A Fashion Blogger’s Guide to Paris | InStyle.co.uk
Published in InStyle.co.uk, 18th April 2017
Camille Charriere on how not to be a tourist cliché in Paris...
The Parisian born, London based blogger Camille Charrière has built up a loyal blog and Instagram audience (half a million followers and counting) who adore her enviable nonchalant style, cultural musings and self-deprecating sense of humour. Having grown up in Paris, Camille headed to London post university to pursue a career in law and finance. However, after discovering the world of Excel sheets was not where she was creatively happiest, she switched to fashion, founding her own blog in 2010 while working for various e-commerce sites before eventually focusing on her blog full-time. Now one of the industry's leading influencers, Camille spends her time travelling the world, taking her followers with her, sharing her sartorial finds and stylish insider tips. So who better than to quiz than how to explore her hometown of Paris without feeling like a tourist cliché...
Is brunch a thing in Paris?
Kind of. I like this place called Wild & The Moon in Le Marais and I also like Le Café de la Poste too. Wild & The Moon is really healthy, like almond milk, matcha, that type of thing which is very rare in Paris. I only like because I’ve been away from Paris for too long and I’ve got used to bad habits and wanting those LA style things.
I like the way you call things like almond milk bad habits...
Honestly, I have to say though I do think it’s not great. I don’t think the products are necessarily local. You know the craze of eating kale and avocado, its not actually good for the planet at all. We have to ship everything in and it’s not organic in the slightest. It’s not at all the kind option.
So what’s the Parisian equivalent of going for avo on toast?
We’re more likely to just meet at any random café because any random café will have a croissant from the boulangerie next door. That’s the thing about France that people don’t really realise. You go into any brasserie in the morning and you will ask for a croissant and they will have a delicious fresh croissant, which will have been delivered to them by whichever boulangerie is the closest which is probably only three doors down.
That sounds way more chilled than the UK trend for a workout then brunch…
I remember when I was last here for couture fashion week it was one of the things that made me want to move back. It was January, it was cold and I walked out of my house and everybody, literally everybody was outside having a coffee with their partner or their friend. It only lasts 5 minutes but everybody was having a morning coffee before running off to work. It’s just so nice. They take time to do these things, and in France it’s really important. People really do take time to sit and eat. There is something about the quality of life here where people have really understand what matters and what really matters is taking time to be with the people that you like, and yeah, eating and enjoying a coffee. I think France and Italy are the only two countries that have got it right, and its as I’ve got older that I’ve only really started to appreciate that. I’m very lucky to have this deep appreciation for very very simple things and here its all about that. I really really like that.
Ok what about shopping afterwards and picking up cute gifts for friends?
Merci. Always. Honestly the shopping is so good in Paris, you just walk around Le Marais, like around that area where there are all the galleries, bookshops mini boutiques. You can get anything there, like really cool prints or really cool cutlery. Things that you would have to out of the way to find in London because it’s so big but you can go anywhere in Paris and there is nice stuff everywhere.
Where's good for a relaxed dinner?
There’s a restaurant called La Paulette which is really beautiful and delicious. And there’s a Corsican one called Le Petit Matieu, which is very good as well.
What about drinks and dancing?
Le Montana and La Mano are good for going out out. And for drinks before, hmmm honestly people just sit in bars. I would to go like La Paulette and sit ‘en terrasse’ and just have wine and charcuterie until you’re ready to go out.
Where’s good for a date?
I really like Aux Deux Amis. But to be honest anywhere in Le Marais is good. There’s lots of little bars and all these little restaurants. There is not really a dating scene in France, you don’t do that. Honestly just everything is simpler. If you’re going on a date then honestly you’re just going go sit in a bar, have a coffee and then maybe get some food and then have wine. There’s no ‘date spot’ that’s just not cool.
