World's Largest Ladies Shoe Store at Galeries Lafayette & Manolo Blahnik Spring Preview 2010

To make shoe fanatics jealous, I had the distinct pleasure of attending two major shoe events in the same day a few weeks ago.

While I was in Galeries Lafayette having lunch with Lynn,we visited the new ladies shoe department which is billed as the largest in the world. It's over 34,000 square feet with more than 150 brands of shoes.Each brand has its own shop and brands include Walter Steiger, Pierre Hardy, Prada, Miu Miu, Jimmy Choo,Biondini,Arche,Accessoire, and Repetto. Sizes range from American 3-12. There is also a foot salon to take care of your tootsies with pedicures and foot massages and an artisan cobbler that carries special brushes, shoe creams in all colors, foot-care lotions and more.

After I left Galeries Lafayette, there was a press showing of the Manolo Blahnik spring 2010 shoe collection at Maria Luisa, a ladies high fashion boutique that exclusively sells Manolo's in Paris.The collection was a knockout with high sexy feminine heels and gorgeous color combinations Manolo is famous for.

Many of you don't know this, but I worked in Delman, the fancy ladies shoe salon at Bergdorf Goodman in the early 80s.

Galeries Lafayette
40 Blvd. Haussmann, 9th arr.
Shoe Dept. is on lower level
Metro: Chausee-D'Antin or Opera

www.galerieslafayette.com

Maria Luisa
7 rue Rouget de L"Isle, 1st arr.
Metro: Concorde
Tel. 01 47 03 96 15
http://www.marialuisaparis.com

Don't forget about the Montmartre photo contest.

The contest is for the most unusual and dramatic photo of Montmartre. The contest winner will be announced next Wednesday, November 11. Please send your photos no later than November 10 and you can email them to me at r.nahem@gmail.com. Please send no more than 3 photos in an email. 

Now for the prize. The winner will receive a copy of the new best-selling book What French Women Know by Debra Ollivier. The intriguing book is about love, sex, and other matters of the heart and mind, a witty, insightful exploration of what makes French women tick. Questions like  “How do they make it look so easy?”  and “Why are French women always so incredibly sexy, even if they are physically ordinary?" are answered and explained by Ollivier who lived in Paris for many years and married a Frenchman. Ollivier offers us a refreshing new perspective on the stale ooh-la-la stereotypes about French women, revisiting and challenging old notions about sex, love, dating, marriage, motherhood, body politics, and seduction. A must read book for any man or woman who appreciates the mystique of French women.

If you can't wait to read the book before the contest, click here to order.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte’s professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 3 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Comments

[David]

Love this post Richard.

Those black and gold shoes are very Thierry Mugler. Gawd, I'd love to wear 'em.

[Vicki Archer]

I would be happy to be in that shoe department RIchard....xv

[Style Spy]

::sigh:: The shoe department in Galeries Lafayette was already pretty good, I've written about it myself. I'm now trying to decide which would be more painful: not going to check it out, or going and not being able to afford any of the shoes. I'll have to resolve this dilemma before I visit in May!

[Linda]

I swear men want to keep us in bondage! (and not the good kind!) how in hell can we walk in these shoes? (especially on nyc streets!) The entire floor of saks fifth in nyc is filled with these. It’s unbelievable!!! And – the shoe store next to my office in soho tells me they come in all day and buy flip flops after wearing these killers.

[jon-henri]

you have outdone yourself with the shoe column. i have been asked to find out about the white shoes with black polka dots at the end of the column. perhaps you know the store.
your columns are so full of energy and an elan that most ex-pats don't have.
your column is very much appreciated amongst all my francopile friends