Right after French food and the Eiffel Tower, we all think of fashion when we think of Paris. In fact, when it comes to fashion, we will always have Paris. This is a city where clothes are deemed just as much works of art as the Canalettos, Rodins and Gauguins on display in art galleries. Here is our pick of the best places to shop for fashion in Paris. Whether you’re the shop-till-you-drop type or an expert window browser, you will love these fashion stores!
See also: CATCHY DESIGNS AT PARIS COUTURE WEEK 2016
Azzedine Alaia
18 Rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, France
Couturier Azzedine Alaïa has a beautiful shoe salon in Le Marais, designed by Marc Newson. It’s a curvaceous shrinelike space clad in polished white Carrara marble. A series of alcoves upholstered in pastel-hued leather give each piece pride of place, and a glass wall opens onto the street, giving passersby an exalted view.
Colette
213 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France
Arguably Paris’s most famous independent boutique and exhibition space since it opened its doors in 1997, Colette is both a pint-size department store and a cutting-edge idea lab. In the heart of the 1st arrondissement, the fashion store has exclusive collaborations with the fashion industry’s biggest names. Even the eau is designer, with more than 35 varieties available at Colette’s restaurant and water bar on the lower level.
Christian Dior
30 Avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris, France
It was here in 1946 that the avant-garde designer transformed an unassuming townhouse into a 13,000-square-foot fashion empire, reinventing women’s wear with his New Look — and today you can still shop the brand’s ladylike ready-to-wear and haute couture collections, as well as iconic accessories and fragrances such as Miss Dior.
Centre Commercial
2 rue de Marseille, 75010 Paris, France
Combining fashion with social commitment and artistic project with environmental concerns, Centre Commercial is a space infused by varied influences. Centre Commercial offers labels made in France, Great Britain and Denmark and houses second-hand bicycles, vintage furniture and art works. It is a collective space, uniting local, social and environmental initiatives. It is an artfully rugged deconstructed showroom that stands in stark contrast to its elegant wares.
Hermès
17 rue de Sèvres, 75006 St-Germain-des-Prés, France
After its classic outlet on rue St-Honoré, Hermès’ Left Bank store is much more spectacular, installed in the art deco former swimming pool of the Lutétia. the Paris-based design firm RDAI has recast the former municipal swimming pool building as a modern shopping mecca, with three wood-lattice structures creating a futuristic backdrop for the storied brand’s fashion, home, and accessories collections. A mosaic-tiled stairway leads up to a 30-seat café called Le Plongeoir, which resides on the site of the property’s old diving board. Here you’ll find the famous silk scarves, handbags and wallets, exclusive perfumes, jewellery, all for phenomenal prices.
Le Bon Marché
24 rue de Sèvres, 75007 Paris, France
Paris’s oldest department store, opened in 1852. It still has a distinctly august Left Bank aura (it’s less touristy than its Right Bank rivals), and serves a chic, monied clientele. Designer labels, like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, and a gorgeous lingerie department are supplemented by younger fashions, a good modern jewellery selection and a new luxury watch department for men. A floor is devoted to home design, tasteful kitchenware and bed linen.
Sonia Rykiel
175 boulevard Saint-Germain, 75006 Paris, France
Both book lovers and fashion connoisseurs might appreciate Sonia Rykiel’s Left Bank showroom on Boulevard Saint-Germain. 50,000 tomes line natural-hued wood shelves, the rusticity of which counters the bold red lacquered walls that serve as a backdrop to Rykiel’s urban-chic wardrobe staples. Overhead, a massive steel-and-glass atrium casts a flattering glow throughout the space.
From the world’s first department store to quirky boutiques, the City of Light has the best fashion stores you can imagine. If you’re planning a trip to Paris, you must go these shopping centers. Not only to shop, but to experience the luxury way of living that Parisiens do.
See also: THE BEST LIGHTING STORES IN PARIS
