pieces.

This year, the castle is turning to kawai-land.  Murakami had already helped Vuitton in the past to show a younger image with his bright and colourful world.  His manga style makes it difficult to believe he studied traditional Japanese art for 8 years!

A scholarship gave him the opportunity to go to New York where he discovered the work of Andy Warhol – a turning point in his career.  It is easy to see the pop art influence in his latest collection.

So how do these cartoon characters fit in the royal chambers?  Amazingly enough, pretty well.  The very first room is probably the most impressive with Tongari-Kun at its heart.

The colours have been matched to the surrounding décor and after circling it a few times, it almost feels… natural.

The following 14 rooms present a retrospective of his art.  The sizes are more adequate to the rooms.  The Alice in Wonderland effect on the visitors is obvious, as if they had stepped in another dimension.

The more you admire them, the more you go further than the flashy side of them and discover a multitude of fun details (the eyes, for examples often are of different colours). Even better, photos are allowed and everyone just want to capture a little memory of the event.

Suddenly, you step in the hall of mirrors – a stunning effect with its crystal chandeliers reflecting to infinity.  You can almost hear music, laughs, glasses clinking, as if you could superpose two pictures.

This is the perfect atmosphere for Murakami’s most iconic work, Flower Mantago: a firework of cheerful flowers.

A further room is dedicated to them.  Hypnotised, it is not unusual for tourists to sit on this amazing carpet, commenting on its feel-good effect…

Don’t forget to visit the gardens for the perfect finale, with Oval Buddha – the artist represents himself as a manga Sun King.  One side for good days, another for rainy ones!  He is said to be manic about every single detail of his creations and he is known for his angry storms if the finish is not perfect…

Of course, such an exhibition bring its share of polemics.  Like Marmite, some will fall in love with the mix, others will abhor it.  At least, everyone gets a chance to discover a new world.

Takashi Murakami at the Château de Versailles runs until 12 December 2010.

Coralie Aude Grassin writes the blog Tea Time in Wonderland.

I was invited by Air France to come to Paris and attend a sitting of the cook-off and to experience the cutting-edge cooking of Le Fooding’s top recommended restaurants.

Founded by French journalist Alexandre Cammas, the name ‘Le Fooding’ is derived from ‘food’ and ‘feeling’, a philosophy that French food can be full of passion and emotion when it isn’t restricted by convention or the Michelin Guide.

Yves Camdeborde, former chef at palace hotel, Le Crillon, shocked Paris society by handing back his Michelin stars and setting up his own, unpretentious neo-bistro, La Régalade and most recently, Le Relais de Saint Germain.  With Alexandre’s support and uncompromising vision, many of France’s top chefs have broken away from the most prestigious and have set up restaurants on their own terms.

On arrival in Paris, we checked in to the Pavillon Nation, a luxury budget hotel in eastern Paris that was well-located, near some of our chosen restaurants.

The morning after an indulgent night at tiny, ‘in the know’ bistro L’Ami Jean, we went to Galerie W in Montmartre for the much-anticipated breakfast session of Le Fooding’s 72-hour cook-off.

Renowned chef Christian Etchebest took to the stove for the four hour slot and prepared a four-course breakfast for a communal table of foodie guests and us, the UK press.  Etchebest is at the helm of La Cantine du Troquet, an informal Basque restaurant in Montparnasse that is a regular favourite of Fooding.

We were joined by Le Fooding founder Alexandre Cammas, who gave us some background on the revolutionary guide, and the lovely Constance Jouven, our host who accompanied us to the best Fooding restaurants.

A surprise guest was Jalouse founder Alexandra Senes, who took a break from her manic Paris Fashion Week schedule, while being followed around by a film crew, to come to the cook off.  I was completely enthralled to meet the woman behind my long-time favourite French magazine, who not only predicts but creates major trends in fashion and lifestyle.

She explained to me that she was there because fashion is not just at the shows, it is everywhere.  This is a testament to the influence that Le Fooding has both in France and internationally.

We started with a soup of onions, smoked eel and cubed apple, served with fresh baguette – a nice light start to the meal, although I couldn’t quite handle the chunks of eel at 9am.

All courses were matched with a wine and a short demonstration from a petite, eccentric wine buff representing wines from the Côtes du Rhône…what a formidable woman she was!  She told us to swish the wine around our mouths before tasting the food, to release the full strength and flavour of the wine.

The next course was a typical Parisian breakfast – a slice of grilled baguette covered in dulce de leche, on top of a glass of chocolate milk.  The dish was simple, delicious and perfect for breakfast – I could have easily polished this off twice!

Over the course of the trip, we discovered that these small glass tumblers are the way to serve anything from water to beer and wine in the Paris bistros.

The main breakfast meal was a deconstructed piperade of scrambled egg with pig’s ear, a tomato and onion compote, a slice of cooked ham, a jalapeño pepper topped with a piece of crispy bacon.

Those well-versed in cooking (thank goodness Janine of Olive magazine was in our group) will know that a piperade is a kind of hash of all of these components, but being something of a food separatist, I enjoyed the more DIY approach.

Everything went exceptionally well together and the flavours were extraordinary, although I wasn’t so sure on the cartilage-like texture of the pig’s ear mixed up in the scrambled eggs, but hey, at least I’ve now tried oreille de cochon.

The dessert was a Chèvre Brebis - a fluffy brioche filled with sweet whipped goat’s cheese, slices of sheep’s cheese, topped with Coco Pops and a fig coulis.  This was an interesting mix of sweet and savoury flavours and the fig coulis was a real highlight, but the cheese filling saturated the brioche.

After our indulgent breakfast, we had a chance to look around Galerie W – a wonderful space with a well-curated exhibition of eye-catching and intriguing pieces.

The purpose of the trip was to gain an insight into the unique food movement and to experience the magic of Le Fooding’s events first hand.

Air France have teamed up with collaborated with Le Fooding on The Definitive Food Guide – a little black book full of insider tips on the city’s most exciting restaurants, artisan food markets and recommended hotels.

This can be found on the Air France website and is a ‘must read’ for anyone wanting a change from the traditional soupe à l’oignon, steak frites and crème caramel set menu of regular Paris bistros.

My experience with Air France was incredibly breezy and enjoyable, from the check-in at Heathrow to touching down in Paris.  It’s easy to be put off flying such a short distance with all the airport restrictions, but the terminals at each end are so calm and zen.

The Charles de Gaulle Air France departure lounge even has a Ladurée boutique selling the whole collection of macarons, perfumes, candles, stationery and bags.  It’s worth the visit just for that!

Also, with Air France there are no worries about mercenary luggage restrictions, over-zealous in-flight advertising, over-priced drinks and snacks or a rugby scrum to board the plane (Air France offers seat reservations).

After an indulgent weekend of innovative taster menus in unpretentious surroundings, I found that my preconceptions of what makes an outstanding restaurant were truly altered.  Le Fooding has enabled chefs to cook with pride and passion and its influence goes far beyond a year guide book…it’s a movement, a way of life.

Have you been to Le Fooding favourites Le Chateaubriand, L’Ami Jean or Yves Camdeborde’s Le Relais Saint Germain?  Is Le Fooding your Paris dining bible?  Please comments and share your French food experiences…

AIR FRANCE flies up to eight times daily to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) from London Heathrow airport and return fares start from as little as £119*.

* Prices are per person including all taxes and online booking fees. Fares quoted are based on return flights in economy class departing from London Heathrow. See www.airfrance.co.uk for more details.

* Cherie City was a guest of Air France & Le Fooding.

Last season’s story centred around Mark Ronson and his Parisian love, Josephine de la Baume and before that the effortlessly chic Charlotte Kemp-Muhl and Sean Lennon.

The Kills were shot by Purple Magazine founder and photographer, Olivier Zahm, in the Parisian gardens of Parc Monceau and are wearing pieces from Zadig & Voltaire’s AW 10-11 collection.

Other images from the campaign see the pair during ‘down time’ in their hotel writing songs and reclining for Olivier Zahm’s trademark ‘bed shots’.

Zadig & Voltaire was literally made for laid-back, mussed up rock girls like Alison and her wardrobe of skinny jeans, flat ankle boots and tough leather jackets perfectly reflects the free-spirited look of the brand.  Zadig’s penchant for diamanté skull and logo knitwear may be questionable, but then again, Alison can barely be parted with her gold spangly boots.

Jamie Hince’s style DNA is unsurprisingly close to Alison’s (I’m sure he pinches her leopard print scarves) but he bring more of a dandy element, mixing up the roughness with a tux jacket, waistcoat, cravat or slicked-back hair.

The Kills have a special kind of bond and while their on-stage relationship is intense and tumultuous, Olivier Zahm has captured their closeness and unabashed intimacy.

To see more of the campaign shots, visit www.zadig-et-voltaire.com

Set within a secluded woodland area just minutes from the Plage de Canebiers beach, Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez is a boutique 37-room resort centred around a concrete-luxe outdoor swimming pool.

Designed by architect Jean Jacques Ory and designer Christophe Pillet, the luxury villas look out to the terrace,bringing a bit of nature and feature neutral decor with statement colours and bespoke designer furniture.

Renowned Michelin-star chef Pierre Gagnaire (of Sketch in Mayfair) heads up Colette, the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant named after the iconic writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

The restaurant is relaxed and informal during the day but becomes one of Saint-Tropez’s most glamorous spots in the evening, with many guests starting their night with a coup at the Dom Pérignon champagne bar.

Wellness is also a priority and guests can book rejuvenating treatments at Spa Sezz, in exclusive partnership with French skincare brand, Payot.  Or you could just laze around by the pool and order cocktails from the pool bar.

Hotel Sezz is just a few minutes outside Saint-Tropez and the hotel provides a shuttle bus into town, so you can go for an apéritif and a game of pétanque with the Lagerfeld crowd at Club 55.

Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez is a member of Design Hotels and can be booked through www.designhotels.com

* Chérie City has not yet graced the sun loungers at Hotel Sezz Saint-Tropez, so cannot personally recommend this hotel.  If you’re planning a trip or have already been, please come back and comment on your experience.

]]> http://cheriecity.co.uk/2010/08/13/hotel-sezz-opens-in-saint-tropez/feed/ 0 http://cheriecity.co.uk/2010/05/03/colette-opens-beauty-pharmacie/ http://cheriecity.co.uk/2010/05/03/colette-opens-beauty-pharmacie/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 22:03:10 +0000 cheriecity http://cheriecity.co.uk/?p=2369 Continue reading →]]> Colette staff swap their Lanvin pastel quilted jackets for Margiela-style white coats at their new first floor Pharmacie – an espace beauté, dedicated to their favourite cosmetics and skincare products from around the world.

Offering personally-tailored advice and a cool, clinical environment for men and women, La Pharmacie brings together Colette’s tried and tested products from the likes of Aesop, Kiehls, Bumble & Bumble, James Brown, Korner, Uslu Airlines, Christophe Robin and Joëlle Ciocco.

Colette has always had a great beauty section where you can find cult products from niche brands, store exclusives and limited edition products, and now you can browse their beauty wares without the distraction of the wooden Miu Miu-clad mannequins.

La Pharmacie promises a covetable range of skincare, cosmetics, fragrances, haircare and a ‘cabinet of jewellery’, including hair accessories and head bands by Maison Michel and Hair Designaccess.

More exciting Colette news…their 10th double CD compilation is out now, with tracks selected by Michel Gaubert and Marie Branellec.  The first disc features artists such as Gary Numan, Caribou, MGMT, Michael Nyman and Koudlam and the second sees Jamie XX at the helm, with a selection of his remixes, including the brilliant dubstep remix of The XX’s Crystalised.

It’s a musical investment at 28 EUR, but Colette compilations have become real collectors items and Michel and Marie are always spot on with their mixes and track choices.  I’ve played Colette No.8 – a mixtures of disco, hip hop, Italo and electro with some weird kitsch stuff – at parties and it always goes down well.

Curated by Saint Laurent’s long-term life and business partner Pierre Bergé and under the patronage of the First Lady of France,Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the exhibition will cover 40 years of creation, from 1962 to 2002. On display will be 300 pieces of Saint Laurent’s haute couture and innovative prêt-à-porter line, Rive Gauche.

The exhibition ranges from Yves Saint Laurent’s beginnings at Dior as Christian Dior’s successor (including his debut trapèze collection) in the 1950s to the Scandale collection following the May 1968 Paris riots to his evening gowns just before his death in 2002.

Yves Saint Laurent turned style rules on their head and revolutionised Paris fashion with his use of masculine tailoring for women.  His signature look Le Smoking tuxedo has been reinterpreted dozens of times and he’s also responsible for popularising the safari suit and the beatnik look.  Pierre Bergé once said: “Chanel liberated the woman, but Yves Saint Laurent gave them power.”

Also on display will be a number of drawings, films and photos chronicling the history the house of Yves Saint Laurent, including an image by photographer Jeanloup Sieff, depicting Yves partially naked for his eau de toilette campaign, and French film star Catherine Deneuve’s entire Yves Saint Laurent wardrobe.

The exhibition also sheds light on Yves Saint Laurent’s influences, such as opera, cinema, theatre (his early collections referencing the theatre sets of Christian Bérard) and painting – his . His travels to Morocco, China and Russia are well documented in the ‘Chinoiserie’ and ‘Opium’ collections that are presented in the exhibition.

Yves Saint Laurent’s influence has been been Marc Jacobs, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Tom Ford .  The house of Yves Saint Laurent still thrives today under the direction of the talented Stefano Pilati, whose deep respect for Saint Laurent’s aesthetic is evident in the collections.  Unlike Tom Ford before him, Pilati understands the subtle sexiness of the strong Parisienne, but isn’t afraid to drive the house forward with futuristic references.

The garments are drawn from the collection of over 5000 piece at the Fondation Pierre Berge – Yves Saint Laurent in Saint Laurent’s former atelier on the Avenue Marceau.

The exhibition runs from 11 March to August 29 at the Petit Palais.  Tickets are €11.

www.yslretrospective.com

The two stores will open pop-up shops in London and Paris in March and will be selling a limited edition collection of products designed and created by merci Creative Director Marie France Cohen, exclusively for Liberty of London, using the iconic floral Liberty prints.

merci was opened last year by Marie France and Bernard Cohen, the founders of childrenswear couture house Bonpoint, and is known in Paris as ‘the store that gives back’.  Mixing fashion with philanthropy, merci donates all of its profits to the Accueil des Sans Abri foundation to help women and children in Madagascar.

The store is set over three storeys in a beautiful loft space in the Marais (3rd arrondissement) with a used-book literary café, restaurant, florist, Annick Goutal perfume laboratory and a secret city garden.

It stocks a diverse range of clothes, from vintage finds to Parisian staple designers Isabel Marant and A.P.C, alongside high end pieces by Chloé, Marni and YSL.

Many designers have donated furniture and clothes to be sold at merci and they often create limited edition collections exclusively for the store.

The merci for Liberty range will include clothes for women, men and kids, accessories, stationery, homeware, soft furnishings, fabrics and gifts.  The fashion collection is set to be popular for Spring, with strappy sun dresses, playsuits and bikinis in classic Liberty prints such as Betsy, Eloise and Meadow.

There are also mini-me version of the womenswear for kids and the boys can get comfy with printed pyjamas and kurtas.  Babies can also get wrapped up in Liberty florals with adorable floral bloomers smock tops and pretty shirts.

You can also give your home a floral make-over for Spring with an adorable range of mugs, notebooks, stationery, storage boxes and gadgets like merci’s ingenious reusable napkin roll. I’ve got my eye on this beautiful Liberty fabric necklaces adorned with the merci medal.

Liberty and merci really do make an excellent partnership – Liberty have built on their strong heritage, making florals c0ol again and merci have completed redefined the boutique department store experience.  As Carnaby Street is celebrating its 50th anniversay this year, Liberty’s flower power is as vital to the London fashion scene as ever.

With beautifully designed products for all budgets, the pop-up shop is definitely worth a visit. Merci beaucoup, Liberty!

at merci opens 1 March and continues until 21 March.

merci at opens 8 March and continues until 1 April.

As Tavi smartly pointed out, she is about half the size of the average fashion ed/celeb and the offending bow was shot with holes. Would any editor dare to strip Diane Pernet of her signature raised veil? Non, pas du tout!  So really, the crux of the matter is that the teen fashion prodigy has fast-tracked her way to the privileges that editors have spent years trying to cultivating and maintain and surprisingly enough, they don’t like it!

Couture is an industry clawing on by its teeth, so it’s no surprise that designers are consciously trying to appeal to a younger market – hence Tavi at Dior, Lady Gaga sporting Armani Privé and Valentino’s woodland neon nymphs.

The direction of the house of Valentino has been somewhat vague since the departure of Valentino Garavani.  His second set of predecessors and former Valentino accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli began their assault on a new look brand with their romantic, sculptural A/W 09 collection, but this season they’ve gone wild and thrown the rulebook to the wind.

Valentino’s elegant woman has put her prim little suit in storage and turned into a to a cyber partygirl with a new best mate, Alice Dellal.  Blush and nude shades are carried over from the Autumn/Winter ready-to-wear collection, but this time they’re set off with flashes of fluorescent pink and yellow and silver (with more than a nod to Pam Hogg’s panelled catsuits).

Underneath the neon and sparkle, there are whispers of classic Valentino, with beautiful draping, volume and embellishment, but the pair really stick the knife in with their interpretation of  the iconic ‘Valentino red dress’.  There are three red dresses in the collection, the most outrageous being a red leather mini dress with waves of leather ruffles.

The sheer visors and ‘exotic bird’ make-up seem to reference Avatar and the models certainly have an eco-warrior vibe.  This unashamed attempt to appeal to a younger, ‘new money’ crowd hasn’t gone unnoticed, and their new rock ‘n’ roll image has sent shockwaves through Valentino’s clique.

Valentino’s partner Giancarlo Giammetti labelled the collection a ‘ridiculous circus’ and told WWD that both he and Valentino “are always supportive of the designers of Valentino, even if we don’t approve of their effort to be cool at all costs.”

A polar opposite collection was John Galliano’s historical, equestrian collection that looked back to the work of Belle Epoque designer Charles Lamb, who was also the inspiration for Christian Dior’s New Look collection in 1947.

Galliano cracked the whip, as models were sent down the catwalk in Edwardian riding jackets with nipped-in waists and peplums, checked skirts with bustles and top hats with veils.  Next up was cocktail hour with the most beautiful jewel coloured, gathered chiffon skirts, embellished jackets, halter-neck bustier shirts and draped dresses in Duchesse satin.

For evening wear, it was all about the most incredible ball gowns and Galliano found inspiration with ‘The Gibson Girls’, the illustrated feminine ideals at the turn of the century.  There were delicately structured satin bodices with voluminous, sculptural skirts in exquisite fabrics and a colour palette including dusky pink, raspberry, petrol, mauve and ice blue.

You can tell that Galliano lives for creating couture and the colours, craftsmanship and historical references make his shows the most anticipated of all.  Suzy Menkes acknowledged the beauty and emotion of the collection, but suggested that “it would be a fine thing if Mr. Galliano could just once make the starting point of Dior couture not fashion’s sweet memories but a clean sheet of paper on which he writes 2010.”

It’s interesting that designers who have been at the helm of Valentino for just over two seasons should cut away from the house’s heritage so significantly, while Galliano, who has made Dior his own since his arrival in 1996, still references Christian Dior’s most prominent collections like an old friend.

With rejuvenated houses such as Balmain, Givenchy and Balenciaga excelling commercially but losing part of their original identity (plus the closure of Christian Lacroix), I would personally drape myself in raspberry tulle in support of Galliano’s nostalgia over a label who is in the painful midst of a personality crisis.

André made his name as a world-renowned graffiti artist with his Love Graffiti and has redefined nightlife in Paris, New York and Tokyo with his clubs Le Baron, Le Paris Paris and Beatrice Inn.

This month, André is showing a different side of his work in his ‘drawings’ exhibition at Colette.  This is a rare opportunity to see some of his work in a gallery setting, as he would never confine his graffiti to a space.

In an interview with Dazed Digital, André summed up the street art debate perfectly by saying: “You can’t put street art into a gallery, it’s condescending and limiting: 80 per cent of the graffiti is in the act, the challenge. The result is meant to disappear. Galleries are traditional spaces, and street art is what it is: it’s a vandalizing act.”

André took inspiration from the love imagery/LSD art of the 1960s and 1970s, Krazy Kat comic strips and Pierre Le-Tan’s illustrations.  Many are very personal with references to his past and present, such as his favourite novels and his whirlwind love affair with ex-wife Uffie and the arrival of their baby Henrietta.

On display will be over 30 sketches, limited edition silk screens and pieces made for Purple Fashion Magazine.  The space has also been given a slick André make-over, with spray painted columns, customised surfboards, Monsieur A. rubber balls and a viewing space painted black.

A selection of André’s framed silk screens are available to buy online, priced at an affordable €1000-€2000 and ‘Drawings’ is on at Colette until 27 February.

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