If you only have time to do a few shops in Paris...

....make sure you duck in here to see the most amazing display of designs and style expressions ever gathered in one shop. Colette is simply one of the most amazing platforms for any designers, upcoming or established to be stocked at. I was totally blown away by the goods in here and the merchandising skills.  Art seeped from every corner. Every item carefully selected and displayed.  Hermes even has presence in here, which apparently, is rare, hence... a huge endorsement for this high end retail outlet.

The Chanel - out of the box, experience

This post is dedicated to all my female friends who understand and appreciate the thrill of FINALLY owning a classic Chanel hand bag.  My visit to Paris recently was not only to soak in the French beauty and be inspired by the art de vivre of this amazing city, but to also take back home some of that inspiration, so that I may breathe life back into a personal project, long forgotten.

And I did just that, and in the process, not only found unabashed joy in the pastries, wines, the steak tartares, museums, and the countless cafes, but also in the way Parisian people carry themselves, not to mention the grace in every corner and crevice of every ornate building in what is, IMHO, the most beautiful city in the world.

Incredibly, my moment of reckoning with the French's style and artistic influence on the world was never greater than that first moment when I walked across the hallowed turf of THE Chanel store on Rue Cambon, where Coco Chanel herself used to live in an apartment above.  My mission - to purchase and own my first ever Chanel bag.

Et voila!  One beautifully made, jumbo size, black, with gold chains bag later, and it seems like a life long love affair has been born.

Notably, the service at this store was first rate, but the wrapping of my purchase was something else altogether inspiring! Here now, is a photo by photo look of the Chanel bag in an "out of the box" (and an out of this world) experience.

To my friends who care... Enjoy babes, this one is written for you!! ;)

Rue Cambon, at night

Where Coco Chanel used to keep an apartment

Androgyny at its best

This is one of my favourite people shots in Paris. I don't think this guy was aware that I took a photo of him. For me, what made him special was that he was just the perfect picture of stillness. He seemed oblivious to all around him, including the way I was looking at him through my lens, like I would examine an art painting I was drawn to.
I imagined that he was standing there in the Tuileries Garden, waiting for a friend, a guy or a girl it was immaterial. That I found him very beautiful...melancholy but youthful and heartbreakingly stylish; made me feel so pleased with myself that I managed to capture this image in the first place!  I can't help but think that one of my favourite street fashion bloggers - The Sartorialist - might also approve of this shot.  I am obviously very inspired by Scott Schuman's work:)   I also like the back light of this pic; the sunset was sinking behind this vision of androgyny you see.  It also underpins a question I have... are French men on the whole, quite feminine looking? And is that necessarily not as desired as some alpha males in the US and Australia as some of my friends have alluded to?

Foliage and side glances

One of my favourite photos that I took in Paris.  I like the composition (by chance no doubt!) and the colours in play in this image.

It's true, French women don't get fat