C'est trés bon!

Nothing beats discovering an extra dash of unexpected style while walking the streets of Paris. Not one to typically write-up exhibitions that are limited to one area rather than Internet-wide, but it's hard to pass on these haute couture perpetuators of French chic in a city where fashion is not simply something to wear, but an art form.

On my way from a casual lunch with BF's, art director and artist Vincent and Paris concierge Richard, we literally stumbled upon a fantastic exhibition in the Marais in celebration of the 30th anniversary for the Yves St. Laurent Opium perfume, called Opium Express. In New York, pop-up shops are typically rather artsy incarnations of an otherwise unrented storefront, but in Paris this pop-up promo homage sits in a magnificent 17th century mansion decorated in an Asian-inspired modern, loft-style design, complete with a olfactory den to inhale the indulgence of YSL's Opium fragrance. Superb!

While walking in the charming, quaint, and a bit touristy section of Montmartre, I ran across a jewel of a building which was the petite gallery for the La Botterie S'Expose exhibition of the haute couture, custom shoes of master cobbler, Raymond Massaro, best known as the house which created the signature Chanel two-toned shoe.

Fashion factoid: The black cap toe in combination with the beige shoe body was designed to make the foot appear smaller.

Karl Lagerfeld remains faithful to the house and designed the exhibition's invitation. Along with Chanel, to-die-for Massaro shoes created for Thierry Mugler, Azzedine Alaïa, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Christian Lacroix, the embroidery house Lesage, and Hedi Slimane for Dior are on display, beside sketches by Mr. Lagerfeld. No shoe fiend should miss this. Fantastique!

This one I knew about so I did make a special effort to catch the Christian Lacroix Histoires de Mode exhibition, right near the Louvre at the fabulous Les Arts Decoratifs Museum. Its Fashion and Textile Museum invited Christian Lacroix, in celebration of his 20 year career in the fashion industry, to curate the museum's historical collection of haute-couture clothing and accessories which dates back to the 17th century and up to present day style. A special treat is the video presentation of Mr. Lacroix's 1987 runway show that set the world on its fashion edge with his introduction of the poof skirt- those girls really did Vogue it on the catwalk!. The visual design of the exhibition's intermingling centuries of fashion alongside each other proves that great fashion is both timeless and eternally chic to view. Magnifique!

--November 29, 2007

Yves St. Laurent Opium Express
46 rue de Sevigne (off Parc Royal), 3d arr.
Until Jan. 20th

La Botterie S'Expose
Clos de la Commanderie
11, place Jean Clement (corner of rue Norvins), 18 °arr.
Until January 31

Christian Lacroix: Histoires de Mode
The Musée des Arts décoratifs- Musée de la Mode et du Textile
107 rue de Rivoli
Until April 2008