We visited the spectacular Hermès flagship store on the rue de Sèvres, just a few steps from the iconic Hotel Lutetia, in the heart of Saint Germain.

Located in the what was once the Hotel Lutetia’s art deco swimming pool, this is the very first Hermès store on the Left Bank.

Designed architecture company RDAI, the three-floor concept store contrasts original 1930s features with Denis Montel’s imposing wooden cocoons and wooden wave furnishings, reflecting the building’s original purpose.

The front of the store is an adorable flower shop with stunning arrangements and bouquets by renowned Parisian florist Baptiste Pitou.

After a fragrant entrance to the store, there is the silk scarf counter, a book store with a specially selected collection of art, fashion and coffee table books and Le Plongeoir tea salon and restaurant.

Downstairs is the recently launched interiors collection featuring re-issued numbered furniture designs by Jean-Michel Frank.  I loved the monogrammed ‘H’ cushions and cashmere throws and the zesty lime green candle holders complete with leather tags.

The wooden cocoons showcase home furnishings, tableware, beachwear and ceramics.

There is also ready to wear for men and women, a tie counter, childrenswear, fragrances, jewellery, accessories and shoes.

The perfume counter features the full range of fragrances from the luxurious Collection Hermessence.  The sales assistant kindly offered me a beautiful Hermes orange paper pouch with two large complimentary samples of my two favourite fragrances.  I chose the light and fresh Rose Ikebana and the sweet, smoky Ambre Narguilé.  Both come in sleek glass bottles with a stitched leather top with the option of adding a leather bottle sleeve.  They also come as mini fragrances in a bespoke gift set.

Le Plongeoir, translated as the ‘diving board’ is the cool, 30-seat in-store tea salon and restaurant.  Minimally designed, Le Plongeoir is all about the small details, showcasing the exquisite Hermès cutlery and crockery that can be found in the store.

sfd

The menu focuses on light bistro dishes, club sandwiches and salads with an extensive collection of rare and exotic teas by Le Palais des Thés.

We started with a few sharing platters of Bellota-Bellota Ibérico dry-cured ham with crisp focaccia slices.  The strong flavours complimented each other perfectly and it’s easy to see why this is regarded as the best cured ham in the world.

For my main dish, I ordered the roast duck with a carrot and citrus purée – a French classic with a twist.  The meat was juicy and expertly cooked and the carrot purée was a something different to the usual potato gratin usually served with duck.  The dish was delicious and comforting, but not too heavy.  

The pâtisserie table was too tempting to resist, so we tried a selection of cakes and macarons to share.  The dense chocolate cake was a highlight and other treats included a sticky almond cake, pistachio and honey brioche, chocolate macaron and a vanilla and mint macaron.

Of course, with cake must come tea.  I ordered a pot of Montagne Bleue – a fragrant black tea blended with honey, lavender, blueberry, strawberry and rhubarb.  It was fruity and lightly perfumed and came served in a heavy Asian-style teapot.

The Hermès Left Bank is the perfect place to see the the extensive Hermes collection in a cool, imaginative environment.  Le Plongeoir is discreet, peaceful and the polar opposite of Saint Germain’s ‘people watching’ terrace cafe hotspots such as Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots.  So if you’re on the Left Bank looking for a posh afternoon treat with room for your shopping bags, step inside…

Hermès, 17 Rue de Sèvres  75006 Paris

Chérie City was a guest of Hermès

All photos by Chérie City

Today, the produce on offer is rather more up-market with local artisan sellers, gourmet food brands and established local restaurants and cafes.

We were lured in by the large Anthropologie store and then walked through the market before snacking on Tacombi chicken mole tacos, choc mint brownies from Fat Witch Bakery.

Other foodie delights can be found at Amy’s Bread, Sarabeth’s, Chelsea Wine Vault, Gramercy Flower Shop, Morimoto, Fat Witch Bakery, Eleni’s and The Lobster Place.

One of the highlights was the Williamsburg pop up store artists & fleas, showcasing emerging designers, vintage collectors and craftsmen.

I could have easily spent all my dollars at Chelsea Market, but managed to leave with just one necklace and a bag full of Fat Witch Brownies and a Blonde Brownie mix to bake at home.

Chelsea Market is quaint, buzzing and an absolute must for foodies visiting New York.

Chelsea Market – 75 9th Avenue, New York, 10011

Souq Waqif is one of the most popular places to socialise in Doha and it has two contrasting sides – a narrow, maze-like market and the slick, open walkway lined with Asian and North African restaurants, ice cream parlours cafes where you can drink fresh mint tea, smoke flavoured shisha and take in the bustling atmosphere.

Translated as ‘the standing souq’, it was originally the trading place where the Bedouin would bring their cattle and wool.  Today, Souq Waqif combines a traditional market place with a strong arts and culture programme and has been used as a filming location for a number of films including ‘Dohard’ and ‘The Haggler’, shown at the annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival.

Souq Waqif offers every emblem of Qatar that you could possibly think of and fragrance lovers will be particularly drawn to the bespoke blended perfumes, pure essential oils, oud, incense and rosewater.

For more sensory delights, browse the spice stores with huge sacks of Basmati rice, pistachios and peanuts and fragrant spices and herbs including whole rosebuds, dried lime, sumac, saffron, star anise, dill, rock salt and turmeric.

One of my favourite spots in the souq was a shop filled with hand-carved decorative wooden boxes, swords, lutes, bow and arrows and nazar jewellery and cute trinkets.  In many of the shops, each item is priced, but local sources say that bartering is acceptable and expected.

Traditional Qatari dress can also be bought at the souq. For men, they sell thobes and accessories including the ghutra, the cloth worn on the head and the ogaal, a black or brown braided coil placed on top of the ghutra and sandals.  Women can pick up an abaya, pashmina or a beautifully embroidered scarf.

The shop selling Qatar kitsch, including ‘I Love Qatar’ t-shirts, lighters and bunting of the Emir of Qatar were a more amusing discovery!  There are plenty of cheap and fun souvenirs to bring back home but this shop also sells useful travelling bits and pieces such as disposable cameras, film and batteries.

Souq Waqif is within walking distance of the Corniche and the spectacular Museum of Islamic Art, which is one of the most inspiring, breathtaking places in Doha.  Plan a whole afternoon to explore the museum, take a walk along the Corniche and finish with some shopping (and bartering) and a bite to eat at Souq Waqif.

Fleur Chérie and Pivoine Flora are two of my favourite L’Occitane scents, but you guess why the Irresistible Fleur Chérie Collection (£63 £46, L’Occitane) is top of the list!

Resembling a stunning stained-glass window, Stila Dream in Full Colour Palette (£25, Look Fantastic) is not only beautiful but excellent value, as it includes 29 eye shadow shades, 7 cheek colours, a Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner and a 16-page artistry book.

Christmas lingerie can be a minefield for well-intentioned partners, but the Etti satin longline bra with matching high-waisted or Brazilian style briefs are both girly and seductive (£45, Playful Promises).

I’m not usually a pink handbag kinda gal, but there’s something about the new Mulberry Effie satchel in fuschia with spongy pebbled leather that gets my heart racing (£495, Mulberry).

This adorable retro tin from Covent Garden-based Hope and Greenwood is filled with sweets, a colouring book and pencils – not just for kids! (£17, John Lewis)

Indulge in a selection of 12 chocolate and classic macarons by Pierre Hermé, presented in a sweet Chat Roux box, designed by Nicolas Vial (€26.50, Pierre Hermé).

Balenciaga L’Essence is the vivid, more lucid interpretation of the original eau de parfum with flashes of violet, vetiver and moss and the stunning gift set is hard to resist (£63, Selfridges).

Every year, we kick off Christmas Day with a breakfast of panettone and coffee.  Carluccio’s Panettone Tradizionale is a real favourite and I love the red and gold festive packaging (£16.95, Carluccio’s).

This headband Jennifer Behr gold tulle headband is a little bit Blair Waldorf and suitably sparkly for Christmas parties (£60, Liberty).

Aromatherapy Associates Little Star, filled with de-stress bath & shower oil makes bathing even more luxurious and is a great stocking filler/Christmas tree ornament (£10, Space.NK).

I adore Molton Brown’s black and pink pepper shower gel, included in this Refraction gift set (£49, Molton Brown).

Top of my Christmas wish list, this Shourouk Miami Pendant would be in good company with my Shourouk bird necklace (£104, Swarovski CRYSTALLIZED).

The ultimate luxury for stationery addicts – Christian Lacroix Papier Holy Virgin Notebook (£12.50, Liberty)

Northerners will already know the joys of Fat Rascals at Bettys Tea Room in Harrogate.  If not, acquaint yourself with Bettys Christmas Hat Box (£50, Bettys)

LFW favourite Bora Aksu’s statement tights are always a talking point.  I’m dying to get my hands on these navy Angel tights (£25, 3939shop)

This Chloé eau de parfum 75ml gift set comes in a stunning presentation box and the fragrance is a Chérie City favourite (£70, Selfridges)

]]> http://cheriecity.co.uk/2011/12/14/christmas-wish-list-gifts/feed/ 0 http://cheriecity.co.uk/2011/12/11/boxpark-shoreditch/ http://cheriecity.co.uk/2011/12/11/boxpark-shoreditch/#comments Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:11:20 +0000 cheriecity http://cheriecity.co.uk/?p=12178 Continue reading →]]> Shoreditch’s first pop up shopping mall, Boxpark, is now open, so we went down there yesterday to see what it’s all about.

Created by ex-owner of Boxfresh, Roger Wade, Boxpark is made entirely out of shipping containers, making it a low-cost, environmentally efficient retail concept. It also fits in with the regeneration of Shoreditch, filling that ‘no man’s land’ space between Shoreditch High Street overground station and the main road.

Boxpark is even more slick than expected and has a cool urban streetwear feel that is well-suited to east London.  Brands include Lacoste Live, Dockers, DC Shoes, New Era, Farah Vintage, Original Penguin, Irregular Choice, Marimekko and Phaidon.

The stores are small enough to be showcases for each brand’s best pieces and the staff are good ambassadors, looking typically cool and stylish.

One of my favourite finds was Playful Promises, a vintage-style boudoir filled with gorgeous lingerie, nightwear, jewellery and burlesque accessories.

One of the more unusual stores is Onepiece, an American Apparel-style shop selling only a selection of cuddly preppy or alpine onesies!

The sales assistant rocked a navy alpine patterned jumpsuit with panache, but I can’t help thinking that anywhere other than the east end or up the mountains, they’d be a hard look to pull off!

The top tier of Boxpark is filled with restaurants and cafes including Bukowski, Foxcroft & Ginger, Mexway, Hôp Namô, Pie Minister, chop’d, and Frae.

Mexican food is always my first choice, so we went to Mexway for a burrito (£5.95).  The Yucatan pork was slow-cooked for four hours and came with rice, black beans, lettuce, fresh tomatoes, sour cream, cheese and medium-hot salsa.

The burrito was huge, tightly packed and full of juicy sauce – one of the best I’ve tried in London.  Most of the restaurants and cafes have indoor seating, but at Mexway, you have to rely on the heat from the fiery salsa and brave it on the benches outside (well worth the chill).

To warm up for the bus ride back home, we got a take-out chai latte and hot chocolate from Foxcroft & Ginger.  Like their original cafe in Soho, hot drinks are served in china tea cups and there is a delectable selection of home-baked cakes, gourmet sandwiches and cooked brunch.

Boxpark is a great addition to Shoreditch and looks set to become part of the Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane shopping circuit.  I’m looking forward to going back with a shopping list of Phaidon books and trying a Bukowski burger!

For more info and opening times, visit: www.boxpark.co.

All photos by Chérie City

Here are a few top picks to ask Santa/grandma/boyfriend for…

Pierre Hermé released the English version of his magnificent Macarons book just a few months ago, so now we can share the secret to creating the perfect macarons (Grub Street, £17.04, Amazon).

Edited by Purple’s Olivier Zahm, Carine Roitfeld: Irreverent is a the kind of stunning coffee table book that you might not go out and buy on a whim, so why not put it on your Christmas list? (Rizzoli, €82, Colette)

Viktor & Rolf’s first work of fiction, Fairy Tales, features a lonely disco hedgehog, a magical golden dress and a little girl with flame-red hair – all charmingly illustrated by the Dutch design duo (Hardie Grant, £7.22, Amazon).

Culture To Catwalk is the second book by Kristin Knox of The Clothes Whisperer.  Read about how traditional dress and street style from around the world have influenced designers’ collections (£17.85, A&C Black, Amazon).

LUXE City Guides may be slim enough to slip into the tiniest of handbags but they are filled with enough juicy tips to have the best city break possible.  The luxurious new Black Box is hand-crafted in black linen with a crimson interior and gold logo and can be filled with five guides of your choice (£38, www.luxecityguides.com)

Mark the 70th anniversary of the great F. Scott Fitzgerald with one of these exquisite hardback editions that are just as decadent as the novels themselves.  Tender Is The Night is a Chérie City favourite, but you might be tempted to collect the whole set! (£11.99, Penguin Classics, Waterstones)

Philosophy Trick or Treat Duo, £18, Selfridges.
Givenchy medium Obsedia Bag, £705, FarFetch.com.
Witch Card, £8, Biscuiteers.
Halloween Cupcakes, £12-£24, Crumbs & Doilies.
Deena & Ozzy Burgundy Velvet Chelsea Boots, £120, Urban Outfitters.
Spiced Pumpkin Bath & Shower Gel, £2, The Body Shop.

Read the Chérie City guide to some of the best finds in Ghent…

Rewind Store (Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, 44) - I instantly fell in love with Rewind, primarily because it has the largest range of Sessun that I’ve ever seen!  Rewind is a boutique concept store with an enviable mix of indie womenswear brands, stunning jewellery, vintage gems and lifestyle products such as Byredo fragrances.

Some of the Parisian, Belgian and Scando-cool brands include Filles a Papa, Won Hundred, WYRED, Le Mont St Michel, IRO and Wood Wood.  With a sleek new menswear store now open, Rewind is the boutique that surely every fashion fanatic would dream of owning.

Luc Duchêne (Brabantdam, 2) – This Belgian fashion house does laid-back rock-luxe with plenty of well-cut duffle coats, tweed Chanel-esque jackets, leather leggings and slouchy leather bags.

Bleu, C’est Gris (Vlaanderenstraat, 98) - A fashion institution in Ghent, Bleu C’est Gris offers high end pieces from DSquared2, M Missoni, Patrizia Pepe and Stills.  The creative window displays are even archived online.

Lingeriet (Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat, 94) – Browse through the rails of cute, girly underwear from Bjorn Borg, Princesse Tam Tam and Calvin Klein in what looks like an old-fashioned hardware store.

Kloskanthuis (Korenlei, 3) – The scent of lavender floats around this adorable homewear store that offers hand-made Belgian lace, Flemish soaps and fine linen.

Paard Van troje (Voldersstraat, 13) – This is the bookshop of dreams where you can easily lose a few hours.  Paard Van troje is stylish without even trying and is filled with intriguing and academic books that are dying to be read on the canal-side, watching the world go by.

Yuzu For Nicolas Vanaise (Walpoortstraat, 11/A) – Once you’ve tried the obligatory Belgian pralines, visit Yuzu for some weird and wonderful creations by experimental chocolatier, Nicolas Vanaise.  Choose from Japanese-Belgian fusion chocolates, macarons, marshmallows and artisan teas.

Sao Paulo Koffie & Thee – A little corner of Brazil in Belgium, this coffee and tea emporium has everything you need to make a superior brew.

Weyn’s Honig Miel (Mageleinstraat, 30) - A wonderland of all things honey-related.  The honey spice cake and honey madeleines looked particularly tempting.

Gusto Vero (Voldersstraat, 10) – A gourmet store full of authentic Italian produce on a real foodie street.

For a break from your shopping, stop for a coffee or tea at Pain Perdu and OR Espresso Bar on the very cool Walpoortstraat or Julie’s House in Patershol.

Which is your favourite independent shop in Ghent?  Please share your tips below…

]]> http://cheriecity.co.uk/2011/10/15/shopping-in-ghent-belgium/feed/ 0 http://cheriecity.co.uk/2011/09/23/west-queen-west-a-tour-of-torontos-new-art-quarter/ http://cheriecity.co.uk/2011/09/23/west-queen-west-a-tour-of-torontos-new-art-quarter/#comments Fri, 23 Sep 2011 01:17:06 +0000 cheriecity http://cheriecity.co.uk/?p=11256 Continue reading →]]> Every city has its up-and-coming art district, but very few can live up to the vibrant, energetic spirit of Toronto’s West Queen West.  I met with Betty Ann Jordan, an arts journalist and owner of Art InSite for a tour of most up-and-coming neighbourhood.

Betty Ann is quite the doyenne of the Toronto art and design scene and she knows literally every young creative and entrepreneur on the west side.  Betty Ann was our passport for drawing out gossip and tales about the area, so you’re sure to find out some interesting facts that you’d never usually be privy to.

We started our tour at the Gladstone Hotel, a boutique art hotel steeped in history.  Each of the 37 rooms has been individually designed by a local artist and a whole floor has been made into a dedicated gallery space.

During our visit, the exhibition featured chairs customised by big-name Canadian artists and designers that were to be auctioned off.  The team at the Gladstone is made up of artists and curators who are in charge of the cultural programme and organise their own art happenings around the city.

In the daytime, local creatives come and drink coffee in the delightful Gladstone Cafe and the newly re-opened Melody Bar retains its historical legacy while offering cockails and good food.

Then it was on to The Drake Hotel, Queen West’s second boutique art hotel with a slightly cooler buzz than the Gladstone.  The Drake Hotel is the place to be seen in Queen West, whether it’s catching up with friends over a monster brunch of Southern Fried Chicken with Waffles or catching some sun on the Sky Yard roof patio with a glass of Rosemary Lemonade from their grown-up Lemonade Stand.

The uber-cool dining room hosts a series of pop up restaurants based on their favourite movies and countries.  When I visited, the theme was Chinatown circa 1940s L.A with a decadent Chinese menu designed by chef Anthony Rose.

The rooms are modern, slick and beautifully designed and the narrow corridors lend to daydreaming about the hotel’s illustrious past as a former brothel.  The Drake also has full-time art curators, so you can expect lots of fun surprises and intriguing artwork scattered around the hotel.

Next door is the Drake General Store, a hip reinvention of the traditional hotel gift shop filled with cool design pieces and kitsch sourced from around the world and an art wall featuring the work of up and coming artists from Toronto.

Another Betty Ann insider secret was the graffiti art on the back streets directly behind, which was commissioned by the Drake Hotel.

We visited some wonderful art galleries and boutiques along Queen Street West and Betty Ann took us up Ossington Avenue, an up-and-coming street that is making a name for itself away from the increasingly high rent and condos of Queen West.

Read the Chérie City and Betty Ann Jordan guide to the best of West Queen West…

A2ZANE – The handsome and charming Zane was a handbag specialist at Canadian department store Holt Renfrew before setting up his own Queen Street West boutique, so this guy really knows his leather.  He was the first to bring The Cambridge Satchel Company to Toronto and stocks niche brands such as Rebecca Minkoff, Juma, Matt & Nat and Tila March.

Chasse Gardée – Stylist Daniela Bosco’s industrial-chic boutique is the place to find womenwear and shoes by niche designers and indie labels.  Brands include Swedish Hasbeens, Kelsi Dagger, Rokin, Finsk, Karen Walker and cool NYC label A Détacher.

Katharine Mulherin Contemporary Arts Projects – Focusing on artwork with a narrative, Katharine Mulherin’s three showcase galleries host exhibitions by emerging and mid-career Canadian and international artists.  We saw a fantastic exhibition by Robert Hengeveld concerned with the beauty of artificial nature.

Stephen Bulger Gallery – A chic photography gallery with a private screening room and a petite cafe.  Showing during our visit was the 60th anniversary exhibition of Ruth Orkin’s American Girl in Italy.

Sweaty Betty’s – Drew Barrymore ditched her after-party to drink with friends at this hole in the wall bar and patio that overnight became the place to be.  They don’t do cocktails, period.  Ask for anything more demanding than a whiskey or a beer and you’ll be shown the way to The Drake!

Thieves Boutique – Sonja den Elzen’s sustainable collections using natural materials and dyes are seriously covetable without compromise.  Other brand stocked include Heartfelt, Zuzanium and Heidi Ackerman (no, not a Haider Ackerman typo).

If you’re coming to Toronto, plan a weekend visit to West Queen West and starting with a brunch on the patio at The Drake or lunch at Union on Ossington.  Then stroll down Queen Street West, visiting the boutiques and galleries, back into the centre of town.

…and you absolutely MUST book a tour with Betty Ann Jordan!

For more info, visit: www.seetorontonow.com and http://artinsite.net

Chérie City was a guest of Tourism Toronto and Kuoni.