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Finding Cool Gifts in Paris
By Phil Chavanne
Bring back gifts from Paris to your folks and friends, and see their faces illuminate. The words 'it comes from Paris' gives an extra special value to any present. Your kin's joy is the present they offer you in return.
All this is good and well, but where can you buy gifts which are unusual, and show their recipients you specially care for them? Where can you find presents on which a local color story can be told? "Honey, you won't believe how I found this in a tiny little shop hidden in an inner courtyard right in the..."
Those sorts of stories make the whole present come alive! Well, search no more, my traveler friend. In this series of articles, I will show you where to shop for unusual gifts in Paris. More are posted on my online Paris guide, Paris-Eiffel-Tower-News.
Designer depots: Ali Baba's treasure troves
I already wrote a piece about this special type of outlets: designer depots or shops where you will find last season Yves Saint Laurent blouses and Christian Lacroix skirts at very deep discounts. Designer depots buy clothing items in superb condition from their first owners, and resell them to shoppers with a small mark-up.
If your strolling leads you to the Sevres-Babylone area, south of Saint-Germain-des-Pres and west of the Rue de Rennes, I urge you to walk to Rue du Cherche-Midi. If only because the street is home to "Poilane", a world-famous bakery.
Rue du Cherche-Midi is lined with designer and gift shops. There, tucked between No. 102 and No. 124, stand the five "Chercheminippes" designer depots. You just stumbled upon treasure troves.
"Chercheminippes" offers second-hand clothing items in superb condition. The owner, Mrs. Bayonne, only purchases well-known brands, including French designer brands. Her merchandise is offered at an average 50% discount over retail prices.
Beside clothes, "Chercheminippes" also carries linen, pens, designer baubles, and scores of fashion accessories. Mrs. Bayonne likes decorative objects, both contemporary and vintage. Each of the five shops is themed up: home decoration, women's wear, designer clothes, men's fashion, kids' wear. Plenty of opportunities for shopping for interesting gifts at low prices.
Nolita's boudoir
Between Saint-Germain-des-Pres and the Seine stands one of my all-time favorite Parisian sites: Place Furstemberg. Ensconced between character buildings and the Abbey of St Germain, the quiet and intimate Place Furstemberg is a rendez-vous point for eternal lovers.
This is the place where the owner of "Nolita" decided to set up shop. Mrs. Lasalle is fond of everything that makes a home prettier and more attractive. French people call this "art de vivre", "things that make living an art". Her boutique is a reflection of her tastes, a very feminine boudoir decor.
Mrs. Lassalle sources her purchases in France, England, and Italy. She carries all kinds of linen, tableware, silverware, glassware, decoration items. A section of the shop is devoted to vintage furniture. You will also find a host of soap bars and toiletries, as well as some clothing articles. Prices range between 10 euros and 3000 euros.
Over the years, "Nolita" has become a shopping spot for American and Japanese tourists alike. I believe I can recommend you Mrs. Lasalle's boutique. You will find it at No. 9 Place Furstemberg. The nearest metro station is "Saint-Germain-des-Pres".
Gardening in Paris? Yes, and more.
I cannot think of another like shop in Paris: "Le Cedre Rouge du Prince Jardinier" (The Red Cedar of the Prince Gardener) is indeed quite unusual in its selection of merchandise. They specialize in outdoor and gardening items, but also carry a host of interior design accessories.
Enter the shop to find Patrice, a helpful fellow who will walk you through. "Red Cedar" (for short) carries all kinds of outdoor furniture in teak and much-less-common materials such as volcanic stone. They also have plenty of garden decoration items, of the sort you would find in a specialized mail-order catalogue. They ship worldwide so if you fall in love with a marble table, you won't have to carry it through the security gates of Philly airport.
Fortunately for us travelers, "Red Cedar" also offers less unwieldy gift ideas. All kinds of lighting items, for instance: oil lamps and other unusual lamps, perfume candles and candle holders. A line of pillows and plaids. Various types of tableware items, including beautiful Venetian and vintage glassware, some silverware, tens of different vases. Among the odd stuff, pick a garden-theme umbrella, a red gardener apron and hat, or large grocery bag in hemp fiber!
The "Red Cedar" shop is located downtown, in the 1st district, at 22 Avenue Victoria. The closest metro station is "Châtelet"
Well, that's all for today, folks! I will come up with other shopping ideas in future articles, so that when you are in Paris you have dozens of odd places to scout to bring back something to your own folks. Meantime, I wish you the best.
About the Author
Phil Chavanne is the Senior Editor of Paris Eiffel Tower News, a city guide offering scores of information and useful advices on Paris hotels, restaurants, shops, monuments and sights for free at http://www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com/paris-restaurants.html.
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