It's All About The Dress - Vicky Tiel

Bardot's Vichy Ballerinas watercolor

Today is Fashion Night Out 2011.

If you're a little bit mad about fashion/Paris/celebs you can't go wrong.

Vicky Tiel and I both went to Parsons School of Design. 

Miss Keagy, head of the fashion dept., kindly suggested I become a LIBRARIAN! 

I replied, 

"It's either the river or 7th Avenue!"

Vicky was also dissuaded from a fashion career for different reasons. Her designs were super short, super sheer, very naughty. Vicky went off to Paris with classmate/pal Mia Fonssagrives. They shook the town up, while I went off to 7th Ave...wish I'd followed suit.

The overnight success of Vicky and Mia made them international fashion celebrities.

They dressed super hot celebrities in their first movie, "What's New Pussycat" and many others.

Francoise Hardy, Ursula Andress, Paula Prentice, Woody Allen, Peter Sellers etc. Vicky's book is full of fun vignettes of their Parisien adventures.

Mia married designer, Louis Feraud (they did designs for his show and modeled on the runway) who had designed Bridget Bardot's famous 'Vichy' pink checked wedding dress. 

Vicky's book is full of sketches like this Paris map near her shop on 21, rue Bonaparte.

Isn't it funny I doodled one house down from her shop?

Vicky's building formerly was the grand residence and shop of superb interior designer, Madame Madeleine Castaing.

Vicky married Ron Berkeley, Liz Taylor's personal makeup artist, so Liz and Vicky became bosom buddies for years. 

Vicky designed Liz' fabulous lavender silk caftan.

Vicky's book is loaded with 'rules' from everyone who was anyone plus their recipes. Plus lots of dirt on everyone in Paris & Hollywood and and  and.

Oh just READ IT!

BONJOUR VICKI

Disclosure: Vicky sent me her book..

It's a perfect opp to tell you about Vicky Tiel's It's All About The Dress!

Shanghai Cafe Paris

Do you eat Chinese in Paris? It's probably not the first choice that comes to mind, but M. loves this place so I gave it a whirl for lunch. It's just down from Pierre Herme at La Maison de la Chine - 76, rue Bonaparte 75006 (Métro Saint-Sulpice)
I always study the menu outside.
Do notice the 'OU' when you're getting la formule in France. Basically it means a first course + a main (what most Fr people order), OR a main + a dessert. I got 3 courses because I forgot to notice the 'ou'/or.
The salon de the is inside the Shanghai Tang boutique...

 It's very serene. One must keep an eye out for the occasional dose of serenity when tearing around Paris.

 Looking at menus but is irresistable.

 Chic and simple decor.

A tiny amuse bouche arrives with the green tea.

After a crawfish thing, a curried something arrives.
Delish bien sur.

An interesting dessert - I'm still not sure what this is but it sounded and tasted very nice. Rose de Shanghai, crème légère avec coulis de framboise et concassée de pistaches.

After lunch it's fun to browse the luxe merchandise at Shanghai Tang. Daily Connoisseur mentions owner Sir David Tang's etiquette columns in FT. Very useful if you want to know whether to request a doggy bag at the London Savoy.

  BONJOUR SHANGHAI CAFE!

Macaron Soiree

I'd never had tea on rue Bonaparte, though my nose is bent out of shape from looking in the window...
Italian cat, Chicco waits but he'd much rather be at the Bird Market..
I walzed past the crowds anxiously awaiting their cookies.
Into the salon de the. There was no one about.

My first shot = Blurry
Then I got up my courage and focused.
French chocolates protected by thick glass.

GREEN boxes and (7.40 euros)

Such pretty boxes.

A chandelier to die for

Venetian marble mosaic floor was created by two mosaic artists, Giovanna Galli and Henri Noël Aubry.

a parfum - Paeva Enfin les ribbons.

Pierre Herme Saint Honore

It's been a while since we've immersed ourselves in a Paris patisserie. Pierre Herme has a new collection out. It's a small new collection of Saint-Honore gateaux.

A little history. I hope you have your pencils poised.

The St. Honoré Cake, is a richly decorated cake named after Saint Honore, the seventh-century Bishop of Amiens, and the French patron saint of pastry chefs and bakers. (WOW!) Pastry chef Chiboust is rumoured to have created it in his Paris shop in 1846. It consists of a pâte brisée base with a pâte a choux ring around the outside. Individual pâte a choux puffs are filled with pastry cream and dipped in caramel. They are then attached on top of the outside ring of the cake with more caramel to hold them in place. The Gateau St. Honore is also known as the "Ball Cake" because of the little caramel-covered pastry balls surrounding the top of the cake.

Shall we head over to Pierre Herme's at 72, rue Bonaparte in St Germain des Prés 75006?
You can take ligne #4 to station Saint-Sulpice. Or the #87 bus stops nearby. We're back on rue Bonaparte. Look the windows have changed! Last week for Jour du Macarons day, schools of hungry fish hunting for Free macarons!This week a sweet bebe is transfixed in wonderment at Herme's new Saint-Honore petit fours. A closeup - is this a fausse petit four? Let's go inside for the REAL thing! Vite! Ahhhhhhhhh...Ooooooooooo..

*Please note it's the caramel that is the glue that holds these cream puffs together. Pierre Herme's description for these delights:

Saint Honoré SatineTrès frais,

très parfumé,

entre acidulé et sucré

(a rough translation=very fresh, very perfumed, between acidic and sweet. French sounds so much better doesn't it?)

Just in case you're not up for whipped creme there are other delectables to choose from.

Afterwards, take your goodies to a park bench in the nearby Place Saint-Sulpice.

The pigeons are waiting.

Or go for a coffee at nearby Cafe de la Mairie, just round the corner. Word has it you can bring P.H. goodies here to eat in proper fashion as they well deserve.

Then I suggest you rent-a-frouffy-dog from Etienne Marcel to work off the cream.

Or come on a my place and climb the 132 stairs (7 flights) any number of times.
BONJOUR JEUDI!