Paris Fashion Week 2010 – A Stylista’s Look at Where to See and Be Seen
I have to admit that this season, I was not sure whether to attend the always-anticipated Paris Fashion Week or the extravaganza of the Oscars in LA. Between the chaos of both ends overlapping with pure fashion, I needed to make a decision…I chose Paris. And without any reservation, I must say that my Paris Fashion Trip was absolutely divine!
In the midst of the cold weather, the beauty and energy of Paris refueled and fed my inner fashion spirit and creativity. How could it not? Being a city of fashion, beauty and romance, once you inhale its innate beauty you become immersed in it, living and breathing it, all at once.
My first stop was Costes, one of my favorite lunch/dinner and after-hours drinks places. What started as late lunch ended up with after-hour drinks. Here we saw many familiar faces and friends from all over the world. Sometimes I forget that Paris is my second home. The ambience is chic and sophisticated and surrounded by the most fashionable and beautiful jetset—from super models, fashion editors, designer and entrepreneurs to local Parisians, très chic!
Matignon was my next stop. Located at 3 Avenue Matignon, it is the hottest new restaurant and club. The food was to die for and cooked to perfection. Here, fashion goers attended the latest after-fashion parties. And if you are off to something more intimate while rubbing shoulders with Parisian VIP’s, then just around the corner, literally a few meters away, there is of one of the most exclusive addresses in town, Le Mathis at 3 Rue de Ponthieu. The intimacy of this small bar draped in red provokes a strong reaction. You either love it or hate it. I particularly loved it!!
Within the Paris we know, there is another layer of Paris where only the cognoscenti have explored: the private and privileged world of exclusive pleasures and hideaways. I received an entrée into this world via an exclusive wine tasting at Le Cinq, in the The Four Season Hotel George V. George V, the most exquisite and prestigious Hotel in Paris, is graced on a daily basis by fresh and spectacular flower arrangements cautiously and beautifully designed by floral designer Jeff Leatham. Flowers are flown in twice a week from Amsterdam. Although, it is not my first time at Le Cinq, this visit was different. I was treated to a once-in-a-lifetime experience in wine tasting.
Upon arrival, I was escorted through the kitchen to the hidden and spectacular wine cellar located 14 meters below floor level, below the Siene and the metro. Here, Cedric Mountpoint led us to the amazing infrastructure of carved stones and history where the most exquisite and prized rare
bottles of wine are stored at the perfect temperature including Corton Charlemagne by Coche-Dury, a range of Musignys, and the rare Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1945 (36,000 Euros)
The building’s foundation goes deep into the stone quarry where quarrymen extracted the stones that helped build the nearby Arc de Triomphe. Along with Victoria Yaeger Sawyer, Afsaneh Akhtari, Fashion Designer Sonya Rolin, Ivonne Cohen, and Asim Abdullah I was transported to a magical world of wine, hors d’oeuvres and a first-class display of LeCinq’s fabulous 50,000 bottle collection of the world’s best wines. Our guide in this adventure was Director and Sommelier, Eric Beaumard. It was without a doubt, the best wine cellar I have ever visited, and is widely regarded as one of the best in Europe. Thank you to Sonya Rolin for organizing such an amazing treat. The history behind the cellar was unforgettable.
If you are in Paris…
Here are a few of my favorite places to eat, drink and enjoy the beauty of the Capital of the Fashion World:
Le Montana
28 Rue Saint-Benoît
Boulevard Saint-Germain
75006 Paris
La Société
4 Place Saint-Germain-des-Près
75006 Paris
+3-3153-636-060
L’Avenue
41 Anenue Montagna
750008 Paris
+3-3140-701-491
Le Blitz Tequila Bar
40 Avenue Pierre Premier De Serbie
75016 Paris
Le Baron
6 Avenue Marceau
75008 Paris
+3314-720-041
