Prepare to immerse yourself in these extravagant exhibitions …
The Du Coeur à la Main, Grand Palais
After enchanting Milan last summer, the Dolce&Gabbana exhibition has taken over the Grand Palais until March 31. Visitors can expect ten rooms of baroque brilliance and flamboyant fashion from the design duo. The retrospective exhibition includes iconic pieces from their Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria and Alta Gioilleria collections, with the creative process in full view, from sketches to embroidery expertise. In this exhibition, “fatto a mano”, the handmade is elevated to an art form. www.grandpalais.fr
Stay: Pulitzer Paris
Located in the elegant 9th arrondissement, guests will find soothing coffee-and-cream rooms, covetable suites, eye-catching dining spaces, a laidback lobby bar and a gorgeous covered patio area for morning coffees or evening aperos. From €216 per night. www.mrandmrssmith.com
Louvre Couture: Where Fashion Meets History
This new exhibition is catnip for the fashion crowd, running until July. It’s the first ever fashion exhibition at the Louvre, featuring 70 fashion garments and 30 accessories from 45 renowned designers, among them Yves Saint Laurent, Karl Lagerfeld and Balenciaga. www.louvre.fr
Stay: Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs
This affordable138-bedroom hotel, on Rue Vaugirard, is in the chic 6th arrondissement, steps from the St Germain area on the Left Bank of Paris. The hotel was inspired by the golden age of travel, with interior designer Fabrizio Casiraghi wanting guests to feel as if they are stepping into the home of an art collector (there are four Gustav Klimt paintings among the collection). At the hotel’s heart is the brasserie Grands Voyageurs, which combines French and American influences with a seafood-focused menu, and a must-visit to the downstairs den bar after dark. From €300 per night. www.hoteldesgrandsvoyageurs.com
SEE MORE: Checking In – Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs
Alaia/Kuramata: Creative Lightness, Fondation Azzedine Alaïa
Running until February 16, this exhibition merges fashion and design with the visionary work of Azzedine Alaïa and Shiro Kuramata, highlighting their shared commitment to innovation and elegance. www.fondationazzedinealaia.org
Stay: Sinner Paris
One of my go-to reference points before booking any hotel is the Mr & Mrs Smith portfolio, of which Sinner Paris is one of its many impressive boutique hotel options. Located in Parisian hotspot the Haut-Marais, the hotel has a playful vibe. Designed by Tristan Auer, it’s full of contrasts: corridors decorated with lanterns and bright bedrooms with vintage turntables. Guests can have an aperitif at the lively bar or dine at the hotel restaurant, which celebrates the flavours of South America and North Africa. Avail of €70 credit when booking through Mr & Mrs Smith. From €366 per night. www.mrandmrssmith.com
Stephen Jones, chapeaux d’artist, Palais Galleria
British milliner Stephen Jones is loved by designers and celebrities alike for his hats, whether large, small, whimsical or statement pieces. On until March 16, the exhibition brings together more than 170 hats and a variety of drawings, photos and videos, which trace his career. He opened his first millinery salon in 1980 in London after studying at Central Saint Martins’ School of Art. The pieces show his creative process, his inspirations and collaborations with Jean-Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, Thierry Mugler, Marc Jacobs and Comme des Garçons. He has an ongoing relationship with Dior, with whom he has worked for 30 years, which he discussed at last year’s GLOSS x Goodbody Investment Dinner. www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr
Stay: Hôtel Panache
One of the trendy Touriste hotels, which include Les Deux Gares and Bienvenue, Hôtel Panache shares their retro aesthetic, buzzy atmosphere and friendly service. It’s in a prime location a ten minute walk from Printemps or Galeries Lafayette or a bit further for a stroll around the Tuileries Gardens and the Louvre. There are 40 rooms, decorated with flea market finds and on-trend striped bedlinen. There’s a breakfast buffet but no restaurant, though that’s not a problem as there are so many options to choose from in the vicinity. Rooms cost from €130. www.hotelpanache.com
SEE MORE: A Food Lover’s Guide To Paris
Les Fleurs d’Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent filled his life with flowers – in his designs, homes and garden in Marrakech. This love of flora and its imprint on the designer’s collections is explored in this exhibition at the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, on until May 4. www.museeyslparis.com
SEE MORE: An Insider’s Guide To Paris – Where To Stay and What to See
Stay: Château des Fleurs
Situated close to the Arc de Triomphe in the 17th arrondissment, this classic Haussmann building on the outside has a botanical-meets-ballroom feel inside. It was inspired by the legendary Bal Mabille, a magical garden party for posh Parisians. The joie de vivre of these enchanting evenings lives on (along with a few horticultural hints, like the hotel’s plant-painted stained-glass windows). The rooms are a modern take on the hotel’s Art-Deco heritage and many overlook the designer boutiques along the Champs Elysées. From €351. www.chateaudesfleurs.paris
Dior/Lindbergh, The Galerie Dior
No fashionista can visit Paris without spending an afternoon here, but be sure to book tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. There are two exhibitions to enjoy – the history of the House of Christian Dior and Dior/Lindbergh, which documents images taken between 1988 to 2018 by photographer Peter Lindbergh, showing the designs of successive creative directors and Mr Dior’s guiding principle of clothes “in the movement of life.” www.galeriedior.com
Stay: Hôtel Dames Des Arts
Located in the Latin Quarter, this hotel pays homage to the French new wave filmmakers of the 1950s, with spectacular views. There are 109 rooms and suites over eight floors, all with bespoke art pieces, and many with balconies overlooking the Eiffel Towel and Notre Dame cathedral. Additional highlights include a restaurant serving authentic cuisine, rooftop bar with DJ, courtyard garden, and wellness area with sauna and treatment room. www.damedesarts.com
Glossy tip: Invest in a Paris Musées Card, with unlimited access to 12 Parisian museums for a year. If visiting in the summer, look out for the Rick Owens exhibition at the Palais Galliera for his Sphinx and Babel collections, and an exhibition dedicated to Charles Frederick With (often called the “father of haute couture”) at The Petit Palais.