If you are moving to France, Hamiltons provide an upmarket removals service with tailor made solutions designed to take care of your prized possessions, from your clothes and hand bag collections to your furnishings and ornaments. From your fine art, to your antiques and vehicle collection, our team of removals experts will handle, pack and transport your belongings with the utmost care and attention to detail.
Moving to France – click here to find out more about our removals to France service.
Paris is one of the world’s leading fashion centres, right up there with London, New York and Milan. Here, you'll find the headquarters of big name brands like Hermès, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton. With this in mind, we thought you'd appreciate a little tour of the quite fabulous shopping on offer in this city and elsewhere in the country, so that you can be properly prepared to hit the shops in celebration of your removals to France.
Designer Shops
If its designer wear you're after and nothing but the best will do, look for Maison Michel, Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Givenchy, Hermès, Christian Louboutin, Céline and Balenciaga. These mainstays of French couture have become familiar high street names with their forays into perfumery and sun glasses and, with the birth of the designer boutique, their clothing has become that bit more accessible too.
Such boutiques as 58M, AB33, Biondini, L'ECLAIREUR and MODE DE VUE in Paris regularly feature items from the ranges of Michel Vivien, Marc Jacobs, Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Véronique Branquinho, Comme des Garçons, Phillip Lim, Thakoon, Tsumori Chisato, forte_forte, Maison Olga, Pas de Calais, Roseanna, Notify, R13, Ndc made by hand, Azzedine Alaïa, Dolce & Gabbana, Giuseppe Zanotti, Yves Saint Laurent, Balmain, Christopher Kane, Haider Ackermann, Oscar de La Renta, VBH, Bottega Veneta, Courreges Vintage, Linda Farrow and Cutler & Gross.
Paris is not alone in its purveyance of haute couture as a visit to the boutiques of Lyon and Marsailles will testify. CAPSULE BY ESO and SOLIS of Lyon and UNE FEMME A SUIVRE of Marseille bring you the designs of Givenchy, Vivienne Westwood, Pierre Balmain, Paul & Joe, Moschino, Acne, Diesel Black Gold, Maison Martin Margiela, Issey Miyake, Rick Owens, Dries van Noten, Lanvin, Gustavo Lins, Yohji Yamamoto, Sacai, Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons, Dries Van Noten, Marni, Mulberry, Chloé and Bottega Veneta.
Aside from clothing and accoutrements, the boutiques of Paris and France are well known for their art, furnishings, imports, fine cloth and antiquities and many of them occupy some of the areas’ most beautiful buildings. Make sure you pay a visit to the Mabillion/Odéon, Chatelet, Palais-Royal, Boulevard St-Michel, Marais, Bercy Village, Avenue Victor Hugo and The Boulevard Haussmann.
High Street Shopping
High street shopping would not be complete without its department stores and Paris and the other major cities in France are no exception. Chief among the department stores of Paris are Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, which are located on Boulevard Haussmann and specialise in high fashion, designer household, perfumes and children’s wear.
The Galeries Lafayette is a shopping institution in Paris. It offers cutting edge men's and women's designer collections with on trend jewellery and accessories, home furnishings and cosmetics as well as a gourmet food market called “Lafayette Gourmet”.
Printemps is located on the Boulevard Haussmann, between rue du Havre and rue Charras and it comprises 3 separate stores: Printemps Man, Printemps Home and Beauty and Printemps Woman, all linked by covered walkways. Like Galeries Lafayette, it is immense and a true shoppers paradise.
Other areas to head for on your Parisian shopping spree are Vaneau on rue de Sèvres, Hotel de Ville on rue de la Verrerie, and Samaritaine with its 4 department stores on rue de Rivoli.
Supermarket/Hypermarket Shopping
Supermarkets tend to be located in town centres. They are the equivalent to a Sainsbury's Local, Tesco Metro or Little Waitrose in the UK. Hypermarkets are much larger with a wider range of stock and are generally located on the outskirts of town. Their equivalents would be the larger 24 hour supermarkets on the outskirts of towns and cities. As a rule of thumb, you might pay to park at a supermarket (if there is parking at all), whereas at a hypermarket the parking is free.
Specialist Shops
A walk down the high street of many a French town will reveal some quite lovely specialist shops, often owned and operated by people who are not just keen but passionate and knowledgeable about their wares. You'll find specialists in cheese, meat, bread and cakes and, of course, wine. Good conversation will often centre on what you are pairing a dish with and how different methods of cooking can accentuate the flavours. You'll even find specialist tobacconist, ideal for those who enjoy the occasional after dinner smoke.
Street Markets/Farmers Markets
Street markets and farmers markets are very popular in France and held on most weekdays and throughout the weekend. Here you'll find a healthy and colourful selection of locally produced fruit and vegetables. There are bakery stalls selling croissants and fresh French sticks and rolls, butchers stalls, flower stalls and spice stalls selling vinegars, oils and herbs. These markets are a hive of activity from start to finish and give a real sense of French culture. Night markets are very popular too, particularly in the south of the country. Stalls are usually set up for around 7pm and run through till 11pm. Local restaurants lay their tables outside and street buskers keep the diners entertained with music and impromptu performances.
About Hamiltons
At Hamiltons Removals, we aim to do all we can to help you enjoy your removals to France. We have thought through and are well practised in every aspect of your move. From the initial survey through to packing, storage and transportation, right through to the unpacking of your final piece, we will take care to ensure that your belongings are looked after, every step of the way, and we can even arrange to have your old house professionally cleaned to save you the trouble.
Hamiltons Removals – click here to find out more about our high quality services or click here for a free removals quote.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.