SHOPPING IN PARIS

Paris has something for everyone. It's the home of the haute couture, such as Chanel. Shown on the left is their location at 31 Rue Cambon (telephone # 01-42-86-28-00). Their second location is at 40 Avenue Montaigne. Avenue Montaigne, off the Champs Elysees, is home to Dior (30 Ave. Montaigne, telephone #01-40-73-54-44), and Ricci. Also in the area are Givinchy at 3 Ave Georges V (telephone # 01-44-31-50-00) and Yves Saint Laurent at 5 Ave. Marceau (telephone # 01-44-31-64-00)

Also in the Place Vendome is Cartier:

Guerlain, on the Champs Elysees, is famous of purfumes, including Shalimar, my mother's favourite:


Situated on boulevard Haussmann behind the Opera Garnier are the city's major department stores: Galeries Lafayette and Printemps. Both are classified as historical monuments. Through its selection of merchandise, floor displays and general ambiance, each store has a personality of its own — completely different from the other. Galeries Lafayette, shown below on the right, has a cutting-edge fashion image, spread over three levels. It also features a sushi bar, a sparkling water/champagne bar called “Bulles,” a tearoom, and even a McDonald's. Printemps, on the left, fhas a quieter, more elegant ambiance, occupying three distinct buildings: one for fashion, another for the home and a separate menswear wing. The first level up resembles an opulent mini-mall of legendary boutiques: Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Celine apparel, with neighboring stands selling luxury timepieces and fine jewelry. Menswear is situated in its own six-floor store. An additional made-to-order service is also available — and, as at Galeries Lafayette — private shopper/consultants are among the special services offered. Though the store has made an effort to update its fashion image, it is perhaps more renowned for its strong 9,000 square-meter home furnishings department known as “Printemps de la Maison.” Everything from furniture to tableware is divided into sections suggesting particular lifestyles — luxury, practical, charming, ethnic and contemporary. Both department stores were originally built during the same period — right after Baron Haussmann transformed Paris into a sprawling metropolis with elegant townhouses lining spacious avenues. Founded in 1865, Printemps was the work of architect, Jules Jaluzot. It has striking renaissance domes, and its facades feature three lintels supported by cast iron columns, with the establishment’s name inscribed in multi-colored mosaic tiles. Its Art Nouveau copula didn’t appear until 1923. Galeries Lafayette, the last of Paris’ major stores to be built, was founded in 1896. By October 1912, it occupied the present five-level store. At the top of the building, a terrace shows a view of the city.

Official website of Galeries Lafayette

Offical website of Printemps

 

La Samaritaine, at 19 Rue de la Monnaie on the right bank of the Seine, also has a wonderful rooftop terrace cafe. It takes it name from an old water pump near the Pont Neuf. The pump was decorated with the woman of Samaria giving a drink of water to Jesus. The store now occupies four buildings, with the cafe terrance on building two.

The official website of La Samaritaine