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Alexandra Sojfer
Selling nothing but handmade umbrellas and parasols since 1834, this shop is still in business probably because of their attention to detail and passion for this particular accessory. You can find dainty women’s umbrellas in bright pink, violet, emerald green, all with contrasting trims as well as wooden-handled men’s versions and elegant walking canes suitable to become family heirlooms. A great source for gifts for people who have everything; these umbrellas are recognizable to those in the know, so it’s you’re access to a secret club as well as a way to stay dry.
Alexis Mabille
Lyon-born designer Alexis Mabille has described his aesthetic as "bourgeois with a twist.” Check out his glamorous designs in his appropriately theatrical Galerie Vivienne boutique, which is decked out with art deco-style mirrors.
Andrew GN
Bloom Paris
Borsalino
Panama hats woven of the finest straw and in a variety of styles for both men and women can be found in the outpost of this historic company, which was founded in 1857.
Camille Fournet
Castaner
The Spanish espadrille shop’s Paris outpost sells every kind of rope shoe you can imagine in platforms and flats and multiple colors and patterns.
Causse Gantier
As Hermès is to saddles so is Causse to gloves. Never heard of them? Well, that may be because until a few years ago, the glovemaker, or gantier, made exquisite leather gloves for the great couture houses like Chanel and Dior, as well as Hermès and Colette, but didn’t have its own retail outlet. Now, Causse, which was founded in France’s glove capital, Millau, in 1896, has opened a little jewel of a boutique just between the Place Vendôme and the Rue de Rivoli. With blond wood walls lined with elegant drawers and sculptural metal hands modeling gloves of all kinds, the small shop has the fetishistic allure of the world’s top shoe stores. Standout models: the pale grey elbow-length lizard; vibrant red lambskin with patent leather bows; metallic and fingerless driving mittens. All are still made at Millau’s last glove-making factory, which has another boutique and a museum devoted to past collections. (Visits to the atelier at Millau can be made in advance.)
Centre Commercial
This concept boutique near trendy Canal Saint Martin neighborhood feels like it’s straight out of downtown Manhattan, with a curated collection that ranges from fashion and accessories (mostly men’s), shoes and beauty products to books, vintage furniture and even hipster bikes. The labels are a cool collection of French, Danish and British brands, many of which you’ll have never seen before.
Charles Kammer
Shoemaker Charles Kammer has long been a secret weapon of stylish Parisian women. His designs are timeless and elegant but with an emphasis on comfort, so while his contemporaries Maud Frizon and Stephan Kelian in the '90s only sold high heels, Kammer included kitten options and flats. His brand has been revived with a new boutique just down the Rue de Grenelle from where the original one sat. Think more traditional Louboutin at a fraction of the price.
Charvet
The ultimate men’s shop, Charvet, has been one of the secret weapons of the world’s best-dressed men for decades. Now the legendary haberdashery has begun to sell fabrics for the house, including wonderful striped linens. The first floor sells exquisite silk ties and scarves and accessories (the suede slippers in a rainbow of colors are great gifts for frequent fliers). Upstairs, you’ll find shirts, pajamas, robes and custom-tailoring. There’s even a room of children’s clothes with miniature button-down shirts, blazers and shorts for tiny dandies, just to the right of the elevator on the ground floor.
Christian Dior Flagship
On a visit to Paris, some might skip the household name designer boutiques on the basis that one can find the same merchandise in many other cities. That said, the legendary Avenue Montaigne address — the site of Dior's first shop and atelier — is a must-visit on any trip here, especially following its extensive renovations and reopening in 2022. Retail therapy here includes haute couture salons, high-jewelry workshops and showrooms for housewares and children’s clothing.
(And should the store’s 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours prove insufficient for a traveler’s shopping requirements, there’s now a single guest suite available for overnight stays. Designed by American architect Peter Marino, it features a living room, dining room and access to multiple butlers 24/7.)
The flagship is adjacent to the Galerie Dior, a museum devoted to the fashion designer that opened in 2022.
Christian Louboutin
Shoe-mad shoppers should (re)visit Christian Louboutin’s boutique. Even though the world-famous footwear designer has boutiques the world over (especially in Asia), as well as multiple addresses in Paris, there's something special about visiting his boutique in the city that originally launched his collections in 1991. With their signature red soles, Louboutin’s shoes are just plain out-there sexy but also beautifully made and very comfortable.
Cinabre
Cinabre’s founder, Alexandre Chapellier, was dubbed the “neck dresser of Paris” by GQ magazine. Living up to this reputation, his super chic boutique carries beautiful bowties, ties, lapel pins, and handkerchiefs as well as men’s leather accessories like belts and wallets. The talk of the town during the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Chapellier partnered with Uber to offer five-minute delivery service of handmade “noeud papillons” (bowties) to red carpet walkers and gawkers.
Corthay
Custom shoemaker Pierre Corthay apprenticed at John Lobb and Berluti before opening his own atelier on the Right Bank in 1990. His big break came when Suzy Menkes of The International Herald Tribune wrote him up and the Sultan of Brunei decided to order 150 bespoke pairs. In 2001, he launched a ready-to-wear line, and its success has allowed him to open boutiques in Japan, where he has a cult following.
Crimson
American Linda Wright, a former model and fashion editor, and her collection of cashmeres are a secret weapon of the understated and well-dressed Parisian set (as well as some savvy Americans like designer Liz Lange who always makes a point of stocking up when she is in Paris). The styles are classic–turtle necks, v-necks and crews with good edging–but the cashmere is high quality and the colors are spot on. Each season, Wright introduces new variations of colorful hues, but you can always find black. She also carries the lovely silk pants and scarves of Italian Pierre Louis Mascia, which go beautifully with the sweaters for a dressed-up meets relaxed-chic look. I love watching the French couples come in together to stock up his and her cashmeres.
Didier Ludot
M. Ludot, the world-known vintage-fashion merchant, has a treasure-filled boutiques in the galleries of the Palais Royal, specializing in 20th-century couture, ready-to-wear, accessories and the 'little black dress'. The inventory turns over constantly, so there’s no time to dither—that vintage Hermès scarf, Chanel suit or Dior dress could be gone by the time you decide to bite the bullet.
Dries Van Noten
Belgian design god Dries Van Noten's gorgeous gallery—located in a former bookstore facing the Seine— showcases his women’s and men's collection. It may not be a museum, but browsing through his beautifully tailored and constructed clothes feels like a form of art appreciation. The two-story space itself dazzles with chandeliers, antiques amassed by Van Noten and inviting lounge chairs intended undoubtedly for the many men who will be doomed to wait while their female companions spend as much time as possible in the dressing room. The French have loved the designer since he showed his first collection here in the early 1990s; they still do.
forte_forte
Franck Namani
FrenchTrotters
This concept store in the Marais spreads over two floors, providing a spacious day-lit showcase for a wide assortment of hip clothing, accessories, and home goods. In addition to FrenchTrotters’ own line of well-tailored basics for men and women, the boutique carries luscious leather bags by Jerome Dreyfuss, jeans by APC and Acne, shoes by Michel Vivien, and sunglasses by Super Future. The small selection of home goods on the second floor range from simple linen napkins and table clothes to decadent fragrant candles by Byredo with exotic names like “Baudelaire” and “Black Saffron.”
From Future
Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysees
Goyard
The leather goods of this French luggage house, founded in 1853, can now be found in exclusive department stores from Bergdorf’s and Barneys in New York to Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong, but there’s a wider selection— and, of course, added cachet to buying it—at the original Right Bank flagship. Providers of custom leather luggage since the early 20th century, Goyard formerly stamped its cases with the family crests of its aristocratic customers; today, its monograms are the most popular bespoke request. They will create custom cases from sleek CD cases or ipod sleeves to trunks for polo equipment or tea kits in any of their ten available colors. The dog collars and traveling food and water case are great gifts for animal lovers.
Heimstone
The designers behind the label, Alix Petit and Delphine Delafon, met while both working for Michel Klein. Uma Thurman bought one of their bathing suit designs from a friend, and ethereal French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg is a fan. The feminine side comes from Alix, who claims only to wear dresses, and the edgier cool comes from Delphine who favors jeans. The result: styles that mix flirty with rock n’ roll or gamine goes grunge. One of their major hits is the mini military style suede jackets with lurex trim. The whole line is available in this retail outlet on one of the great shopping streets of the Left Bank.
Hermès Rive Gauche
After a century nestled on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, Hermès finally arrived in St.-Germain-des-Près in 2010. The minimalist-chic space feels smaller and more-edited than the large (and often overrun) Right Bank branch. It’s a stunning space: the former swimming pool of the Hotel Lutetia built in 1935 and a must for fashion-conscious travelers.. Other Hermes locations are at 24, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and 42, avenue George V.
Ines de la Fressange