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[3]Version Vendome and Kreon, 1 bis, place de Valois
This modern lifestyle-design outpost sits in the middle of the French Ministry of Culture's compound on place de Valois. Opened just a month ago, the spatial collaboration between Version Vendome and Kreon is already busy catering to Paris' plugged-in architects and designers. On the showroom floor, Version Vendome offers contemporary furnishings, including wooden tables with sinuous lines, cubic chairs embedded with nails and baroque-inspired, red resin chandeliers. Kreon [4]'s products, however, are less obvious. The Belgian company's architectural lights hover from the ceiling, enhancing the ambience of the space instead of competing for attention. If you're a serious shopper, Kreon's subtle illumination may already be familiar—Stella McCartney [5], Chanel [6] and Colette [7] stores are all outfitted with them. According to our insider sources in Paris, Hedi Slimane [8] and Karl Lagerfeld [9] are also fans of Kreon.
7L, 7 rue de Lille
Speaking of Mr. Lagerfeld, if you're interested in what stimulates his mind, head to 7L, not Chanel. Lagerfeld, a self-proclaimed bibliophile, owns this Saint Germain bookstore, which houses a discerning collection of books and magazines. Art and photography tomes from established fashion photographers such as Peter Lindbergh [10] as well as edgier artists like Gregory Crewdson surround the mirrored walls. On the waist-high tables lay diverse architecture, travel and furniture books, and the magazine racks offer art pubs like Fotografie and Frieze [11]. There's also a fine selection of novels, if you're more fiction-minded. Considering that Lagerfeld has a glamorous hand in all of it, the store's atmosphere is refreshingly unpretentious.
Mona, 17 rue Bonaparte
A few blocks away is unassuming womenswear shop Mona. Although it opened four years ago, the store doesn't have a website—a prerequisite of modern retail practice—and isn't well publicized. But this modesty makes it the perfect antidote to the glitzy Dior and Louis Vuitton stores up the block. Reminiscent of Kirna Zabête [12] in New York, the store has a potent mix of merchandise that will please even the pickiest of shoppers. There are girly frocks from Stella McCartney, sleek Lanvin [13] silk shifts, pleated chiffon dresses by Derek Lam [14], knit swimwear from Missoni [15] and Charles Anastase's coats [16]. On the accessories front, the store stocks coated canvas totes from Lanvin (a must-have for spring) and Bottega Veneta [17]'s Intrecciato clutches. And ladies with a shoe fetish, hold your breath: Mona has one of the best selections of Pierre Hardy [18] in town.
Jerome Dreyfuss, 1 rue Jacob
Jerome Dreyfuss [19] has taken several turns on the fashion merry-go-round, finally settling into the cozy niche of luxury handbag design in 2002. His soft, supple leather bags come in a selection of colors and exotic skins that make Parisian girls go gaga. But eco-conscious fashionistas will be delighted to know that Dreyfuss has also launched Agricouture [20], a label that respects the leather-making process, paying extra attention to every step, from the breeding of the animals to the dyeing procedures. With an opening slated for Monday March 10, his new, freestanding boutique will be located at 1 rue Jacob—if the address sounds familiar, that's because it's right next door to the shop of Isabel Marant [21], his fashion designer wife.
Shimji, 7 rue du Perche
We wrote about this unisex boutique when it opened over two years ago, and it continues to be a favorite stop in the upper Marais area during our jaunts to Paris. And now that the neighborhood is filling up with contemporary, Sentier-type stores, Shimji's well-edited selection of edgy Japanese and European designers—including including Kiminori Morishita, Share Spirit, Petar Petrov, Numero 10 and Piero Guidi—is a welcome alternative. Rival L'Eclaireur [22] may be rapidly expanding, but Shimji still holds its own as one of Paris' prized destinations.
—Robert Cordero & Jessica Dang