Each night after the show, we drag ourselves out to dinner (I know, sounds terrible doesn't it!), and on the way we pass by some very interesting store windows. I know of no other shop windows anywhere that are as exciting as those in Paris. So for today's post, I will start with what we saw last night on the way to dinner.
On the way to dinner: Just another old building in Paris...Lol! There are so many fabulous building I don't even know which one to photograph first.
We are about a half-block from rue Faubourg Saint Honore, home to some of the worlds biggest fashion houses, sumptuous French antiquaries, fine art dealers, the Elysee Palace and of course Le Bristol Hotel. Above is a pair of carved marble... er, ugh, not sure what they are, but they were about 6ft. high, and 4ft. diameter, and truly beautiful whatever they are.
A poster in the window of Pierre Cardin, a brand alive and well in France though we don't see a lot of it in the USA. The dude depicted looks like he's in a black space suit, and she's wearing an over sized red bow, a great way to take out some of the annoying smokers hovered around the doors of the bars (it is now illegal to smoke in a bar or restaurant in France--thank the Lord!).
Maxim's Paris
And then, a little further down the street, the venerable Paris restaurant Maxim's apparently has ventured into the fashion business, logical I think, don't you? They have a stand alone store on the rue Faubourg Saint Honore, yikes, that's enough to make Chanel turn over in her pearl lined grave.
And just so you know, the giant bow look is not a trend.
One of the things we enjoy collecting personally are interesting and rare frames, and the French have some of the best. We passed a frame makers window and loved the two frames pictured below, not the subjects in the pictures!
Fab frames on rue Faubourg Saint Honore, above.
A pair of interesting candle sticks: One in all silver, and the other with silver candle cups and a common garden hose used for the rest of it!
Mannequin dressed in those powder puffs
I could not wait for the "Worst in Show" category that is usually at the bottom of my posts. We passed by a perfumier who it appears, also sells powder puffs in various colors. Pictured above, a mannequin dressed in those powder puffs.
Back to market: The Parc de Expositions is a behemoth, and I wanted to show you what it looks like in the photos below:
In the first photo, the sign says Paris Nord Villepinte: Paris Nord means Paris North, and Villepinte is the nearest town, but this is the Parc de Exposition! Just like the French!
The Entrance
Building 1, starts on the left side of the arched shape complex.
Buildings 1, 2, 3
Building 3 and 4
Building 5 and 6
Building 7 and 8
Looking toward Building 9 with the Parc entrance portico in the foreground
The Parc entrance portico from the train station...
...and back to where we started. It is indeed a huge complex.
Inside, we started back at the vendor booth we started with, to make our "buy". The vendor is from Belgium (no not more of that Restoration Hardware looking junk!), and is one of our favorites. We bought several wonderful things here, but the two most important were the selenite chandelier that I talked about in my Day 1 blog, and a dining table with parchment (thin leather) top in shades of tan, grey, crème, and brown, each divided from the other by the thinnest of inlaid wood lines. The top sits on a simple steel base.
Steel framed selenite chandelier
Caroline holding court at the parchment covered Dining Table
Close up photo of the parchment covered Dining table top
And we did buy a piece or two of real Shagreen (most in the USA is faux Shagreen). The box, above, is framed in Ebony wood.
This years show featured French artist and artisans, and I can assure you, this was no country craft show as there wasn't a doily in site!
Sculpture by Benoit Averly, above and below. Carved wood
Artist A. Digan: Huge handmade terra cotta pots brightly painted and hand carved, below
Artist Marie Talalaeff: Whimsical, but well done, these paper mache characters create their own jungle book. Interestingly, this was one of the events ribbon winners, over other artists that worked in far more expensive mediums.
Artist Marie-Noelle Grande: Bronze spheres, below. We saw this work in one of the "feature" kiosk and were so impressed that we sought her and her booth out. When we got there, we could not have been more disappointed as her main body of work are strange bronze "earthling" woman (not sure what that means, but I know what that looks like!). Her best work is no doubt, that shown below:
Alas, we move on to more purchases (below): We found these great lamps, floor, table top and ceiling mounted styles. Painted metal shades in white. red or black, all on solid cast brass frames.
We felt that the lamps above were a great alternative to the somewhat overused, similarly styled fixtures by David Weeks, below. We admire Weeks work, but in the USA if its good, then you start seeing it everywhere in every price point.
We loved these oversize fur upholstered stools, below, with the pelts applied in quarters so the longest fur stands meet in the middle. Beautifully proportioned and well priced and likely to end up on Cabana Home sales floors! And speaking if furs, be sure and scroll all the way to the bottom of this post and see how fur figures into today's 'Worst in Show!'
Worst in Show:
Its a furry "WIS: Day. What's with the fake fur today?
Fur clad hanging lamp shades
Fur/hair wig on a goat
Faux hair/wig on a horse
Fur (okay, Ostrich feathers) on a chandelier with three appendages that look a bit like jelly fish, all suspended from a feather flower, and contained (except for the appendages) in a steel egg shaped frame. Yuk.
Fake fur encrusted refrigerator (yes a refrigerator, not your cousin "It")
At the end of each day, after we've spent 8 hours on our feet, here's what it looks like after schelping our way back to the train station to wait for the train, and then we get to fight our way in the door in an attempt to get a seat (fat chance on that) or a good place to stand (is there such a thing?).
Notice the lady in the foreground, excited...huh?
And once on the train, no place to sit, again!
It's late, good night. Join me tomorrow for Day 4, Part II
Good night moon
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