Phreshly Squeezed

In case you aren’t aware, France has two major sale periods – the summer sale in July and the winter sale in January – where the savings are crazy and people are crowding the grands boulevards. Well, the government issued another sale period this past week to ameliorate the financial crisis.

Knowing me, I hopped off my Olympic Airlines flight (I spent my two week vacation in Greece) and dashed to the sixteenth arrondisement. To be fair, I only had the intention of going to pick up my coffee at Brûlerie des Ternes along rue de l’Annonciation, and of course, heading to Galeries Lafayette. But I was exhausted and held off until the next day. I wasn’t really amazed by the sale at Galaries Lafayette; sure, there were some good savings to be had but there were no great steals.

The madness was all the same though. Even though I did manage to get a picture of the hordes, it’s only a small portion of it.

Galaries Lafayette Shoe Section: Scouting for Hot Deals

July sales here I come!

Like good wine, the Salon du Vintage ages well as it enters its third year in stride at the Cours du Marais. Considering that I’m not usually one for vintage shopping, I was a little skeptical about attending it when I read about it on Heather Stimmler-Hall’s Secrets of Paris weblog. Considering that it is sponsored by ELLE.fr and that it was only 3€ (student rate), all I had to lose was my Monday lunchtime pastry.

Having attended the Salon du Chocolat and the Ethical Fashion Show, I was expecting something grand. So you can imagine the look on my face when I walked along rue des archives and came across a house that had a chic-renovated interior with posters advertising Salon du Vintage, and what seemed to be a security guard standing by the door.

Walking in, you immediately pass by one of the exhibitions (with haute-couture vintage items, featuring a limited edition Gaultier bag for 2500€ and YSL Rive Gauche ‘smokings’ for women) and enter into a crowded room of more exhibitions. To clarify, the exhibitions are spaces rented by the vintage stores found in the Marais, who bring an array of fashion items from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I spent a good deal of my time on the ground floor looking at the designer clothes and costume jewelery that were on display. Certainly, there were deals to be had, but there were other deals that were just too bold to be worn anymore.

Heading up the stairs to the first floor (or second floor for the North American reader), I find a more casual scene. There are military inspired items, cowboy inspired items, baby clothes, and the casual. Of course, these items are far more affordable than those on the ground floor.

The small exhibit took me about an hour to get through; surely, the keen vintage shopper (which I am not) could have spent much longer there, looking at each piece ready to claim a home.

81 rue des archives, Outside of Salon du Vintage

Women Looking at Yves Saint-Laurent 'Smoking' (Women's Suits)

Upper Level of Salon du Vintage (Casual Wear)

I remember watching my first Audrey Tautou movie, Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles, and absolutely loving it. Despite the fact that I understood very little French (I wish I could say that it has gotten a lot better, but only slightly), I found myself searching up her other movies and watching them in my stifling hot room. However, I still have yet to watch Amélie.

After school had started, I completely forgot about Audrey Tautou and her intriguing movies. It wasn’t until I was working on a French project about Coco Chanel that my love for Tatou resurfaced. Searching for any possible films and documentaries, I came across a movie that had only just finished casting. With a quick glance at the cast list, I was excited; Audrey Tautou was to star as Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in the upcoming Coco Avant Chanel.

As quickly as I get excited, I just as quickly forget. It wasn’t until I was walking to the métro with my friend, who pointed out the movie poster, that I remembered it was slated for release this year.

Searched up the trailer on YouTube, and I can definitely say that I am anticipating the end of April. (Un)fortunately, I’ll be missing out on its release date (April 22), as I will be in Greece for spring break.