Au Coin des Gourmets

Carine Roitfeld has a taste for Indochinois cuisine and has been seen enjoying the refined dishes prepared at Au Coin des Gourmets in Paris. With restaurants on both the Left Bank and Right, Au Coin des Gourmets has been in business for more than thirty years and is renowned for its subtle, unique, and flavorful culinary delights. They offer an array of savory choices ranging from soups to skewers that draw on the cultures of the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to satisfy the saveurs de indochine of any patron. Not to be missed: Amok, a classic Khmer dish of cod steamed in coconut milk, accented with lemongrass and curry, and presented in a sheet of banana leaf. Au Coin des Gourmets has branches at 5 rue Dante and 38 rue du Mont Thabor; the interiors are small but charming.

Image of Amok © 2008 Adrian Moore. All Rights Reserved.
Interior and exterior photographs of Au Coin des Gourmets courtesy of restoaparis.com.

Styl'up

Carine Roitfeld always looks perfect, in part because she ensures that her clothing fits exactly, underlining that chic, angular edge to her look. She achieves this precise fit by making frequent visits to what Carine refers to as "her retoucher." For alterations, Carine prefers Styl'up on Rue Pasquier in Paris. If you despair of ever finding garments that fit correctly, adopt the Roitfeld philosophy: “Everything I have I take to be altered because nothing is perfect or exactly the right length” says Carine herself who is renowned for always wearing her slim pencil skirts to just the same point on the knee. Emmanuelle Alt also uses this tailor, so chances are there may be a waiting list...

Carine Roitfeld photograph courtesy of rockthetrend.com

L'appartement 217

Carine Roitfeld likes L'appartement 217 for her body treatments, or as the spa's web site states, "soin de corps et d'esprit" (care of body and spirit). Located in the first arrondissement on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, this sanctuary in the Hausmann style has been perfected by Feng Shui experts to be a place of total calm. All products used are natural, the kimonos for guests are made out of organic pine tree pulp "soft and downy as silk", the water in the spa is decalcified, and the electrical waves are insulated to neutralize any harmful effects. Conceived by Stéphane Jaulin (formerly beauty director for Colette), this spacious, well-lighted setting is a haven of calm in urban Paris. Stop into L'appartement 217 for a facial or massage and soothe your body and spirit beautifully.

Image of L'appartement 217 courtesy of vogue.fr

David Chipperfield

When they decided to rework their seventh arrondissement space, Carine Roitfeld and Christian Restoin chose British architect and renowned modernist David Chipperfield. This stunning belle époque apartment was stripped to its bones and remade in contemporary style by Chipperfield's design. The serenely modern space overlooks the shining dome of the Invalides from its wrought iron terrace, appears to be painted in cream touched with taupe throughout, and is rumored to be the location for much of the work done on Vogue Paris. Carine is said to prefer to invite editorial staff to her flat for meetings and such. The apartment is furnished primarily in Mies Van der Rohe and bespoke Chipperfield cabinets that hold Carine's wardrobe, photographs, and media. You can see images of the apartment of Roitfeld and Restoin in the photo gallery.

Restoin and Chipperfield first worked together on the design for the original Equipment store on rue Etienne Marcel in Paris. Other projects by Chipperfield include the design of the River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, England, using green oak cladding, concrete and glass; the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach, Germany; the America's Cup Building in Valencia, Spain; and the reconstruction of the decimated Neues Museum in Berlin. Regarding his work in Germany, one critic noted that Chipperfield, "gives the calm, rational architectural language a sensual physical presence" making him the perfect match to give structure to Carine's lifestyle.

David Chipperfield photograph courtesy of The Hepworth Wakefield.

Schiaparelli

Carine Roitfeld attended the party that Azzedine Alaïa hosted for the opening of Schiaparelli in Paris. Azzedine must have been happy that Carine took the time to lace up his beautiful shoes for this party. J'adore the way that everything is bathed in rose light to match the rose wine flowing freely at the soirée. And the Schiaparelli vintage on hand, c'est magnifique. Carine's favorite piece in the collection is reportedly the jacket on which Schiaparelli and Jean Cocteau collaborated for the fall/winter 1937 collection. Talk about well made, this piece is over 70 years old!

Carine Roitfeld and Schiaparelli collection photographs © 2009 Rosita Kerdlarppol. All Rights Reserved.