I met Eva Glele a few weeks ago when she personally gave a tour of Printemps, one of the top specialty stores in Paris. Eva is the International Media Relations Manager of the store and when I met her, I was impressed with her enthusiasm and passion about her job. I thought that she was an ideal candidate for Parisian of the Month.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Cotonou, in Benin,West Africa and grew up in France.
How long have you been living in Paris and how long have you had your job?
I’ve been living in Paris most of my life except for 7 years that I spent working abroad (London, Tokyo, Mexico…) in order to gain a real international experience, familiarize myself with different media scenes and market dynamics – which is crucial for my job. I’ve been working as International Media Relations Manager for Printemps for 2 and half years now.
What part of your job do you like best and which part do you like least?
I actually love every aspect of my job especially the relationship-building one: meeting with journalists from the four corners of the world, exchanging views, ideas with them, informing them about Printemps of course, but also giving them my insider’s view on aspects of the French culture they might not be aware, and vice versa. My challenge remaining to constantly surprise them, proving them wrong for instance about stereotyped ideas they might carry out about who Printemps is and isn’t. I also love writing a lot, working on strategy – which basically means exploring new paths to get our messages across -, organizing events – which I rarely do at Printemps for we have a dedicated division – and so on.
Maybe the part that I don’t like as much is whenever I have to do some representation work at press parties – which basically means “just be there and smile”. That’s the part of the job I believe has participated to create the cliché of the pretty but brainless PR girl (the profession still being predominantly feminine). The truth is that I actually attend those parties to be able to provide any useful information about the company to the attending journalists, but at the end of the day, most of them being there to chill and enjoy, that’s what I end-up doing: just be there and smile!
What's the biggest event you've planned so far?
I haven’t really planned any big event so far at Printemps, because like I previously mentioned, we have a dedicated department for that. All our events are handled by our external communications division. They are the experts.
My big events are all meetings I have with the top world fashion, beauty and luxury journalists I regularly get the honor to welcome through tailor made in-store tours or target presentations about Printemps.
Each of them is a golden opportunity to make them understand what makes Printemps so special in the Parisian department stores landscape and make it visible towards potential clients.
What makes Printemps stand apart from other shops like Le Bon Marche and Galeries Lafayette?
First, the positioning: Printemps is not any longer the department store as it was invented back to the nineteenth century. It’s the specialty department store in fashion, beauty and luxury in Paris with a positioning that’s getting more and more upscale.
Second, Printemps has a real fashion and avant-garde orientation that leads the store to showcase brands like nowhere else in innovative shopping-floors, to create some of the most outstanding windows in the world of retail and design hip concept-events! This idea of fashion and modernity are key to understand what makes Printemps stands out. It goes beyond clothes, shoes or make-up: it’s the idea to apprehend everything with style.
Last but not least, its identity: saying that Printemps is a department store is like saying that the Eiffel Tower is a hunk of steel. With 80% of its clientele that’s French, Printemps is probably the most Parisian of all international department stores, but it’s more than that. For generations of French, Printemps is a cultural icon which history belongs to the national heritage. Our buildings and façades are registered as historic monuments; the store was the first to settle electricity (less than 3 years after it was invented), to implement elevators, a switchboard, launch into mail order, create a male confection area, and to create animated windows! In 1920 the store put living tigers in its windows, last year it was Karl Lagerfeld in person in one window fabricated by him! Where else can you see this?
That pioneer spirit truly defines Printemps’ identity.
What are some of the special things in the store that one shouldn't miss?
Without hesitation:
Our luxury floor – the only floor devoted to luxury and a genius concept gathering the avenue Montaigne, Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Place Vendôme on the same floor with great exclusivities like De Beers (in national exclusivity);
Fashion & Luxury, our new designers floor: 3,000 meters of pure sophistication and the most international portfolio in town, with this fall, a collection of “must-haves” created by the hottest names in fashion exclusively for Printemps (Balenciaga, Jil Sander, Yves Saint-Laurent, Givenchy, Alberta Ferretti, Stella McCartney, Agent Provocateur, Ann Demeulemeester and more);
Our shoe floor – the only floor devoted to female shoe wear in Europe, 3000 meters a pilgrimage for the shoe addict;
Our beauty department is the quintessence of glamour – featuring the biggest beauty boutiques in France - and a one-stop shopping for the best niche brands, like in the Scent-Room – our exclusive concept devoted to the rarest of fragrances. The best spot if you seek a fragrance that you could use as a signature.
Printemps de l’Homme - our men’s fashion building: 7 floors of cutting-edge fashion organized by lifestyle and showcased in a space that expresses all of the codes of the men’s world. Probably the most complete men’s offer in Paris, with a bonus: the only branch of the Nickel Spa, custom-made and custom-order services for shoe and suit creation and a restaurant designed by Paul Smith.
That list wouldn’t be complete without our panoramic terrace: if you want to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower, the Opera House, Montmartre, the Madeleine Church and more… there’s just one address: the 9th floor of Printemps de la Maison (our housewares building). Unforgettable!
What are your favorite things to do in Paris in your time off from work?
Spending good quality time with family and friends, socializing with people from all nationalities and backgrounds, attending gigs, going to the Pompidou Centre, checking new CDs and books at the FNAC (I’ve been a FNAC fan since the age of 12! To me, it’s really emblematic of what I like the most in the French Culture: that idea that the best of culture should be accessible to the broadest number of people. [I probably love the Pompidou Centre for the same idea] You find at the FNAC treasures of foreign literature and world music that can’t be found anywhere else. The fact that it’s not only commercial-oriented makes the concept of FNAC unique in the world!) and going to the movies. I’m basically curious about anything cultural that allows me to learn more about the world that surrounds me and me.
What's the most important thing you want to communicate to your customers about the store?
Forget everything you know (or believe you know) about Printemps. Chances are you’ll be wrong! Printemps is a key part of the Parisian fashion and cultural landscape, a shining example of the French heritage and as such a must-see for the visiting tourist! Probably the “sexiest” monument in town!
If someone had only one day and night to spend in Paris on an unlimited budget, what would your idea of the ultimate Paris fantasy?
Book the store and organize the hippest party on our rooftop terrace! Great music, food, company and the best view of Paris! What else would you want?
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
