Archive | March, 2007

Congrats to Petite Anglaise!

31 Mar

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From PetiteB to PetiteA, a big congratulations! This week was a victory for all French bloggers!

For those of you who haven’t been keeping up with the legal proceedings of blogger Petite Anglaise, which made the front page of cnn.com and was featured in the Daily Telegraph, here’s the story:

PetiteA was fired from her accountancy firm job here in Paris, because of some harmless and rather anonymous critiques of her colleagues that she posted on her blog. Fired!

It takes a tough cookie to bring a fight to the big bad bureaucracy, but this witty single-mother went for it, and this week, nearly two years after getting the boot, the verdict came down:  Victory to Petite Anglaise, one year’s salary and costs!

All is won in principle, but not financially: the firm can still appeal and delay compensation. We’ll keep our finger’s crossed for the month of April, when the firm must file if it chooses.

We are also waiting for the book version of Petite Anglaise, due for release in 2008!

Tony Parker stumbles with “Balance-toi”

30 Mar

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This week marked the debut album for one of France’s most famous athletes, Tony Parker. The album is titled Tony Parker, and the first single, Balance-toi, has failed to impress American critics. Then again, it was only released in France.

The French might just love it.

The San Antonio Spurs player, and fiance of Eva Longoria, received poor reviews yesterday from Page Six, who have slammed the album as “unhip-hop” and “tongue-tied.” The lyrics appear to consist of cliched attempts to brag about his lavish lifestyle, with vague references to his ‘woman’Eva, and repetitions of phrases like “Tony P., wassup!”

“What, you want to dance? No, it’s not worth it. Me, I’ll stay on the sofa, enjoying the vibe by raising my arms.”

“Check mon hip-hop/Toujour au top… Rap est mon job, Stop!/Jump et jump et jump hop!”

Even if the album bombs, you are sure to hear more about Tony and Eva in the coming months. Eva just completed a trip to France to finalize wedding plans. The couple will marry on July 7 (Tony thinks this is a lucky date: 7/7/07), at Chateau de Chantilly, just north of Paris. A beautiful chateau, this former home of the Conde family boasts English gardens, French gardens, a Temple of Venus, a ‘love island,’and one of the finest art collections in France, apart from the Louvre. The main chateau itself is surrounded by a large moat: excellent paparazzi barrier, though with the date and location exposed so far in advance, they can expect a serious air assault.

Eva is intent on a lavish wedding to go along with her 5 carat diamond ring, and it is likely to be one of the most nouveau riche affairs of the year. Her dog Jinxie will be following her down the aisle. Rumors abound on what famous chanteurs will perform– Eva is thought to have tapped country singer Kenny Chesney (though that would be incredibly awkward at the wedding of a wannabe rapper in a French chateau). Dress will be by Monique Lhuillier.

Tony has asked longtime friend Jean Roch, owner of the boite VIP, to organize a post-wedding party. Tony P. plans on DJ-ing as well!

The couple will honeymoon on a yacht off the French riviera.

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The Chateau makes a perfect day trip– only one hour from Paris. www.chateaudechantilly.com

Update: Some of you would like more lyrics to Balance-Toi. Have fun:

All these girls that go psssssh!

Baby you can be my escort tonight

Baby I already have the woman of my life

OK, you’re having trouble following me…

But those who like me follow

Music Therapy!

Tony P. from Texas to Paris

Do you want to sleep …

Oh I beg you!

PetiteBrigitte cannot believe she is translating this for you. It is unquestionably better if you do not understand.

2 weeks to get in shape

29 Mar

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My friends have a hard time getting to Paris to visit me, but several of them have just phoned in to let me know they are coming to Paris for another reason:

The Marathon de Paris!!

Everyone from LA fashionistas to Austrailian aborigines will be running themselves crazy on the April 15th race. With over 30,000 runners, and twice that number in spectators, the Marathon will be impossible to miss as it runs through the center of Paris. Needless to say, PetiteBrigitte will be a spectator in this event.

Music groups, pasta parties, and free give-a-ways will also mark the day. As will 30,000 “sponge stations” to cool off the runners. Hmm…. should PetiteB organize a sponge station on the Left Bank? Sounds kinky. ;)

9 main refreshment stands will keep runners energized. These will consist of:

  • a lot of bananas: 8 500 kg on the route + 30 000 bananas in the finish area,
  • 14 250 kg of oranges on the route + 30 000 oranges in the finish area,
  • 400 000 bottles of water,
  • 12 000 liters of Energy drink Powerade Aqua + at km 10, 20, 25, 30 and 35
  • 2 000 kg of dried fruit,
  • 2 000 kg of sugar (cubes). how sweet.

If you are up for the challenge, you have two weeks to train! Tips and all other information, including the specific times you can expect a deluge of sweaty runners in your neighborhood, can be found at www.parismarathon.com

Bon courage!

Merchants of Venice come to Paris

29 Mar

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Venice isn’t sinking anytime soon.

In fact, the Venetians are bringing their famous carnival to Paris this weekend, for a two day celebration at Port de Plaisance in the Bastille. Expected to draw over 20,000 visitors, the waterways of Paris will be transformed by gondolas and elaborately dressed Venetians.

In the words of Truman Capote, ” Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go. “

In that case, lets indulge. Especially if any hot gondola boys are involved.

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Porte de Plaisance. Metro: Bastille. 2:30-5:30pm Saturday and Sunday.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon: Work in Progress

28 Mar

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Unfortunate. Unfortunate.

With its sleek interior and busy lunch crowd, the Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the Hotel Pont Royal seemed like a sure bet for a chic dinner before a night of partying with a girlfriend. Au contraire.

We arrived at 8:30 and were seated rather awkwardly at the hotel bar, even though places were obviously available at the sushi style counters. After 15 minutes, even my francopatience (high threshold for patience acquired by prolonged living in France) had run out, and I swiftly made my way to the host. Ah oui, here are your seats.

Seated. Overlooking the kitchen and the bar from our high barstools, we admired the general ambiance, even if the crowd was sparse and older than expected. Then the real awkwardness began. Our waiter, a 20 something year old Frenchman, could not stop ogling us. Soon, another waiter from the other side of the room came over to say bonsoir. And then the kitchen staff peaked out from behind their saucepans! My friend and I looked at each other in self-conscious disbelief. Did we forget to put clothes on?

I was about to call them on their obvious inability to contain themselves, when one of the waiters exclaimed that I looked just like a famous actress (No, it wasn’t BB). This still did not excuse the behaviour, which made the entire evening uncomfortable, even after 2 large glasses of wine.

Then, an older couple from Texas was seated next to us. The restaurant has been voted one of the best places to meet people, as well as one of the best places to dine alone. Don’t believe everything you read! After we introduced ourselves to the couple, the hostess seated a single woman next to them. Nooo, it was just sad, sad, sad. The conversation was bizarre, forced, and dare I say… depressing!

The dishes were well presented and above-average, if a little small. The dessert– a fabulous concoction of chambord chocolate mousse– was amazing. But to give the evening one more bizzare twist, the waiter intervened and actually coached me on how to position the spoon in my mousse for optimal flavor! S’il vous plait!

Between the poor service, ogling waiters, odd conversation, and money-she-would-have-rather-spent-on-champagne, PetiteBrigitte has too many reasons to say non to L’Atelier!

Les Chandelles: Lingerie & Libertinism in Paris

27 Mar

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Sometimes investing in lingerie seems so impractical when it never makes it out of the bedroom, doesn’t it? (especially when your beau prefers you naked anyway). So now that you have taken my advice and bought all of this matching lingerie, where can it get the most use?

Oh, the things Paris will do to a girl’s morals!

If you and your man are open to new and exciting things (as you should be in Paris!), let yourself be seduced by the candlelit ambiance of Les Chandelles. A few glasses of champagne, a look around at the beautiful clientele, and you might just find yourself playing the libertine for a night.

Les Chandelles is a naughty little secret that few in Parisian society will admit to knowing. Located in the 1st arrondisement, it is the most VIP swingers club in Paris– only the sexy need attend. But don’t worry ladies, this place is not a hedonistic realm of male-oriented pleasure. On the contrary, clientele attest to the fact that women are the queens of the night and that most of the liaisons transpire out of female seduction.

There is no doubt that a woman was behind the creation of this sexy little joint. Madame Valerie is the femmefatale mastermind of Les Chandelles, and will give you advice on everything from the best lingerie to wear, to a sexy reading list. Here is a lady who knows the rules of seduction!

Thanks to a strict dress code, no amount of cash or princely titles will get you in. The uber-selection makes the evening most enjoyable, as it weeds out any ODM (old dirty men) at the door (Ok… a few still get through). In fact, men can’t get in at all without a hot woman by their side.

Don’t be intimidated by the classification as a swinger’s club either: it isn’t strictly about sex. In fact, many couples just go for a drink and a look around. Some women will lounge around in their much coveted La Perla lingerie. No matter what the order of the night, be assured that Les Chandelles is as formal and discreet as it is alluring.

Note: We know none of PetiteBrigitte’s readers would EVER think about wearing pants to such an establishment. This is strictly a club for your sexiest black dress, best lingerie, and Stella McCartney skyhigh heels.

Do consult the website for a run down of guidelines (no whips or dog collars please) and for what your man must wear. Also has a wonderful list of lingerie shops. For the truly adventurous female, you can go alone on Monday nights! (they don’t call it menage-a-trois for nothing!)

Les Chandelles

1, rue Thérèse
Paris 75001
France
(33) 01 42 60 43 31

eternally BB: our inspiration for spring/summer 07

26 Mar

| View Show | Create Your Own

Afloat in France: the luxury booze cruise

26 Mar

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Ah, the French know how to live.

Want to plan a unique travel experience this summer? Get some friends to pitch in and book the best booze cruise known to man. OK, so they aren’t marketing it as a ‘booze cruise’perse, but PetiteBrigitte can only imagine the fun to be had on lazy summer days floating down the Rhone on a well-stocked barge!

Hosted by the Orient-Express and their luxury fleet of barges, you can select the itinerary for an unforgettable float through France. We’re talking rooftop pool, attentive staff to keep the champagne glass full, and spacious bedrooms in case you meet someone worthy on one of the vineyard tours.
The journey usually starts near Dijon, and ends in the south near Carcassone. In between, you will do a lot of sightseeing excursions to sleepy villages, ancient ruins, famous vineyards, and also some bike riding past fields of lavender and sunflowers. Sound dreamy? It is. Meals are served in the sumptuous dining room, prepared by accomplished chefs using local french ingredients. And did I mention…. all inclusive?!

As if this scenario couldn’t get more appealing, the crew is typically known to consist of handsome young men who speak mostly native English.

Click here for more.

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Too many friends for just one boat? Don’t worry, you can go in tandem too!

Paris targets male shoppers at BHV Homme

26 Mar

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While the market for women’s clothes has been stagnant in recent years, the fashion scene for men is booming, and retailers are learning the trick to seducing male consumers: keep them comfortable and confident.

Whereas fancy window displays draw women into boutiques like moths to the flame, men hesitate to walk in without a set purpose. The mission of men’s stores now is to give the client space, a place he feels comfortable, and encourage him to take his time. The ambiance is important: men’s stores are being designed to look like chic apartments and studios, often selling lifestyle products like motorcycle helmets and bottles of wine.

The most current evidence of the boom in men’s fashion is the recently opened BHV Homme, located across from BHV Rivoli (a store that anyone in Paris knows all too well). Located right at the border of the chic Marais, the store resembles a NYC loft, and dumbs down the newest trends so that even the most clueless male will be able to put something together. With labels like Kenzo, Ralph, and Agnes B., this men’s store is easy to navigate and big enough to spend some time in (4000 m!).

For the man who needs a springtime wardrobe overhaul, and who doesn’t have self-esteem issues, go to Bon Marche and let one of the men’s stylist put you together. For a mere 150 euros. Other sure-bets include Paul Smith, GUS, Smalto, and Giorgio Armani.

Art Paris: this week at Grand Palais

26 Mar

Willy Ronis, Deena de dos, Galerie Camera Obscura
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Get to the Grand Palais this Thursday for the kick-off of ArtParis, the art forum that is breathing new life into the French art market.

Organizers Alain Lamaigniere, Caroline Clough-Lacoste, and Henri Faraut want to create a “rebellious but constructive” selection of contemporary art, from both established artists and newcomers. Now in its 9th year, Art Paris has strengthened its bonds with leading galleries, 30% of which are foreign. Adding to the excitement are the 20 galleries displaying sculptures– a medium all too often overlooked at fairs of this sort.

Bon appetit to all you art lovers: From March 29th to April 2 at Grand Palais. 11am to 9pm. 12 euros (10 for students!). www.artparis.fr

The Credit Card Countess: how you can become a noble

26 Mar

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Put not your trust in princes!

Stop looking for Prince Charming when you can become a Princess in under a week. Buying a royal title has never been easier, or more desperate. It is a sad commentary on our society that websites now sell titles to the socially impaired, promising things such as (and I quote, from regaltitles.com):

  • Increased respect from the people you know
  • VIP treatment
  • Access to the privileged world
  • A instant talking point with your friends
  • Prestige in the financial world
  • A boost to your personal confidence
  • Opportunities that otherwise would’ve passed you by
  • Opened doors in your career
  • Discounts in the consumer world
  • The ability to influence people effortlessly

Of course, it is hard to believe that having a purchased title would garner this kind of treatment from anyone except the most naive commoner. But amazingly, PetiteBrigitte has witnessed fake princes dining with the real ones (in Monaco, of course), and bedding women right and left without as much as a chateau to back up his bloodline!

Check out regaltitles.com for the most hilariously desperate site in all of Christendom. After explaining the process of acquiring a title, the costs involved (around $400), and how to get the title legally inserted into your official documents, the site backs up its motives with arguments like:

“It’s frightening how people in the twenty-first century still perceive a person with a title to be richer, more intelligent and better thought of, than the average Mr. Joe Bloggs. But people do – and you can take advantage of it.”

Dear Lord. Buy your title today, and receive the free book, “Getting Started with your Title.” You can have your choice between:

  • a Lord or Lady
  • a Baron or Baroness
  • a Count or Countess
  • a Marquis or Marchioness
  • a Duke or Duchess
  • a Viscount or Viscountess
  • a Earl or Sir

I’m sure Prince von Hannover will never notice!

How French Women Do it

25 Mar

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Cafe de Flore is a microcosm of Parisian society, and always brings out the social critic in me. Today, I found myself pondering the mystique of French women.

I was sitting on the terrace, pretending to read my fashion magazine, but really staring at the 2 tables of people in front of me. Both tables had 3 french men, but at one was seated a French woman, and at the other, an American woman. I observed, and once again my hypothesis was reaffirmed:

French women win. They win on sexiness, intellect, style, and just about every other criteria except perhaps lung capacity (though they do work the cigarette-temptress look to their advantage).

Almost as if by fate, I came across a book a few hours later, on another part of my Sunday ritual, which includes a stop in at the Village Voice on Rue Princesse. The book, entitled Fatale: How French Women Do It, is an incredible analysis of French women from the days of troubadours to maintenant.

Its author, Edith Kunz, examines every aspect of the French woman’s charm: her diet, the culture she is raised in, the ideology that shapes her, the decor of her bedroom, her role as wife and mistress, the issue of age and what she calls “the art of brilliance” which Frenchwomen use to dazzle French men. It is a fast and fascinating read, and essential to any woman who wants to understand how these frenchies become masters of their domain. Kunz even explores the disheveled hair look, or as she calls it, “seductive disarray,” (a look which I find myself adopting, more out of laziness than seduction).

Beware: This book may corrupt certain readers into taking additional lovers, becoming a mistress, or booking a vacation at a thermal spa. It will certainly inspire new perfume and lingerie purchases.

Note: click here to check out the rest of my juicy francophile entries~ :)

U.F.O.: Unidentified Frenchie Objects

22 Mar

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Today france opened secret files covering 50 years of U.F.O. sightings. The 1,600 sightings are well organized and can all be found at www.cnes-geipan.fr

Minutes after the site posted, the server crashed due to heavy traffic from worldwide U.F.O. buffs and scientists.

“It is a world first,” said Jacques Patenet, the aeronautical engineer who heads the office for the study of “non-identified aerospatial phenomena.”

Known as OVNIs in French, UFOs have always generated intense interest along with countless conspiracy theories about secretive government cover-ups of findings deemed too sensitive or alarming for public consumption.

“Cases such as the lady who reported seeing an object that looked like a flying roll of toilet paper” are clearly not worth investigating, said Patenet.

But many others involving multiple sightings — in at least one case involving thousands of people across France — and evidence such as burn marks and radar trackings showing flight patterns or accelerations that defy the laws of physics are taken very seriously.

Freaaakkkaaaaaay.

Bienvenue a Snoop.

21 Mar

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Why don’t the French LOVE Americans???

Snoop Dogg arrived in Paris today, and let’s just say …. If the brand image of LVMH didn’t take a hit, then France’s impression of Americans certainly did!

Snoop sings tonight with P. Diddy, at Bercy.

TGV East: Paris has a HOT new train

20 Mar

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Any train that brings you to the Moet & Chandon champagne vineyards in 45 minutes is HOT.

French officials have just inaugurated a new train link that will cut travel time between Paris and 12 cities in Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and NE France. The new TGV link will travel faster than all other operating trains, at a stunning 325 kmh!

Reims will be only 45 minutes away, where you can see the famous cathedral (where 26 French kings were coronated), and the champagne region. Believe it or not, Strasbourg will now be only 2 hours 20 minutes away, instead of the ususal 4 hours!!

Tickets, reservations and timetables for the TGV East service will be available starting April 10 on raileurope.com. Commercial travel will begin on June 10.

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Up close & personal with MERDE.

20 Mar

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PetiteBrigitte’s fragile sensibilities are being accosted daily by la merde. The French still have this 18th century tolerance for dirtiness that contradicts their current civility.

Second to their love for each other, the French love their dogs. There are currently 250,000 dogs living in Paris (dominant pedigree being the poodle, bien sur), and they generate 25 tons of poop a day, less than half of which is cleaned up off of our streets. Do the math and this means the chances of you stepping in poop on your walk to work are abnormally high. In fact, around 700 people are hospitalized each year in Paris, for slipping on the poopie.

The city has tried to clean-up. But 4000 sidewalk sweepers, 200 excrement vacuums , and 70 motorcycle poop patrols have barely made a dent in the merde. Dog owners profess helplessness at cleaning up after their dogs, but citizens are having none of it. Recently, they came out to do what the French do best: demonstrate.

As Thomas Gale reports:

Sophie and her golden lab, Mellis, made the mistake of strolling down a quiet pedestrian alley just as an anti-dog-poop demonstration was at its height. The demonstrators drew chalk circles around the piles, sang anti-doggie ditties, and repelled dog owners by offering them chocolate versions of what their pets had planned to leave.

Sophie and Mellis were quickly mobbed. “Not everyone in Paris is dirty,” Sophie pleaded. “It’s difficult for Mellis to go between two cars. We need some place especially for dogs.”

French architect, M. Bertin, found a solution by designing the first public pooch restroom, and proposed it to Paris authorities.

The design is as follows: each “wawa”, as he called the design, will consist of an open space—tastefully landscaped with flowers and hedges—that will serve as the designated doo-doo area. The wawa itself will be constructed with a new “canine concrete” that prevents sticking while retaining the scent (effectively marking the spot for the dogs).

Once the dog has had it’s private moment, the dog’s owner will be able to activate the flusher, which will use jet sprays of water to clear the site.

Each wawa will cost about $28,000 USD, and it is estimated that the city will need more than 2000 units, for a citywide total of about $66,000,000 USD.

Needless to say, Bertin’s brilliant proposal was denied. Dommage for us, and doo-doo encore for the doggies. Someone must save France from the merde.

Perhaps David Mamet, writer extraordinaire, has the solution. He is currently in production of a film entitled Joan of Bark: The Dog that Saved France. Will Joan of Bark lead us to victory?

woof.

Look like a million… for a weekend!

20 Mar

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Now that the euro has taken the joie out of buying clothes in Paris, why not RENT? At the appointment-only boutique Quidam de Revel, vintage couture and ready-to-wear are available for a one- (or two-) night stand.

Owned by an antiques dealer and an art historian, the Marais shop is a favorite with costume designers who hire pristine couture and prêt-à-porter pieces, from 1940s Balmain opera coats to ’60s Courrèges dresses as well as a growing collection from ’80s designers like Claude Montana. Call ahead so that they can set aside a rack for you, and then enjoy your finds for about 180 euros (about $235) and up, depending on the outfit, for a weekend (cheaper than buying a vintage Grès dress and a mink stole for your elopement). Accessorize with mint-condition shoes from Roger Vivier and Charles Jourdan and trunks filled with jewelry from the likes of Pierre Cardin and Lalanne. With the sous you save, you can buy a pair of Gaspard Yurkievich shoes at Hoses down the street. 24-26 rue de Poitou, 011-33-1-42-71-37-07; www.quidam-de-revel.com.

brought to you by Christine Muhlke

We love you, Sophie Albou

19 Mar

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Meet another neighbor in the 75007. She’s blonde, beautiful, drives a green MiniCooper, and listens to Curtis Mayfield. Her name is Sophie Albou. OH, did we mention she has two sons, aged 11 and 14? Their names are Paul & Joe.

Paul & Joe happens to be my favorite French label. People like Sienna Miller, Julia Roberts, and Keira Knightly may agree with me. Since lauching her womenwear collection 1997, Albou has gained international fame for her collection of feminine yet bold designs, all meticulously crafted with amazing fabrics and prints. The collection sells in 30 flagship stores worldwide, as well as in major retailers. The closest store to me is on rue de Saint-Peres, practically adjacent to Sonia Rykiel.

Born in Paris to a family of shirtmakers, Sophie studied at the prestigious Institut Francais de la Mode and began her professional career working at fashion house Azzedine Alaia at age 16. From there she joined her family business, La Garage, where she trained in the art of fashion design under her mother. After seven years, she stepped out on her own with the creation of the Paul & Joe brand in 1995. Initially only menswear (worn by Usher and Jake Gyllenhaal to name a few), she came out with the killer womenswear line a few years later.

Now Paul & Joe is on its way to becoming the lifestyle brand of Europe. Sophie is to Europe what Ralph is to the US. Her brand now boasts women’s, men’s, children’s, accessories, beauty, lingerie, and home– not to mention a stunning new store on Avenue Montaigne. Your carte bancaire might burn a hole in that new Muse bag.

Compared to YSL a few doors down, however, P&J seems perfectly rational. And it is, to be honest: these are clothes that are truly seasonless.

www.paulandjoe.com (the website is dreamy, opening music is Romeo & Juliet theme by Nino Rota…. ahhhh).

Charlotte Casiraghi: A young Brigitte Bardot, says Karl

19 Mar

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Is CC really like a young BB? Monsieur Lagerfeld would seem to think so, and that was when she was a mere eight-years old! Read on for an interesting vignette on our darling CC, by Rob Sheffield, for Rolling Stone Magazine.

 

Charlotte Casiraghi is the stuff that Eurotrash perv dreams are made of, a royal princess who looks like she just wandered into the palace from a Robert Palmer video. The nineteen-year-old beauty is fourth in line to the throne of Monaco, daughter of Princess Caroline and her coolest husband ever, the late Italian speedboat racer Stefano Casiraghi. She’s the hottest teen star in Europe, kind of like Tatu, except there’s only one of her and she hasn’t made any lesbian disco videos yet. She inspires countless online fan shrines, including some of the most laughably bad fan porn fiction ever written. [This is an unmistakable reference to the Charlotte Casiraghi Uncensored Yahoo! Group.] For her fifth birthday, she got a $9 million island off the coast of Sardinia. [Here is an interesting increase by two digits of the island’s previously-reported value.] When Princess Caroline was Charlotte’s age, she was already a disco-till-dawn playgirl, motoring toward a scandalous early marriage and a decadent public image. But like her grandmother Grace Kelly, Charlotte keeps her freak to herself. She’s a fashion icon (Karl Lagerfeld once said, “She makes me think of Brigitte Bardot”), a pianist, an accomplished equestrienne. She shows no signs of having her mama’s wild side. Not yet, anyway. But she’s clearly a ticking time bomb. This girl just needs a saucy American to bring out the nasty in her – the poor thing has probably never tasted her first Dorito. She’s been living in her white-plate world as long as anyone with hot blood can. And now? She’s looking for a downtown man! Yeah, well, dream on, buster. Charlotte sometimes? Charlotte always!

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Lou Doillon still an it-girl

18 Mar

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I won’t lie. She scares me.

However, it seems everyone and their little dog is interested in Lou Doillon, perhaps more for her heritage and it-girl status than for any of her acting repertoire, at least for us non-Frenchies. She’s been a media darling for some time now, but this year her star seems to be rising at a record pace.

We still can’t mention her without the requisite “daughter of Jane Birkin” tag (as if it weren’t obvious in the photo above!), even though her mother has been more low-profile recently. Jane is currently travelling France in her running performance of Electra.

Lou was born in Paris in 1982, and as to be expected coming from Jane and partner/director Jacques Doillon, she endured a somewhat hippyish upbringing that got her caught in sex, drugs, and multiple piercings by the time she was 14.

“I was such a tomboy,” says Lou. “I had absolutely no bosoms, and I wore my hair really short–shaved, like a boy. My father was pissed that people would go on saying. ‘God, Lou’s got beautiful hair.’So he shaved it all off and said, ‘Now they’ll say she has a beautiful face.’It was a nice act, really, but also quite shocking.”

At 15, her father cast her in “Too Much (Little) Love” as a last-ditch effort to calm her down and give her direction. According to Lou, it worked, and she has been hooked on acting ever since. That’s not to say she has lost her wild ways or spontaneity completely.

In 2002 she gave birth to a son, named Marlo Tiger.

Lou recently finished a film entitled “Sisters,” written and directed by Douglas Buck, co-starring Chloé Sévigny and Stephen Rea. It is the remake of “The Two Sisters”, directed by Brian de Palma in 1973. She will soon appear in Boxes , the story of a family, directed by her mother Jane Birkin and starring Geraldine Chaplin, John Hurt, and Natacha Régnier.

You can also check her out in the 2007 Pirelli Calendar.

UPDATE: Lou is currently performing in a series of readings called Lettres Intimes at Theatre de la Madeleine, through June 1. Tickets 20 euros through FNAC.

Phantom may be gone, but Paris opera lives on!

17 Mar

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The Phantom has decided to run off and play a Spartan in a white thong for the movie 300 (Gerard Butler), but the sensational masterpieces of Parisian opera are alive and well. And guess what? If you are under 28, a really good deal awaits you: a subscription to dances, ballets, and operas at outrageously low prices!

Even if you aren’t jeune, there are a variety of subscriptions to choose from at www.operadeparis.fr which will keep your calendar packed with cultural events around the city, from Opera Garnier to the Bastille.

This year, the stage will host Romeo & Juliet, Wuthering Heights, Caligula, La Traviata…. and much more!

Not to Miss: Paris events line-up

17 Mar

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Who better to cure that springtime melancoly than Art Garfunkel and his fabulous hits of the 60′s: Sounds of Slience, Mrs. Robinson, Cecilia? He’s all yours on March 21 at Olympia (0892683368).

Or are you more into pimpin than oldies? Don’t miss Snoop Dogg and P. Diddy together at POPB on the 21st as well! This will be Diddy’s first performance in France, and part of their European tour. (089269230)

Rachid Taha takes over the Bataclan on the 22nd of March for the kickoff of his world tour. Love him! (0143143535)

And if punk is more your thing, Fall Out Boy is stopping by Elysee Monmartre on the 29th!

It’s a busy month, to be followed in April by Public Enemy and My Chemical Romance.

SMOKIN’at Le fumoir

15 Mar

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Looking for a hot place to unwind after a long day of indentured servitude?

Try Le Fumoir. You’ll walk in with a cocktail, and leave with a lover. The clientele is young and HOT.

Of course, I haven’t met a lover yet, but I envision such an encounter. The drinks are DELICIOUS, the lighting is dim, the music jazzy, and the men are mostly straight and either work for LVMH (just around the corner) or some international consultancy firm. Meaning… young and well dressed.
Did I mention the drinks are amazing????

Top shelf liquours availble for 7 euros. Happy hour goes from 6 to 8. Try the Chinatown w Vodka (mojito-ish but better!).

6 rue l’amiral Coligny (1er)

Metro: Louvre Rivoli

$$$$ Salma Hayek & the frenchman $$$$

13 Mar

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Salma’s nabbed a Frenchman, and not just any Francois-Henri. This could be the most unlikely couple of 2007. I don’t know how they met, but my best guess is Chez Castel (see article a few below).
Preggers and engaged, Salma shocked friends and family by this sudden change of course (although she has wanted a baby for a long time), not to mention the new man in her life. Together for less than a year, many of Salma’s friends have yet to meet the fashion tycoon Francois-Henri Pinault. At 44, he is one of the wealthiest men in Europe, as CEO of fashion conglomerate PPR (Pinault-Printemps-Redoute). He is an grad from HEC in Paris, and joined the family business in 1987.

Let’s hope the baby takes after the mother.

Look for Salma to be decked out in a lot of YSL, Balenciaga, Gucci, McCartney, and McQueen. All owned by PPR.

Best Spas in France

13 Mar

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It’s time to start thinking about Bikini Season.

OK, OK… so between the croissants and Camembert, we probably aren’t going to slim down too much here in Paris.  Which is fine because the aerobiphobic French have found the solution, and it isn’t just that Slimming cream advertised in your local pharmacie.

March is the perfect month to visit one of the many French spas. It’s just the end of low season, but look at the weather! Gorgeous! And all of these spas have special promotions and packages so you can indulge and detox without going broke. Whether for one day or one week, a spa experience may be just what you need for the added glow and boost of confidence when you hit St. Trop.

1. Four Seasons George V (shown above)

2. Ritz Paris

3. Royal Park Evian

4. Les Source de Caudalie

5. Le Mas Candille

6. Les Fermes de Marie

7. Arc House (best value)

American culture corrupting French girls

13 Mar

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French girls have more sexual partners than ever before, and America is to blame.

So says the majority of French papers today, after a study on French sexuality was released this week.

According to the study, French women admit to just under 6 sexual partners, which is an increase of 4 compared to the 70′s. French men claim to have had 12 partners. In addition, French girls are losing their virginity at age 16, which is 3 years earlier than last reported.
Why are French girls becoming more libertine? Some papers blame the proliferation of trashy American culture, the Carrie Bradshaw syndrome, and the influence of Hollywood whores stars.

Since when did PetiteBrigitte’s number of lovers get counted in national surveys? :)

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Eva Escoto makes beautiful music

12 Mar

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Eva Escoto’s soulful jazz is one of PetiteBrigitte’s favorite new musical finds. If you haven’t seen her live, mark your calendars for her upcoming show on March 21.

Her concert this past weekend at Le Baiser (Rue des Lombards, 1er) was a beautiful melange of jazz, bossanova, and pure passion. The room was packed and the audience was loving her. Her amazing vocals and talented group of musicians were so utterly captivating that I immediately wanted to sign on as her stylist/manager. She is a beautiful girl, but must escape the drab black clothes into something more divalicious: a metallic Dolce&Gabana perhaps?

Eva was born in Honduras, raised in Spain, and is now based in Paris. Raised in a family of musicians, she spent all her childhood exposed to the tradition of Latin music, but it was not until the age of 16 that she started performing her own music with a strong tendency towards the blues. Since then she has been the lead singer in different blues and jazz projects in Spain, Costa Rica, Miami (U.S.A) and Dubai (U.A. Emirates).

In January 2006 she took off to Chile to record her first solo album, which combines beats such as Lando, Bossa, Joropo…fussed with jazz, and a touch from the musical traditions of southern Spain.

Don’t miss her March 21, at L’Alimentation Generale (64 rue Jean Pierre Timbaud, 75011) at 8am.

Free entry!

Metropolitan Models @ Showcase: hot end to Fashion week!

12 Mar

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PetiteBrigitte was in attendance at the fashion week blowout at Showcase on March 9, which was hosted by Metropolitan Models.

In the VIP, the champagne flowed like a river all night long. Thankfully, we kept ourselves in check with ample amounts of sushi, satays, macaroons, and even roasted marshmallows. A brilliant combination.

Agents and models glammed it up in the VIP, photographers were snapping away, and the open bar was inundated with people from 10pm to 5am. Yes, it was a nuit blanche! Music from hot band du jour, the Plasticines (pictured above) kept the atmosphere quirky and cool, and PB even managed to leave the VIP and head for the stage to tear up the dancefloor for a bit!

Showcase, located directly underneath the Pont Alex III, is one of the hottest clubs in Paris and certainly one of the most beautiful– bravo to Metro for one of the chicest parties of the week!

Marc Jacobs: en REHAB encore!

12 Mar

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Paris has proven too much to handle for designer Marc Jacobs. (For reasons why, see my article on Cocaine Socialism!)

Fashion designer extraordinaire and our neighbor in the 7th arrondisement, Marc Jacobs, took a plane back to the US and entered a rehab facility in Arizona today, just one week after his show at Paris Fashion Week, where his collection received lackluster reviews.

Marc, 43, has battled drug and alcohol addictions for years, and was last in rehab in 1999. According to longtime business partner, Robert Duffy, Marc had been clean for the past 7 years, before relapsing this year.

Poor Marc… was it the crazy clubbing in the Marais? Late nights at Queen? Or, could his hard-partying ex-boyfriend Jason Preston have gotten him started on the downward spiral?

When commenting on the break-up last year, Marc said, “I wanted things to be a certain way, and it’s just not working; I wanted him to be there when I wanted him to be there. I have to be in bed at 11:30 and he’s 25 and wants to go to clubs every night. . . . I adore him. But do I want to control him? No.”

Charlotte Gainsbourg: just your normal francaise

12 Mar

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Yes, I’m in love with Paris. Some days I walk out of my door in the mornings, and feel like I am still dreaming. Today was one of those days, but not for the ususal reasons.

Today I walked out of my door and right into Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Well, I didn’t bump her, but we did make brief eye contact. She was by herself, looking very bobo in jeans and a Zadig & Voltaire ensemble, no make-up, and her hair was long and stringy. Ah, so French. Of course, I recognized her right away– although for a brief moment her sister, Lou Doillon, came to mind because they look rather similar in the jawline.

Of course, a reminder why we love Charlotte: she is refreshingly normal, a talented singer/actress, classically French, leads a beautiful life with husband Yvan Attal and her 2 children. And oh yess, she is the daughter of Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, who romanced our heroine Brigitte Bardot. Actually, both of her parents have been naked in bed with wild Brigitte!

Update: Charlotte has just recorded an album (her 2nd, the 1st was 10 years ago (when she was 13!) and written for her by her father). The new album was recently released, and is called 5:55.  It was recorded with the lyrics of Jarvis Cocker and Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon, and the music is by Air (amazing French band, who also just released a new album, Pocket Symphony). Charlotte’s new album was produced by Nigel Godrich, who is the producer for Radiohead and Sir Paul McCartney.

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