The New Stores, Restaurants, Art Exhibit and Hotels – WWD

SHOP THE DROPS: After switching locations with the men’s boutique and extensive renovations, Giorgio Armani’s women’s store is now a 5,500-square-foot, two-story location on Avenue Montaigne. And because it’s fashion week, the Italian designer will be celebrating with an evening event at famed nightspot Castel on Wednesday.

High-end contemporary Chinese label Icicle has unveiled its second Parisian address, on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where the decor continues the impression of airy serenity of its first outpost. The 2,400-square-foot space featuring a monumental spiral staircase connecting its three floors juxtaposes gracious curves and sparse lines with textural play between blush-toned limestone, bronze and lacquered wood, as imagined by Belgian architect Bernard Dubois.

The first project for Vuarnet’s new artistic director Boramy Viguier was to turn the ski apparel company’s Parisian flagship into his impression of a mountain lodge, “so that the customer could have the feeling of escaping from the city,” he said. But this is no quaint wood cabin. With its sharp ’70s furniture, dark timber paneling and a mirrored wall set with screens, the 1,000 square feet imagined by London-based retail design studio Brinkworth looks fit for James Bond.

With their family supplying sapphires from Sri Lanka to Paris’ best jewelry houses, the Ponweera siblings decided to tap into their cache of fabulous gems to launch Maison Avani, a high-end jewelry proposal based out of their new address on Place du Marché Saint-Honoré. Expect a rainbow of faceted and uncut stones — sapphires, of course, but also emeralds and tsavorites — waiting only for the imagination of its customers and creative director Milan Ponweera.

Sneakerheads and streetwear aficionados will be able to get their fix at the recently opened Parisian outposts for Stüssy and high-end kicks P448 — complete with a small-scale halfpipe. — Lily Templeton

Giorgio Armani
18 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 

Icicle
50 Rue du Faubourg Saint–Honoré, 75008

Vuarnet
28 Rue Boissy d’Anglas, 75008

Maison Avani
19 Place du Marché Saint-Honoré, 75001

 

MEGA BITES: “One of the powers of gastronomy is to put and restore a smile on people’s faces,” said Michelin-starred chef Jean-François Piège. So when he needed a name for his latest restaurant in the Hôtel de la Marine, in tandem with hospitality specialists Moma Group, the happy hues evoked by the word Mimosa felt like the perfect moniker for a place “expressing the [French] south, the sun, nature and pleasure.” Expect plates made for sharing that explore inspirations from both shores of the Mediterranean, but also the “egg mimosa,” a bistro favorite here revamped with taramasalata, lobster or bottarga.

On Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Café Coutume has taken the courtyard spot at number 54, slotted between the likes of leather goods label Joseph Duclos, Burberry and Comme des Garçons further inside.

Across the Seine, whether you’re an automobile or a human in need of a refuel in the seventh arrondissement, look no further than The Gasoline Stand. There’s petrol and coffee, but the proprietor — entrepreneur Ramdane Touhami — has brought together artisanal coffee, collectible tchotchkes, a selection of sodas from around the world and vegetarian hot dogs with 10 different sauces.

With its long stainless steel counter perfect for a quick bite or to seat walk-ins, Le Collier de la Reine (or The Queen’s Necklace) is among the best latest iterations of the French bistro, with seafood as a specialty. Expect well-executed modern French classic and an expansive wine cellar. — L.T.

Mimosa
2 Place de la Concorde, 75001

Café Coutume
54 Rue du Faubourg Saint–Honoré, 75001

The Gasoline Stand
17 Boulevard des Invalides, 75007

Le Collier de la Reine
57 Rue Charlot, 75001

 

GREEN BEAUTY: After Lyon, France, Ecocentric has opened its second boutique, in the French capital, that sells organic and natural cosmetics.

The 540-square-foot store in the Marais neighborhood, just a hop from the Place des Vosges, stocks brands such as John Masters Organics, Rahua, Less Is More, Tata Harper, Ren Skincare, Josh Rosebrook, Dr. Hauschka, Absolution, Antipodes, Leahlani and Pai Skincare, among others. For color cosmetics, there’s the likes of RMS Beauty, Ilia, Gressa and Kure Bazaar. — Jennifer Weil

Ecocentric
16 Rue de Turenne, 75004

 

SHOWTIME: Marine Serre will follow her March 4 show with a two-day exhibition turning Lafayette Anticipation into a three-floor “hard drive” containing the DNA of the house. The first two levels will explore her design process and the third will showcase strong feminine figures through 15th- to 17th-century paintings. A pop-up is to offer a curation of her pieces, books and objects, as well as a space for people to revisit their own garments with the brand’s moon logo.

The ’90s launched fashion photography’s golden age and the supermodel era, and serves as inspiration for the exhibition on display at the Galerie Duret. The “Eternal Nineties” show features snaps by Jacques Burga, Fred Meylan, Sylvie Castioni, Sabine Villiard, Félix Dol-Maillot, Pierre-Alban Hüe de Fontenay and Denis Boulz.

Three decades of Japanese photographer Yoshi Takata’s career in Paris are featured at Thaddaeus Ropac’s gallery in the French capital. From street photography to portrait and fashion shots (she was a great friend of Pierre Cardin), the works span from 1955 to 1987.

For the first time in France, Native American folk artist Joseph E. Yoakum’s landscapes are on display, at the Galerie Derouillon. Alongside the artwork, silk and cotton pieces by Lamaire, which were inspired by the artist’s landscapes and are part of the house’s spring 2022 collection, will be exhibited.

Taking pride of place at the Hôtel de la Marine, the “Treasures of the Al-Thani Collection” showcase is a 120-piece curation drawn from the fabulous cache assembled by Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a keen collector with an eye for examples of human ingenuity. — J.W. and L.T.

“Marine Serre – Hard Drive”
Lafayette Anticipations, 44 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004
March 5 and 6, free entry

“Eternal Nineties”
Galerie Duret, 7 Rue des Saints-Pères, 75006
Until March 9

“Yoshi Takata, Looking at Paris 1955-1987”
Thaddaeus Ropac Paris Marais, 7 Rue Debelleyme, 75003
March 2 to April 23

“Inscape – dans les profondeurs des paysages de Joseph E. Yoakum”
Galerie Deroullon, 38 Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, 75003
March 3 to 13

“Treasures of the Al-Thani Collection”
Hôtel de la Marine, 2 Place de la Concorde, 75001
Ongoing

 

ON THE BLOCK: Vintage collector Didier Ludot is putting 300 black dresses up for sale at Paris auction house Cornette de Saint Cyr. Drawn from his stash spanning from 1930 to 2010, the selection includes pieces by Pierre Cardin, Saint Laurent Rive Gauche or Prada; alongside prototypes from the “Les Petites Robes Noires” collection he designed with Félix Farrington between 1999 and 2015. Nine paintings by René Gruau, from a private collection, will also go under the hammer. — L.T.

300 Petites Robes Noires de Didier Ludot
Public exhibition on March 4, 6 and 7 at the Cornette de Saint Cyr auction house, 6 Avenue Hoche, 75008
Auction in person and online on March 8 at 2:30 p.m. CET. 

 

OPEN HOUSES: A crop of new hotels have opened in the early days of 2022. Hospitality group Paris Society has launched Villa M, a Philippe Starck-designed hub meant to bring tourists and locals together around a hotel, restaurant and rooftop bar with expansive views over the Left Bank.

Also on this side of the Seine is the brand new Hôtel des Académies et des Arts, a boutique address offering 20 unique rooms and an artist studio, where drawing, sculpture or photography classes will be offered. An honesty bar is available for those whose main practice is conversation, and a wellness center for anyone who prefer yoga or massages. — L.T.

Villa M
24 to 30 Avenue Pasteur, 75015
Hôtel des Académies et des Arts
15 Rue de la Grande Chaumière, 75006

 

FOR MORE, SEE:

Stüssy Opens First Stand-alone Store in Paris

Graffiti and a Halfpipe Arrive on Tony Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris

Paris Scene: What to Do Between Fashion Week Shows