Paris Picks: Local Designers

As a Paris-based designer who offers fashion tours and writes about fashion, I have the privilege of becoming well acquainted with fellow creators, most of whom possess a passion for designing and producing locally. The made in Paris movement is alive and well! I mentioned some of these designers in my recent Haut Marais feature in the Independent. Here are a few of these artisans that I hope you can discover and become equally enamored with during your next trip to Paris. Let them know I sent you for a truly VIP experience!

One of my favorite Paris designers is Mari of Koshka Mashka. I first discovered her Haut Marais boutique while living around the corner, and quickly fell in love with the brand. Her clothes are timelessly chic and feminine. Born in Armenia and schooled in Italy, Mari is certainly a woman of the world, dressing equally sophisticated women from all corners of the globe. What’s more, her clothing is limited edition and made in Paris.

Koshka Mashka // 36 Rue de Poitou 75003 // +33 (0)9 50 48 85 85 // Monday-Saturday 11-7

Shoes as art, anyone? Artisanal designer Zoe Lee creates sculptural shoes featuring her wood and resin heels and other signature details, using only the best leather. Zoe designs shoes for both comfort and style, each pair produced in limited editions, manufactured in Italy, and only available in Paris, the Haut Marais that is.

Zoe Lee // 19 Rue du Parc Royal 75003 // +33 (0)1 48 87 05 47 // Tuesday-Sunday 12-7

I first met Swedish-born Anika at my local manufacturer and soon after discovered her boutique, one of the first to open up in the Haut Marais. Her sophisticatedly deconstructed separates have become collectors pieces for women from around the world. Anika also specializes in leather pants, both slim and a more casual slouchy fit. And have I mentioned her butter leather skirts? Heavenly! Oh, and she custom tailors to fit.

Anika Skarstrom // 16 Rue du Pont aux Choux 75003 // +33 (0)9 83 82 32 85 // Monday-Friday 11-7, Sat 12-7

Since I met Charlotte several years ago, she moved from the rive droite to the rive gauche, where she continues to create stunning silk print blouses and dresses, along with luxurious cashmere sweaters and a number of unique accessories. Her scarves and neck ties are personal favorites, and if there’s a particular fabric you like, she may very well be able to create something just for you.

Charlotte Bialas // 67 Rue Madame, 75006 // +33 (0)1 57 40 69 10 // Tuesday-Saturday 11-7

Here’s a designer who took a vintage scarf and transformed it into an elegant blouse, a signature piece he is known for. Samy has a style all his own, mixing the old with the new to create unique womenswear. As he once told me, “I take something I know and twist it into something new.” To add to his artisanal allure, Samy still creates samples in his Haut Marais atelier.

Samy Chalon // 24 Rue Charlot 75003 // +33 (0)1 44 59 39 16 // Tuesday-Saturday 11:30-7:30

Save the Elephants

I’m very excited to present my latest Kenya inspired handbag collection, designed in collaboration with my friend and photographer Kirsten Alana. During her trip to Kenya, I was deeply moved by unruly poaching of innocent elephants, all for their tusks. As Kirsten mentioned in her #dontletthemdisappear post, Every day in Africa, somewhere on the continent: an elephant loses its life to illegal poaching on an average of every 15 minutes. More than 90 elephants a day lose their lives for the ivory in their tusks.

I decided to take action and do what I could to help these African elephants. Together with Kirsten, we designed a bag collection in the colors and spirit of Kenya. Each bag is named for a region where elephants roam wild. With every purchase from this collection, I’m donating 30% of proceeds to Wildlife Direct and Elephant Trust.

Below are the Amboseli and Sambura bags, all reversible and made in Paris. Sustainable fashion for a cause!

Here is the Tsavo bag along with the Laikipia, both foldable to fit inside their matching purses. Travel savvy!


Photos by photographer Catherine O’Hara wearing Koshka Mashka in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum.

La Rue du Made in France

I’ve always been an advocate for artisanal design, even before launching Kasia Dietz handbags and commiting to local manufacturing. To expose others to what I consider true luxury, items made locally in small quantities, I offer fashion tours, mostly in the Haut Marais where these artisans showcase (and often produce) their wares.

Walking around my Haut Marais neighborhood recently, I was thrilled to discover that an initiative was started to highlight these local creators. Passionate about French craftsmanship, Virginie Millet and Françoise Naudet took to the streets, Rue du Vertbois to be exact, and launched their project, La Rue du Made in France.

From May 15th until July 15th, this fashionable street boasts seven pop-up boutiques featuring ‘Made in France’ designers, from clothing to accessories to housewares, and everything in between. On neighboring Rue Volta an eighth shop supports creations by emerging student entrepreneurs. Not only are all of these creators environmentally sustainable, but by providing jobs locally they also help to sustain the French social ecosystem. Bravo!

Who are these 130 French-made designers on display in Paris’s Haut Marais? To name a few, there’s clothing by Orjins, stylish men’s underwear by Garcon Francais, 1083 and Dao Davy jeans, Manufacture Degorce sneakers, shoes by La Manufacture, art de vivre by Le Jacquard Francais, including aprons and kitchen towels, and biodegradable toothbrushes by Bioseptyl.  I’m proud that my handbags are among the items featured. If you’re craving a savory French bite while shopping, head to bar Chez toi ou chez moi for tourtes or saucissons.

How better to shop in the fashion capital than by supporting local artisans creating some of Paris’s most high quality, original and sustainable products? See you in the neighborhood on Rue du Vertbois!

Discovering Marrakech

Marrakech has been on the top of my travel list for as long as I can remember. Even more so after visiting Essaouira a few years ago. There’s something other-worldly about Morocco that appeals to all my senses. The vibrancy of the city was evident from the moment I stepped into the medina, just minutes away from my luxurious home at Riad Farnatchi. From here I wandered until I was happily lost within this world of color.

SHOP: First stop after settling in? Exploring the souk, of course! With hundreds of stalls selling everything from wicker baskets to carpets to house slippers, it’s complete sensory overload. The key is to focus on what captures your interest, and to bargain. After some intense negotiating, I bought a few handmade slippers and tunics for my mom, and had my eye on a Moroccan lamp. Next time!



VISIT: After great anticipation, The Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Marrakech opened in October 2017, showcasing dozens of pieces from the designers iconic fashion collections. Discovering the city in 1966, Yves Saint Laurent fell in love with “the colors and light found there, and its art of living” and made it his second home. To compliment the Yves Saint Laurent Museum in Paris which I recently visited, this sister museum reveals more of the life and work of this revered designer, one of my personal favorites.

Just 100 meters away sits the enchanting Jardin Majorelle, a labor of love created over forty years by French painter Jacques Majorelle. A setting where Yves Saint Laurent often found inspiration, “seduced by this oasis where colours used by Matisse were mixed with those of nature,” he and his partner Pierre Bergé purchased the land in the 80’s and set about saving and restoring it. The villa at Jardin Majorelle houses the Berber Museum and a collection of Marjorelle’s paintings. Here too, both Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé are honored.

EAT: For the best in Moroccan cuisine, including sweet and savory tagine, head up to Terrasse des Epices where you can dine with the sun, just above the souk. Nomad is another hotspot nearby. For dinner make a reservation at seductive Le Foundouk, which boasts one of the most stunning rooftops in Marrakech.



I’m already counting the days until my next encounter with the enchanting medieval walled city of Marrakech.

Yves Saint Laurent in Paris

In early October, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris opened in the 19th century mansion  at 5 Avenue Marceau.  The company headquarters and location of Mr. Saint Laurent’s and his partner Mr. Bergé’s office since 1974, this was also where Yves Saint Laurent would meet his clients for fittings. In 2004, it was transformed into a foundation for public view, with three to four exhibitions annually. It was Pierre Bergé, once the chief executive of Yves Saint Laurent, who decided to dedicate this space to the late designer, and open a museum. Lucky for those of us who admire the work of this visionary man who changed women’s attitudes towards fashion. As Yves Saint Laurent once said, “Fashion fades, style is eternal.”

Not only do we get a glimpse into Yves Saint Laurent’s chic fashion creations, but his design process too.

From collections inspired by artists including Mondrian and Picasso; to faraway travels to Morocco, sub-Saharan Africa, Russia, Spain and Asia; to haute couture gowns, Yves Saint Lauren knew how to dress a woman.

The highlight of the museum is Yves Saint Laurent’s workspace set on the second floor. Here you find his many inspirations as revealed in his collections of books, fabrics and fashion trimmings. A designers paradise!


A dedicated fan of Yves Saint Laurent, my next stop will be the newly opened Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakesh, the location of his and Pierre Bergé’s second home and a place close to their hearts. Stay tuned…

Date with Dior

“I think of my work as ephemeral architecture, dedicated to the beauty of the female body.”  – Christian Dior

Did you know that prior to becoming a fashion designer Christian Dior was a gallerist with a deep love for fine art? This was only a fraction of what I learned at the most recent exhibition to open at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, honoring 70 years of the House of Dior. With a carefully curated selection of 300 haute couture dresses alongside artworks, this expo pays tribute to the master himself Christian Dior, and those who followed in his vision including Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri. This was without a doubt, one of the most impressive fashion experiences of my life.

Following are highlights from my recent ‘Date with Dior’, just in case you can’t make it to the show yourself.

Haute Couture / Fall/Winter 2012 / Embroidered organza evening gown / Raf Simons

Suzurka-San / Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2007 / Embroidered and painted linen coat / John Galliano

“After women, flowers are the most divine of creations.” – Christian Dior

Muguet / Haute Couture Spring-Summer 1957 / Organdy dress embroidered by Barbier

“True luxury needs good materials and good workmanship; it will never succeed unless its roots are profoundly embedded in sober influences and honest traditions.” – Christian Dior

“Deep in every heart slumbers a dream and the couturier knows it: every woman is a princess.” – Christian Dior

A must see when you’re next in Paris, this exhibition Christian Dior, couturier du rêve ends on January 7th, 2018.

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