I Prefer Paris

October Eye Need to Do's: Nuit Blanche,Fragonard,Montmartre Wine Festival, & Ateliers de Menilmontant

Nuit Blanche
Insomniacs rejoice! The 6th annual Nuit Blanche (sleepless night) has contemporary art, art installations, videos, interactive displays, and performance pieces throughout the city all night long from the Bastille to the Louvre. Checkout the Compagnie Carabosse light show and performance in the Tulleries from 10:30PM to 3:30AM.

Nuit Blanche
October 5th & 6th


Fragonard
Jean-Honoré Fragonard, one of the finest painters of the 18th century, is being honored with an extensive exhibition of his most overlooked work, his illustrations. Swoon over 100 of these masterpieces in the gorgeous Jacquemart-André Museum.
Fragonard
Jacquemart-André Museum
158 blvd Haussmann, 75008
Metro: Miromesnil or Phillipe du Roule
Open everyday 10AM to 6PM


Fête des Vendanges à Montmartre/Monmartre Wine Festival
Did you know that Monmartre had vineyards? Every year they celebrate the new harvest with concerts, plays, a children’s choral performance, fireworks, a brocant and of course stands selling the wine of Clos Montmatre.

Fête des Vendanges à Montmartre
Montmartre Wine Harvest
October 12, 13, & 14
Metro : Abbesses
Telephone number: 01 42 62 21 21



Ménilmontant Artists' Studios Open House

Be an art insider and visit over 140 artist, sculpture and photography studios in the trendy bohemian Menilmontant district. Poets, storytellers and musicians add to the festivities.

Portes ouvertes des Ateliers de Ménilmontant
October 19-22
For location and general info go to http://www.ateliersdemenilmontant.org

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

 

Gentry Lane: Burlesque Queen

I was invited by Gentry Lane to attend her Gentry de Paris Burlesque Review. With a movie star /see-it-on a marquis name like that, how could I resist. Gentry designs a line of luxury lingerie called Gentry de Paris, of course, and is obviously an expert in the art of the strip tease. I later found out she was a professor, meeting one of her students who told me she had taught a course about Paris in the 1920’s.

Gentry Lane, the Lady of the Evening

I arrived about 9PM with my good friend Irene Albright from New York to the Divan du Mode, a surprisingly elegant club in Pigalle. I immediately ran into two of my fellow Paris bloggers who I never physically met before: the legendary Elisabeth Fourmont of La coquette, and the new kid on the Paris blog block, Alice from The Late Bloomer. They were both delightful and just as personable as their writing on their blogs.

The show started and Gentry, looking adorable in a classy & sassy gold lame and satin showgirl outfit, came on the stage with the handsome, debonair Monsieur Nicolas Ullmann to introduce the dancers.

The next 30 minutes the stage was filled with beautiful voluptuous women slowly shedding their divine costumes down to their pasties, gently bumping and grinding to the brass heavy music. Each one had her own gimmick, from the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Carmen Miranda act throwing bananas to the audience to Lady in Pink. They demonstrated the true art of the strip tease, by being naughty but never vulgar. Gypsy Rose Lee must have been smiling from heaven and proud her tradition lives on.

Carmen Miranda reincarnated with blonde hair & blue eyes

Take it all off

At one point, two dancers, lovingly mauled Monsieur Nicolas Ullmann, and they stripped him down to his black silk boxers. In a hilarious turn, he followed their lead, and next appeared bare-chested with red pasties, fish net stockings and leopard print 5-inch stilettos. I take back debonair in describing him earlier.

Master Mistress of ceremonies,Nicolas Ullmann

For the last part of the evening, the fantastic Django gypsy jazz Caravan Palace, a group of 4 talented & sexy young musicians, serenaded us with their rousing music.

This was one of the most unusual and fun evenings I’ve had in a long time and my hat is off (but not my clothes) to Gentry for producing such a terrific show.

To browse and buy her fab lingerie, go to her site www.gentrydeparis.com

A special thanks to Sharon Haver @ www.focusonstyle.com for putting me in touch with Gentry.

And we'll have a real good time, yes sir

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

 

Galler

My name is Richard and I am a chocoholic.

If there was a 12-step program for chocoholics, I guess I just passed the first step.

Paris has some of the best chocolate shops in the world and I can sniff out a new one faster than a drug sniffing German Shepard can find a kilo of cocaine at Charles de Gaulle airport.

I received a hot new lead the other day and sniffed my way to Galler, a spanking brand-new chocolate shop only open two day so far in the Marais.

Jean Galler is a Belgian chocolate maker and the best way to describe him is the quote from the brochure: “In these chocolates I put the very best beans, the purest ingredients and 30 years of passion…” He has stores all over the world is careful and rigorous when choosing his franchises.

A very pleasant, jovial Belgian man named Koen is the owner of this franchise. He was kind enough to offer me some samples, possibly a major mistake on his part, as he unknowingly became an enabler to a chocolate sample addict. As I bit into the cocoa dusted dark tubular shaped truffle, I knew I had hit the jackpot. Smooth, rich and intense, I had to have more. I shamelessly played my I –am– a- journalist-want-to-do-a-story-on-you card on him, and he took the bait as he generously fed me more samples.

Koen, the chocolate enabler

Next up in the tasting parade was a pretty white chocolate disc with stripes of forest green and ocean blue. It was part of the new line called Les Marines, which are inspired by the sea and contain 2 exotic kinds of sea salt and 2 algae infused in the chocolate: Wakami & Nori(the algaes), and Sel noir d’Hawaii & Fleur de Sel de Guerande(sea salt). I have always been a chocolate and salt fan and this was a refreshing and satisfying taste sensation.

Last but not least, Koen unveiled his latest product, which was his pride and joy, called Kaori. Kaori is a handsome box of 6 kinds of thin ganache chocolate sticks laced with unusual flavors of saffron, cardamom, Yuzu fruit (a Japanese citrus like grapefruit), ginger, vanilla & cocoa and strawberry & balsamic vinegar. As if that wasn’t exotic enough, the box comes with 4 small “pots” of crushed orange peels, macha tea, poppy seeds, and Kalamansi fruit and you are supposed to dip the chocolate sticks into the pots. As I dipped away, the taste was divine, rich and subtle with small bursts of fruit and spice. I loved this clever and sophisticated idea and will definitely be giving this as a gift at dinner parties.

The shop is inviting with warm vanilla colored walls and salmon and brown flecked marble counters. The handsome packaging is mostly in Hermes colored orange boxes and tins.

Other products include macaroons, chocolate mousse in Dixie cups, and delicate short bread cookies.

Just to let you know, I was a chocolatier myself in New York before I moved to Paris. I made my own line of Belgian chocolate truffles and had a shop called Rich Treats off of Fifth Ave. in Manhattan.

Galler
15 rue de Blanc Manteaux
Metro: St. Paul, Hotel de Ville
Open 11:30AM- 7:30PM, Mon. to Sat.,Sun. 2-7:30PM, closed Mondays
01.42.78.91.49.
www.galler.com

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

 

Meredith Mullins Techno Parade

Meredith Mullins, like me, got totally caught up in the Techno Parade festivities earlier this month. Here are her eloquent words and wonderful photos. Enjoy!

I was swept into the techno parade in a way that made me want to rave on into the night. Everyone in the same rhythm—energy in its pure form. And, then, true to French form, the police and street cleaners came behind and, within minutes, had removed all traces of the moment. But we all knew where we had been.

Meredith Mullins is an internationally exhibited American photographer, currently living in Paris. Visit www.meredithmullins.artspan.com to see more of the Paris images. Her award-winning book, In A Paris Moment (click here to order), and her 2008 Paris Calendar can be ordered online (click here to order) or in bookstores throughout the U.S.Original photographs are available directly through the artist.

Adolfo Dominguez

I attended the opening of the new Adolfo Dominguez superstore the other night, drinking Champagne and hobnobbing with the international well-heeled crowd, who were speaking Spanish, French, and English. Dominguez is one of Spain’s top designers and the flagship Paris store is a stunning showcase for the chic and surprisingly affordable line of men’s & women’s apparel and home furnishings.

The massive, gorgeous store is on rue Elzevir, a quiet street in the Marais. The dark interior is lightened with a dramatic skylight and materials of concrete, gold leaf, wood, and stone give a warm earthy and cool, minimalist feel at the same time.Loft-like rooms are spacious but intimate and make for a pleasurable shopping experience. Cushy bronze silk couches and settees’ in golden charmeuse make up the tasteful line of furniture.

The extensive women’s collection is divided into sportswear, evening, and casual, along with jewelry, bags, and shoes. Some of the highlights include a smart taupe patent leather double-breasted trench coat, metallic dresses in a unique paper like fabric, and hand –painted silk gowns in abstract Jackson Pollack like prints.

Men’s clothes are mostly casual chic in somber shades of brown and beige with occasional splashes of color. I was tempted to buy a make-me–look-10 lbs. -thinner fitted safari jacket in polished cornflower blue poplin. Most interesting were the faux shearling coats that you would swear were the real thing until you saw the label that said 100% washable polyester and the price tag of only 250 euros.

Prices are surprisingly moderate for the quality of the clothes, somewhere in the Banana Republic price range. The staff is pleasant and helpful in a low-keyed way.

Adolfo Dominguez
1-3 rue Elzevir, 75003
Metro: St. Paul
Open Mon. -Sat. 10:30AM-7:30PM, Sun 1PM-8PM
Tel. 01.44.58.96.10
www.adolfodominguez.com

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

 

If I Should Lose You Opening

Dear Subscribers,
You might have missed this important post the other day because it was on the bottom of the Techno Parade post. I look forward to your comments and feedback.


The opening of Vincent Gagliostro’s exhibition “If I Should Lose You” last Thursday night, was a fun and glamorous affair. The Champagne flowed and the chatter was high as friends, clients, groupies, and even some unexpected surprise guests came to celebrate Vincent’s first Paris exhibition.

The ambitious show of paintings, drawings, photos and one video is about loss on a personal and global level. Although it’s about loss, it was not depressing and evoked a sense of reflection of loss rather than the sadness of it.

Most of the crowd was fixated on the wall of 144 small abstract framed photographs. The affordable (80 euros) and accessible photos printed on high gloss metallic paper have a unique interactive approach: when someone purchases one, they write on a card something or someone they have lost and place the card where the picture hung. When the crowd cleared, they had happily decimated the wall and left their messages behind.


The Great Wall - of photographs.

The centerpiece of the show is a wall of eight stunning floor to ceiling drawings of graphite, collage and latex on Japanese drawing paper.

The video has powerful images that jump from Peter Pan to an extreme close-up of George Bush, to innocent young boys at the sea with a haunting, score that includes music from Maria Callas and Nina Simone’s “If I Should Lose You”. I love the juxtaposition of the sometimes harsh, in your face images with the romantic music in the background. A large part of the video focuses on Vincent Galgliostro’s work as an AIDS activist in New York in the early 90’s and shows scenes from ACT-UP demonstrations (ACT-UP is a controversial AIDS organization that powerfully changed the face of the disease) and movingly commemorates friends he lost to the epidemic.

The Glamorous Crowd

Roger Nilsson,Man of Evening Vincent Gagliostro, Alain Chiglien, and Moi

Michael O'Brien, Vincent & Diane Pernet

Hollywood Glamour- Christos and Advice Goddess Amy Alkon from LA

Artist Rosemary Flannery and Moi

My Eye Prefer Paris tour clients Kathy, Emily, Jenny, and K.C.

Chic Paris Boys

Patricia LaPlante Collins

There was even some star power: French superstar and actress Carole Bouquet, who is a client of the gallery owned by Alain Chiglien and Roger Nilsson, had innocently dropped by the gallery on Tuesday to drop off some home made jelly she made for them. She ended up spending almost 45 minutes marveling at the work and sadly said could not attend the opening but promised she would come back to see the show.

Carol Boquet

Don’t miss this moving, provocative and highly personal show.

If I Should Lose You
Exhibit till October 13
Galerie NEC/Nilsson & Chiglien
117 rue Vielle du Temple
01.42.77.88.83
Tuesday-Saturday 11-7:30PM
Metro: St. Paul, Filles du Calvaire
gagliostro.com

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

 

Journee du Patromoine

Last weekend was the annual Journee du Partimoine, a heritage weekend, where many private Paris institutions, libraries, museums, and archives open their doors to the public. I took advantage of this wonderful event and joyfully visited some of them.

Sunday afternoon I went to the 25th anniversary celebration of the Athenee theatre company, which is housed in the original L’Eden a La Athenee, built in 1880.

I used my press credentials to get in and in front of the theater there was a gentleman dressed in tails guarding the velvet ropes before a long pink carpet that lead to the theater. He asked for my press pass and in a truly hilarious but slightly embarrassing moment, the pink carpet turned into the red carpet as he announced my name on his microphone and everybody in the background applauded my arrival.

Gentlemen Keepers of the Pink Carpet

Taking a moment to recover from my 15 seconds of fame, I entered into this exquisite jewel box of a theater. It was dark and intimate as the lights were dimmed to show off the theater. A light show reflected on the extravagant tromp l’oeil-domed ceiling, with a dangling grand chandelier. I had romantic expectations the chandelier would come crashing down a la Phantom of the Opera. Bordeaux wine colored velvet seats had handsome carved wood frames on them and the carved gold gilded balconies and walls were magnificent.

The second floor reception area was typical Belle Époque design with ornate floor to ceiling windows with mustard yellow frames with leaded glass and a fussy crystal chandelier.



The theater’s namesake is Louis Jouvet, an actor, director, and set designer, who was one of the most important and influential figures
In French theater in the 1900’s.

Theatre Athenee does a mix of classic plays by Genet, Ionesco and Beckett and modern playwrights. This season’s eclectic program has Genet’s "les Negres", Suzan-Lori Parks "Topdog/Underdog"
and Neil Simon’s “The Sunshine Boys”.

When I left, I was a little disappointed there wasn’t a hungry mob waiting outside for my autograph but I got over it. I guess my 15 seconds of fame was really over. In the square there was a stand with beautiful long stem roses in the most gorgeous colors being offered to all who attended the event.

Theatre Athenee/Louis Jouvet
7 rue Boudreau, 75009
Metro: Opera
www.athenee-theatre.com

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

 

Techno Parade

I forgot that Saturday afternoon was the annual Techno Parade.

I was quietly catching up on my emails on Saturday afternoon when all of a sudden I heard a cacophonous booming sound out my front window. Outside, St. Paul square was teeming with young boys and girls and rue St. Antoine was filled with parade floats. I forgot it was the annual Techno Parade.

A few minutes later the parade was in full swing and the music was literally vibrating through the floor and up my toes. I could no longer concentrate on my writing, as I was now trapped inside what seemed like world’s largest dance floor.

If you can’t lick em’, join em’, so I went outside and joined em. I could barely get out my door, the crowd was so thick. Cute teenage boys with faux-hawk haircuts and pretty young girls in punked out fashions in black, spilled on to the streets. The energy was high, the dancing moves fierce, and the mood was serious fun. The crowd roared and the energy shot up a notch higher every time a float went by. I started copying some of the dance moves myself, trying to adapt to the crowd, but couldn’t keep up with the youngsters.

It Isn't Easy Being Green

Hair Star

The Blond Streak Triplets of St. Paul

This was the 10 anniversary of the extremely popular event that attracts over 20,000 people and has over 100 DJ’s and 20 floats.

Techno Parade
www.technoparade.fr

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

 

If I Should Lose You Opening

The opening of Vincent Gagliostro’s exhibition “If I Should Lose You” last Thursday night, was a fun and glamorous affair. The Champagne flowed and the chatter was high as friends, clients, groupies, and even some unexpected surprise guests came to celebrate Vincent’s first Paris exhibition.

The ambitious show of paintings, drawings, photos and one video is about loss on a personal and global level. Although it’s about loss, it was not depressing and evoked a sense of reflection of loss rather than the sadness of it.

Most of the crowd was fixated on the wall of 144 small abstract framed photographs. The affordable (80 euros) and accessible photos printed on high gloss metallic paper have a unique interactive approach: when someone purchases one, they write on a card something or someone they have lost and place the card where the picture hung. When the crowd cleared, they had happily decimated the wall and left their messages behind.


The Great Wall - of photographs.

The centerpiece of the show is a wall of eight stunning floor to ceiling drawings of graphite, collage and latex on Japanese drawing paper.

The video has powerful images that jump from Peter Pan to an extreme close-up of George Bush, to innocent young boys at the sea with a haunting, score that includes music from Maria Callas and Nina Simone’s “If I Should Lose You”. I love the juxtaposition of the sometimes harsh, in your face images with the romantic music in the background. A large part of the video focuses on Vincent Galgliostro’s work as an AIDS activist in New York in the early 90’s and shows scenes from ACT-UP demonstrations (ACT-UP is a controversial AIDS organization that powerfully changed the face of the disease) and movingly commemorates friends he lost to the epidemic.

The Glamorous Crowd

Roger Nilsson,Man of Evening Vincent Gagliostro, Alain Chiglien, and Moi

Michael O'Brien, Vincent & Diane Pernet

Hollywood Glamour- Christos and Advice Goddess Amy Alkon from LA

Artist Rosemary Flannery and Moi

My Eye Prefer Paris tour clients Kathy, Emily, Jenny, and K.C.

Chic Paris Boys

Patricia LaPlante Collins

There was even some star power: French superstar and actress Carole Bouquet, who is a client of the gallery owned by Alain Chiglien and Roger Nilsson, had innocently dropped by the gallery on Tuesday to drop off some home made jelly she made for them. She ended up spending almost 45 minutes marveling at the work and sadly said could not attend the opening but promised she would come back to see the show.

Carol Boquet

Don’t miss this moving, provocative and highly personal show.

If I Should Lose You
Exhibit till October 13
Galerie NEC/Nilsson & Chiglien
117 rue Vielle du Temple
01.42.77.88.83
Tuesday-Saturday 11-7:30PM
Metro: St. Paul, Filles du Calvaire
gagliostro.com

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

 

Zadkine Museum

Forever on a quest to visit every small museum in Paris, the Zadkine Museum has been on the top of my list.

Ossip Zadkine, a Russian Jew, came to Paris in 1910 and worked mostly as a sculptor until his death in 1977 and became part of the cubist movement from 1914-1925. He was stretcher-bearer in WW I and was wounded in action.

In 1928 he setup his atelier/home on a quiet street near the Jardin du Luxembourg on rue Assas. The intimate space with its small rooms makes you feel like you are visiting an artist’s atelier rather than a museum. The collection of over 100 sculptures in bronze, wood, marble, and stone are sensual and bold.

Most impressive was the garden with steel gray intricate and simple sculptures against a background of ferns, ivy, and palm trees. I sat in the quiet garden and truly got a sense of how an artist created his own world in this beautiful setting. The museum is also an excellent representation of the romantic bygone era of the Montparnasse school of artists from the 1920’s and 30’s.

Zadkine Museum
100 bis, rue d'Assas
75006 Paris
Téléphone : 01 55 42 77 20
Open Tuesday to Friday 10AM-6PM
Metro: Notre Dame des Champs, Vavin

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