Tory Burch

Usually, anything trendy sends me running in the other direction, but I have to admit a weakness for the whole Tory Burch esthetic. Her sleek orange and brown, orange and olive, orange and purple, orange and magenta, orange and gold boutiques remind me of the bachelor pads so many of my parents' friends had in the 70s. Formulaic, maybe (geometric wallpaper, lacquer and lucite as far as the eye can see, gold accents and one giant white statement piece which was usually the couch), but timeless nonetheless, the minute I walk into one of these boutiques I'm suddenly back in a high rise overlooking the East River, overhearing my parents and their host discussing last night's David Susskind show. In fact, she is so on the money with her interpretation of understated 70s glam, that one almost can't help but be reminded of this designer's iconic designs.

Speaking of that designer, did you know he designed his own coffin? And I thought I was a planner! If you have the same inclination but lack the skill, these talented artists can help you create just the right box for the afterlife.

Fendi

Fendi always makes Mlle Bagatelle think of PETA protesters which makes her think of fur which makes her nostalgic for this commercial for the Ritz Thrift Shop; a commerical that played virtually non-stop during her childhood and which she absolutely loved. A sort of upscale Salvation Army for fur, this store must have supplied half the women in 1970s New York with fur coats (before they had to worry about being ambushed by animal rights activists hurling fake blood). Like lots of girls growing up then and there, Mlle Bagatelle could recite the copy by heart and knew just when to pause, caress the collar, and charmingly say, "Oh, thank you," to the imagined narrator. 

And speaking of the Ritz Thrift Shop, looks like there's another commercial from 1969 with which Mlle Bagatelle was unfamiliar. Airing a few years before the iconic "Oh, thank you," spot, this one doesn't have quite the refinement of the subsequent ad. The voiceovers* in this are hilarious, especially "Mr. K" saying "...and for some glamour in your life..." You'll see. (Love the way his New York accent turns "Somali leopard" into "Somali lepud." Ah...my people.)

Also, don't miss the change in wallpaper. They clearly shot both commercials in the exact same part of the store using the exact same mirrors but changed the wallpaper at some point in the years between shoots. While the first one seems to be a mylar tree theme and the second seems to be more of a camouflage pattern, they're so similar it makes you wonder why they even bothered. 

*I don't want to speak out of school, but doesn't the narrator sound a LOT like Mr. K?  Hmm?

Diane von Furstenberg

When I was in school, I had a theater professor who asked us to define the meaning of tragedy. After much pointless, repetitive, and highly predictable discussion, we came to the weary and unavoidable conclusion that most tragedies have to do with situations and experiences that could have been avoided had it not been for some ill-fated action on the part of one of the characters. 

CUT TO: THE BAGATELLE MUSEUM MANY, MANY YEARS LATER

This, my friends, is a tragedy. Like the Venus de Milo's broken arms or Steve Wynn's Picasso, this Diane von Furstenberg bag is a piece of art that can never really fully be restored to what it once was. We here at the museum have come to accept that and can say nothing except:

Oh, the humanity!!!

Prada

Well, the Devil may wear Prada*, but apparently so do a number of angels as evidenced by this literal silver lining. I have to admit that the Prada bandwagon is one I've never jumped on, but I have to give big points here for a number of reasons: the heavy-duty embossing, hidden handle attachments, and sheer durability (seems to me this would hold up about as well as one of their real bags). 

Also, if you haven't seen the exhibit that won't die, "From the Waist Down," be sure to check it out (I'm SURE it's coming to a city near you--it started in 2006 or something like that and was shown again as recently as this year in Seoul. It's the become the fashion equivalent of Riverdance.) It's essentially a collection of Prada skirts that spin around and (if I'm remembering correctly) are helped along by the use of fans. It's well worth catching when it comes to your town. 

*I'm not putting a link in here because for some reason the Prada site keeps shutting down my computer. Knowing me, it's something I'm doing wrong, but just in case, I'm leaving it out. 

Christian Louboutin

Mlle Bagatelle has to admit to having been a liiiittle let down at first by this overly simplistic card from shoe genius (does that make him a shenius?) Christian Louboutin. "Where's the whimsy?" she thought. "Where's the 'Oh, no he didn't?!?' Where's the 'Is that a shoe or a step ladder?'" And while we're at it...

"WHERE THE HELL IS THE RED?!?!?"

And then an emotionally drained MB turned the card over and saw this:

Just goes to show that good things come to those who wait.

Au Nom de la Rose

Even though the edible rose petals* I bought were for moi-même, I couldn't resist saying "yes" when the girl behind the counter asked if they were a gift. After tying a perfect white rose to the handle she then took what must have been a good ten euro worth of multi-colored rose petals and tossed them into the bag, so I stopped right there on the street to take a snap just in case I couldn't get home before the roses died. I bought this early on a gloriously sunny morning and had I been carrying around a giant bouquet of flowers all day, I could not have gotten more attention. It looked more like a prop than a purchase. One of the great regrets of my life is that I didn't buy the bright green hat box they sell but it can't be packed and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit in an overhead compartment. 

*At least, I think they were edible. What else would you do with crystalized rose petals?

UPDATE: In a previous post I declined to give the web address as I felt their site was not on the same level as their stores. I'm happy to say that someone at ANDLR has had an epiphany and the site is vastly improved, so you now have my permission to use it. 

Deyrolle

The smell of the dreadful 2008 fire that almost extinguished this over 180-year-old taxidermy company still lingers in the air, but don't let that stop you from a visit. Part natural history museum, part zoo, and part science lab, the rooms of Deyrolle overflow with mounted butterflies, ostrich eggs, giant bears, seashells, and just about every other natural curiosity you can find, and even as someone who has less than no interest in nature (I grew up in New York--my idea of nature is a hot dog cart), I still enjoyed myself here. At least, I enjoyed myself a lot more than the kid who kept screaming about how he wanted to leave because he was afraid the animals would come back to life. (I hope my standing behind a mounted deer head and whispering "Help me, little boy! Get me down from here! Help me! Please!" didn't have anything to do with that.*)

To be honest, I thought this bag was a little dull considering how legendary the store is, but I have to give them points for the Thin Mint color scheme as it's always been a favorite of mine. 

At the moment, you can still see the smoke patterns on the windows outside, but considering that virtually all of France has contributed to its restoration, I'm sure it'll be only a matter of time before the building is spic and span. I did my part by purchasing two overpriced shells that I could have easily found at Pier One, Pottery Barn, any random store in any random Chinatown, or even, say, the beach, but I'm just too darn altruistic for that.  

*Of course I'm kidding! What kind of person do you think I am? It was an elk, not a deer. 

Can à Suc

One of my favorite things about the French is that to them, everything is essentially Play-Doh. No matter what you give a French person, they'll find a way to turn it into something prettier and more interesting. Take sugar for example. Give the French some sugar and before you know it, they've turned it into a big green frog or Eiffel Tower replica or Neil Sedaka statue that's so beautiful, you won't know whether to drop it in your coffee or get a memory box for it. From stackable sugar tablets to whimsical little hearts that literally sit on the rim of a coffee cup, Can à Suc really does some fantastic things with sugar and just about everything they make makes a great gift for the party giver in your life.

On another, much less healthy sucratorial note, some part of me desperately wants to go to one of these meetings.

Ladurée Business Card

What else can Mlle Bagatelle say about Ladurée that hasn't already been said?

Well, how about the story behind this little baking angel who's all but hidden in the wreath above? There's more to it than this, but in a nutshell, the angel was painted on the Ladurée ceiling by famed painter Jules Cherét whose posters you're almost certainly familiar with. Back in the early 90s, before the big push to commercialize the business, this little angel was essentially the company mascot and one of the few things the store sold (other than pastries), was a little gold angel pin. For reasons I don't quite understand, the little guy isn't really included in much of today's product line, but considering how over-exposed the brand has become, I'm not sure that's such a bad thing. 

La Maison du Roy

As it is for most thinking, feeling people, your passion for 18th-century France is probably immeasurable and hard to satisfy. Well, you're not alone. Appropriately nestled in a Passage Jouffroy storefront*, La Maison du Roy is to damask and compotes what Bed, Bath, and Beyond is to mattress covers and cinnamon-apple room spray. Like the century to which it pays tribute, the store is dramatic, fun, and endlessly entertaining. 

*Yes, I know the passage wasn't built until the 19th century and no, I didn't get mixed up about what 18th century means. I just think that somehow it feels right at this particular location.