Don’t have a show ticket? Fret not. Park yourself at one of these spots and you’ll probably see just about everyone who is attending the catwalk presentations anyway.
Club Sandwich
Club Neo
8th Arrondisement
Don’t let the “everyman” name fool you. This is an invitation-only monthly party that has become the hot ticket of Paris, attracting fashion kids of every variety. Marc Zaffuto and Emmanuel d’Orazio host, while Alexandre Malgouyres (a publicist for Burberry) and Erik Halley (an accessories designer) spin records. YSL’s Stefano Pilati and Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci have both been spotted getting the party going.
Colette
213, rue Saint-Honoré
Paris, France 75001
The boutique has never been simply about the clothes but about shopping as an ampitheater sport. During Fashion Week, lines wind throughout the store, making it the ultimate fashion obstacle course to navigate. Call it extreme pretty people watching. Have lunch at the restaurant downstairs and then work your way up the store’s three floors.
Hôtel Costes
239 rue St-Honoré
Paris, France 75001
Situated right in the heart of the Rue Saint Honoré fashion district, the luxuriously Italianate townhouse hotel Costes is frequented by style types attuned to its opulent decor and its proximity to some of the city’s more upscale boutiques. Celebrity sightings here include some of France’s most celebrated film stars including Fanny Ardant and Catherine Deneuve. Try not to gawk.
Le Cafe Marly
93, rue de Rivoli
Paris, France 75001
It’s expensive, but what a view! And we are not talking about the architect I.M. Pei’s famous pyramid. A place to see and be seen, located in the Richelieu wing of the Palace museum, the café’s glass walls are all that separate the salon’s clientele of fashion and literary notables from works of art in the Louvre itself. And yes, the man with the fan is indeed Karl Lagerfeld.
