Founded in Milan in 1968 by Gimmo Etro, who made his brand famous with its bohemian-chic style, notably the Paisley cashmere pattern, Etro has since become one of the emblems of Milanese chic. It has remained a family business, with Veronica Etro, a graduate of the prestigious St Martins College in London, at its helm until 2022, when Marco De Vincenzo took over, combining the codes dear to the renowned Italian brand with a more pop aesthetic.
From New York by London and Milan to Tokyo, the Dyptique candles hung heavy in the trendy houses around the world. The main branch is in Paris, on the Boulevard Saint-Germain. It is a showcase for its incomparable perfumes : tuberose, spearmint (garden mint), cedar wood, eglantine, mimosa, fig tree, pomander, feu de bois (wood fire), musk, sandalwood, lily of the valley … each one keeps its promise and makes us remember the scent of a garden after rain or the scent of a wood fire in winter …
Perfumes reinterpreted for high-quality cosmetic care products, but also iconic eau de toilette, original objects and, for some time now, household cleaning products with divine scents.
The most illustrious café in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. It was the favourite spot of the intelligentsia of the 30’s, from Surrealists to editors, artists and filmmakers and it became the meeting point of post-war Existentialists. There gathered Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, Boris Vian, writers and artists such as Ernest Hemingway, Juliette Gréco Brigitte Bardot, Roman Polanski, Françoise Sagan, Romain Gary as well as the world of fashion. Nowadays the Café de Flore still caters for a subtle blend or artists, writers, intellectuals, politics and anonymous people.
Every day from 10 am to midnight and on Sundays from 11.00 a.m to 10.00 p.m, it is nice to stroll around in this multidisciplinary bookshop where there is a kid department.
“I wanted to create a space that evokes the glamour, culture, and artistic spirit of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a neighborhood I fell in love with,” explains Ralph Lauren. Opened in 2011, the largest Ralph Lauren store in Europe is the latest addition to the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district. Each floor, each room, showcases a different line or style (black label, purple, polo, women’s, men’s, etc.). All of this, of course, with impeccable elegance.
This season marks the final presentation of the original creations designed by Giorgio Armani, the designer having passed away in September 2025 after forty years of an extraordinary journey. The Armani style is characterized by clean lines and silhouettes that naturally hug the body, simultaneously simple and sophisticated, in a rather classic color palette. A contemporary yet timeless style, equally suited to a workday or a celebratory dinner, like a mix and match between Milanese and Parisian chic!
The twin of the Flore, or its enemy, also has its literary Prize, created in 1993 and which is the first one to be awarded in January. So how to decide between the Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots ? Everyone has to decide according to his tastes. Maybe we will choose Les Deux Magots to have a cup of tea or a hot chocolate made in the traditional way and for its terrace during spring or even in winter when we look desperately for the first rays of sunshine.
A bit of North American gastronomy in a chic and cozy decor or on the magnificent patio when the weather is nice. We taste a lobster from Maine or a crab from Maryland, we eat a good hotdog, an organic burger or a steak from Colorado to finish with a cheese cake. Without forgetting the tradition of the doggy bag when leaving !
Founded in 1938 by Hans Knoll and his wife Florence, Knoll is really important in 20th century design. This company worked with most of the post-war architects and designers and a huge part of its furniture is now part of Design History and of the collections of the major museums, particularly the MOMA in New York City. At the beginning of this venture, Hans Knoll pulled off a remarkable feat by initiating Americans into European design, before calling in the best American designers, and his firm has always been a pioneer concerning innovation and creation.
Located next to the Emporio Armani boutique, in a minimalist and chic decor, you can enjoy a delicious risotto here all day long, or simply a real Italian coffee. But for foodies, Massimo Mori’s cuisine is also worth taking the time to have lunch or dinner there.
