i finally made it to the Yves Saint Laurent retrospective at the petit palais this weekend, and it was more than worth the hour-long wait in line. it was really incredible- very visually satisfying, and i learned so much about both the designer and his work. the exhibition was made up of fifteen themed rooms, each of which celebrated a distinct aspect of laurent’s four decades as a couturier. i couldn’t take photos inside, but i found some beautiful images on the official website. below, my favorite pieces from the retrospective:
i much prefer these styles to the futuristic, super-exaggerated shape- à la alexander wang s/s 2010- that’s everywhere this season. the tortoiseshells are calling (actually, screaming) my name.
since my arrival in paris, i’ve made it my personal mission to find the best croissant in the city. i know they’re simple, but i love how a great croissant’s delicately flaky exterior contrasts with its buttery, light-as-air center. anyways, as a result of my search for the perfect croissant, i’ve hit up about a billion boulangeries (bakeries,) while somewhat neglecting the innumerable pâtisseries (pastry shops.)
this weekend, i was wandering around the 7th arrondissement when i stumbled upon Philippe Conticini’s aptly-named “La Pâtisserie des Rêves,” or “The Pastry Shop of Dreams.” the shop’s cheerfully-colored interior (lime green! orange! pink lemonade-pink!)drew me in, and upon entering, i was surprised to find glass bells suspended from the ceiling, each holding a single pastry. customers order from the display, and their selections are delivered fresh from the kitchen!
i ended up going with a seemingly-simple pain au gourmand. the texture was incredible: if a bread roll and a slice of cake were to mate, i imagine that the result would be similar. it was lightly flavored with cocoa and hazelnuts, with a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top. sigh.
finding it difficult to accept that i’ll be stateside again in just a month and a half . . .
