Gallerie Magda Danysz
Friday
Friday morning I have a big meeting with our architects and interior designers on site at Les Bains (7, rue du Bourg l'Abbé 75003 Paris, lesbains-paris.com) which we are, as you might know, currently reinventing, transforming and transfiguring from a night club and restaurant into a hotel. But, don't worry, it will still boast a night club, restaurant and many other surprises to come!!
For lunch, I walk around the block to nearby restaurant Le Derrière (69 Rue des Gravilliers 75003 Paris, +33 1 44 61 91 95, derriere-resto.com,) which is run by friends of mine, Hakim and Momo (owner of Momo (momoresto.com) and Sketch (sketch.uk.com) in London). Hopefully I will be able to sit outside in the courtyard, as the weather is supposed to be glorious. There, I will meet gallery owner Magda Danysz (78 Rue Amelot 75011 Paris, +33 1 45 83 38 51, magda-gallery.com) to reflect upon our last project, Les Bains Résidence d'Artistes, where she acted as a curator, and during which more than 50 artists took over the empty building for four months, turning it into one giant art piece. The event has now concluded, but you can see the amazing results in the coffee table book Les Bains Résidence d'Artistes by photographers Bisseuil and Coton (published by Drago) or on our website lesbains-paris.com.
Then we'll take to the ping pong table inside the restaurant, to play a game that will aid the digestion of the incredible roasted farmer's leg of pork, and we will discuss the upcoming Nuit Blanche (nuitblanche.paris.fr - the giant event organised for October 5th, by the City of Paris during which artists from all over the world will show their work and perform all night long). Les Bains and myself are very excited to partner in the presentation of a performance that will take place that night, between 8:00pm and midnight, at the corner of rue Morand and rue de la Fontaine au Roi (Paris 75011), where Portuguese artist VHILS will create a gigantic fresco on a street wall, using a sledge hammer as a tool!
At 3pm I will be meeting with my dear friend, the over- talented creative director of Pal Zileri, Yvan Benbenaste, at their show room (9 boulevard de la Madeleine, 75001, Paris). Yvan pretends, in order to make me feel good and important, that he will take an earlier plane from Italy that day, just to supervise the fitting of a bespoke suit he had made for me out of an exclusive Carlos Barbera fabric. So sleek! Since he is so passionate, I wonder which one among the two of us is the most excited about this? Me, of course!
Afterwards, I will join my girlfriend, Julie Acroute, on a fashion shoot set up by her company Oolala Productions, for a magazine which very well could be Elle UK (who knows?), and we will head over to the Vanessa Bruno fashion show.
Monsieur Bleu
In the evening we will go for diner with some friends at Monsieur Bleu (Palais de Tokyo, 20 avenue de New York, 75116, +33 1 47 20 90 47, monsieurbleu.com) to enjoy the spectacular setting in this brand new venue. It is in the Art Deco building of the museum of contemporary art, Palais de Tokyo (13 Avenue du Président Wilson 75116 Paris, +33 1 49 52 02 04, palaisdetokyo.com)? There, under nine- metre high ceilings, I will also be able to enjoy a rare view over the Eiffel Tower and the Seine. After dinner, we will go dancing in the same massive building at Yoyo (13, avenue du Président Wilson, 75 116 Paris, 00 33 1 81 97 35 88, palaisdetokyo.com/en/lifestyle/yoyo?), a great big club which opened just a week ago, where they will host their first "Prêt-à-Porter Collections Party". Knowing the PRs behind it, I am sure we'll have a blast.
Saturday
I will have breakfast (a double espresso, a tartine beurrée and a croissant) at Le Chartreux around the corner from my place (8 rue des chartreux Paris, 75006, +33 1 43 26 66 34). This tiny café has the original décor from the late 60s, and on weekdays you can often spot Laetitia Casta or Ines de la Fressange having their morning coffee after dropping their kids at a school nearby.
Sergeant Recruteur
For lunch I will take a 30 minute walk from Saint Germain to Ile Saint Louis, following the river to Sergeant Recruteur (41 Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île 75004 Paris, +33 1 43 54 75 42, lesergentrecruteur.fr), the new culinary sensation by Michelin starred chef Antonin Bonnet. There, I will discuss the communication strategy for the opening of Les Bains in the Fall of 2014, over a delicious fish with my close friend Colombe de La Taille, publicist and event manager "extraordinaire".
Centre Commercial
In the afternoon, I believe Colombe will be heading to the Comme des Garçons show while I will make a stop at Centre Commercial (2 Rue de Marseille 75010 Paris, +33 1 42 02 26 08, centrecommercial.cc) and Merci (111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 75003 Paris, +33 1 42 77 00 33, merci-merci.com) two great fashion stores for men and women, where I will be looking for two birthday gifts, one for a woman and... one for a man, how convenient! Then, I will be walking to the Hôtel Le Notre Dame (1 quai Saint-Michel, 75005, +33 1 43 54 20 43, hotelnotredameparis.com) to have a drink with Jean-Louis Corruble, who runs the place, and also works with me on Les Bains. I really like the small, affordable hotel, designed by Christian Lacroix with the most amazing view facing Notre Dame and the River. I will then take a look at the Shakspeare and Company (37 rue de la Bûcherie, 75005, +33 1 43 25 40 93, shakespeareandcompany.com) bookstore across the street, just to inhale its unmatchable bohemian atmosphere from the past.
Shakespeare & Co
Afterwards, I will absolutely go see the Don Nice show again, which opened last Thursday at Galerie Catherine Houard (15, rue Saint Benoit 75006, +33 9 54 20 21 49, catherinehouard.com). This American pop artist, now in his eighties, did, among other things, some of the most impressive watercolors of our time, mixing pop items such as sneakers, candies and Coke bottles with glorious landscapes, mostly of the Hudson Bay. Love 'em!
Dinner will be at Frenchie (5-6 Rue du Nil, 75002, +33 1 40 39 96 19, frenchie-restaurant.com) or Le Chateaubriand (29 Avenue Parmentier, 75011, +33 1 43 57 45 95, lechateaubriand.net) where I won't have to choose what I eat since its a fixed menu, always excellent. Then, believe it or not, I will go to play a Pac Man game and have a drink with friends at the new restaurant/night club Le Fantôme (32 rue de Paradis 75010, facebook.com/LeFantome), by artist André and his clique from Le Baron.
Frenchie
Dancing will be at Chez Raspoutine (58 rue de Bassano 75008, +33 1 47 20 02 90, raspoutine.org), the listed 40s cabaret (classé monument historique) designed by Herté and near the Champs Elysées, where they will celebrate their 3rd anniversary. I know, although it is a (not so) well-kept secret, that they will have surprise circus act during the evening. If they pull out a boa constrictor from a basket, it might help me go home a bit earlier than planned and finally get myself a decent night of sleep!
Sunday
Breakfast/brunch will take place as nearly every Sunday, at the Café de Flore (172 Boulevard Saint-Germain 75006, +33 1 45 48 55 26, cafedeflore.fr), where I like to pour over the Sunday newspapers while sharing lettuce and tomato salads, club sandwiches,
ham and cheese omelettes, croissants and café au laits with friends. Jogging in the Jardin du Luxembourg is a great thing to do in the afternoon. So, that is what I will do if I have it in me.
Le Perchoir
Watching the sunset from the roof of Le Perchoir (14 rue Crespin du Gast, 75011, +33 1 48 06 18 48) will also be an option or go for a snack and a cocktail drink such as the Dear Appollonia, (a stiff drink made out of grappa), at the Mary Celeste (1 rue Commines, 75003, lemaryceleste.com).
In the evening, I will connect with my old passion and go to the movies to see at least two films in a row at MK2 Quai de Loire and de Seine (7 quai de la Loire / 14 quai de la Seine 75019), two movie theatres facing each other on canal Saint Martin, where they give you a free boat ride to get from one to the other. Can't wait to see The Butler, starring my good friend Forrest Whitaker, with whom I worked with on Mary, the Abel Ferrara movie that I produced. I hope he will get another Oscar for this new performance. Everybody is raving about!
