The chic Parisienne – high glamour, minimalist and cool. Barbara Bui’s label became hugely successful since its debut in 1983, and despite the hefty price her collection is immensely popular with trendy urban sophisticates.

Click link to see the Barbara Bui Summer 2012 Fashion Show (video)

http://corporate.barbarabui.com/news/barbara-bui-summer-2012-fashion-show

Barbara Bui was born in Paris to a French mother and a Vietnamese father. She opened her first studio boutique on rue de Turbigo in 1983. She presented her first collection in 1987 and the label Barbara Bui was born. In 1999 the flagship store on avenue Montaigne was opened, followed by an international luxury showcase on rue du Faubourg St Honoré. Today Barbara Bui operates a global network of boutiques from Moscow to New York.

Official website: http://www.barbarabui.com/

If you want to keep up with the latest trends – fashion for women and men, hair and beauty, accessories, colours and more – Fashionising.com, a website dedicated entirely to the subject, offers a good insight. In its latest edition it brings you backstage photos of the Versace and Christian Dior spring Haute Couture 2012 Paris events.Everyone might talk about the catwalk, but it’s backstage where you get a close look and all the details.

Backstage at Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2012

Photos from backstage at the Christian Dior haute couture spring 2012 at Paris fashion week.

Backstage at Versace Haute Couture Spring 2012

Photos from backstage at the Versace haute couture spring 2012 at Paris fashion week.

Website: http://www.fashionising.com/

Who was the favorite perfumer of Napoleon Bonaparte? Who created the futuristic vision of Masaki Matsushima? The fragrances of Maison de Cognac and the famous jewelers of Rue de la Paix, spiced with heritage flavors. Some English, Italian and French perfume houses have these unique hand-made bottles, some of them very rare – still, the smell is the most authentic. To honor the year the Frapin family was ennobled by Louis XIV, a new floral and spicy essence was designed by French perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, called “1697″. This, along with a collection of some twenty brands of rare, old or very contemporary perfumes, is available at perfumery Jovoy, a stone’s throw from the Place Vendome in the 1st district of Paris. Owner Francois Henin had a unique vision and created a world where featured brands float in glass cubes suspended in the air. Unlike in traditional perfumeries where only the covers are displayed you can discover the secrets of each fragrance.

Frapin perfumes & Co. tell the story of an illustrious family and their knowledge of many centuries. It is a journey through time and space, evoking and awakening a distant feeling. Discover the world of the evanescent, intoxicating and thrilling Frapin perfumes, produced from raw materials combined with the noblest ancestral know-how.

Shop is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Jovoy Paris

29 rue Danielle Casanova 75001 PARIS
Téléphone : +33(0)140200619

Website: http://www.jovoyparis.com/

What’s the best way to start the New Year? Of course, with some amazing shopping!! The sales are on again with some amazing bargains and discounts for five weeks, the dates are now published by the Directorate General of Consumption.

The Paris winter sales in  2012 are from January 11 to February 14.

Note that there are some exceptions, as listed below:

• Meurthe-et-Moselle (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Meuse (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Moselle (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Vosges (from January 2 to February 5, 2012)
• Landes (January 4 to February 7, 2012)
• Pyrenees-Atlantiques (January 4 to February 7, 2012)
• Guadeloupe (January 7 to February 10, 2012)
• Saint-Barthélemy (May 5 to June 8, 2012)
• Saint-Martin (May 5 to June 8, 2012)
• Guyana (January 4 to February 7, 2012)
• Reunion (September 1 to October 5, 2012)
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon (from January 18 to February 21, 2012)

Apart from the exempted departments, the summer sales in 2012 will start on June 27 and last till July 31.

Official website: http://www.economie.gouv.fr/soldes-dhiver-debutent-11-janvier-2012

In the lively up-and-coming Republique-Oberkampf district a new Paris boutique hotels going to open its doors soon – Hotel Angely. We had the opportunity to take a sneak preview and we were presented the plans and design. Judging from what we can see it will be a very unique boutique hotel on the Paris designer hotels scene. We are looking forward to the opening so we can stay a night and experience it first hand.

The grand opening is scheduled for the 15th of February, and the hotel now takes reservations. If you want to be amongst the first, you can book on the hotels official website:

http://angelyhotelparis.com/

Stay tuned: we will visit Hotel Angely and bring you up-to-date info and news as soon as possible!

Located on the Left Bank, near the Luxembourg Garden, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montparnasse, the 3-star Hotel Le Chaplain Rive Gauche is a classy Paris designer hotel based on the philosophy of smile. Apart from the smile you are welcomed with, there is an internationally recogniseable smile in each room, painted by Fabienne Santrot De Courrière, using the unique ‘grisaille technique’.

The hotel was fully renovated in 2008 by Michel Jouannet, an architect and interior designer, creating a distinctively modern and chic atmosphere. Contemporary artwork is displayed throughout the hotel, and a furnished inner patio with an olive tree provides a tranquil green oasis. Hotel Chaplain is truly a real gem, a classy and unique retreat in the center of Paris.

Will you choose Brigitte, Marilyn or the Mona Lisa?

“The grisaille technique is painting that incorporates shadow and light often through the use of muted shades. The core of De Courrière’s grisaille work arises through orders placed by interior decorators and individuals, but the artist also works with London and California dealers which sell the grisailles on canvass.”

Hotel Le Chaplain Paris Rive Gauche ***
11 bis, rue Jules Chaplain
75006 Paris

Official website: http://www.chaplainparishotel.com

We hope that you have a fantastic festive season and the coming 2012 year will bring you success, good health and happiness!

Winter is just as beautiful in Paris as any other season, and the festivities last well beyond the New Years Eve celebrations – actually, one form or another, in Paris the festivities never end!

Have a look at the 2011-2012 Fall and Winter fashion collections !

The fashion schedules for the year 2012 are out:

Haute Couture, Men’s Fashion & Ready to Wear !

Men’s Fashion from Wednesday, January 18th to Sunday, January 22nd, 2012

Haute Couture from Monday, January 23rd to Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Ready to Wear from Tuesday, February 28th to Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

Men’s Fashion from Wednesday, June 27th to Sunday, July 1st, 2012

Haute Couture from Monday, July 2nd to Thursday, July 5th, 2012

Ready to Wear from Tuesday, September 25th to Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

Further information:
http://www.modeaparis.com/en/fashion-shows/En-avant-premiere,22/

Paris is famous for its stylish boutique hotels that come in different colors and shapes, from the modest to the outrageous. Most people prefer a certain design, a certain style –classic or contemporary, as an example. However I like to experiment with everything and I don’t mind what trend a hotel follows: the secret lies in the details and the overall balance and harmony – and the comfort of course.

Hotel De Neuve has newly opened its doors and it is a pleasure to check it out when there is something new on the boutique hotels scene. Situated in a historic part of the Marais district, near Saint-Paul metro station, the hotel is an perfect base to visit the sights of Paris and enjoy its lively atmosphere. The street where the hotel is located is very quiet, in contrast to the rest of Marais, buzzing with life. The Batille quarter, another vibrant location, is just an easy walk away. Touristic sights such as the cuote Place des Vosges, the historic Seine banks and Ile Saint-Louis, just to name a few, are all within easy reach, and there are excellent restaurant, café and bar choices right around the hotel.

The Marais is a trendy district of Paris and I was expecting the hotel in tune with this. It is a contemporary hotel, but nothing extravagant: the atmosphere is tranquil and subdued, with warm and light colors dominating, and a bit of purple thrown in. Square and round lines define the space in beautiful harmony, and the mirror makes the room look brighter and larger. The bathroom is very nicely done, elegant and modern as the rooms or the rest of the hotel.

Regarding comfort, the hotel is up to the highest standards. We took two doubles and were delighted with the rooms. The rates are very reasonable – if they will keep these prices, Hotel De Neuve will be a success story for sure on the Paris boutique hotels scene.

Hotel De Neuve ***

14, rue Neuve Saint Pierre

75004 Paris

http://hoteldeneuveparis.com/

Hotel Damremont is another example to prove hotels don’t have to be expensive in Paris and that you can get quality and style at an affordable price. Located in the backstreets of Montmartre in a quiet residential area, there are lots of shops, restaurants, cafés around the hotel with a real Parisian atmosphere and without the crowds of tourists. If you want the touristic sights, many of them are an easy walk away: the Pigalle, Moulin Rouge and the Sacre Coeur are all 5-10 minutes on foot, and with excellent metro access the other sights of Paris are also easily reachable.

The reception-lounge area is quite neutral as far as I am concerned: elegant, modern, functional, but lacking style. The room, however, has that unique Paris boutique hotel feel, a touch of gentle elegance. Not very big in size, as is often the case in Paris, but comfortable, well equipped and clean. Offering only double rooms, the rates are not dirt cheap as they used to be in the past, but still very competitive and considering the location, the new trendy look and the improved comfort, it is excellent value for money.

Hotel Damremont **

110, rue Damremont 75018 Paris

http://damremont-paris-hotel.com/