Palais Royal / Galerie Vivienne
Purses out, c'est Paris! Start at m: Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre, exit pl. Colette, beneath the Jean-Michel Othoniel fantasy crown. First, get distracted by the fab figurines at Drapeaux de France / 40 20 00 11 / pl Colette, then power up for retail assault with an espresso at Le Nemours / 42 61 34 14. Ready? head into the Palais Royal and up to Galerie Montpensier to your left, home to military medals at #6-8 Bacqueville / 42 96 26 90, couture pieces at vintage guru Didier Ludot at #24, and even more pretty pre-loved finds at #31-33 Gabrielle Geppert / 42 61 53 52. Get regal with stunning stones at #43 Vincent Avenches / 42 72 81 73, then furnish your chateau at #63 Maison de Vacances / 47 03 99 74. Back to the Palais entrance, then zip up Galerie de Valois for more temptation, including standout contempo jewels, furny and art at #166 IBU Gallery / 42 60 06 41. Delage at #15 crafts exotic leather shoes, next to pop glam leather clutches and bags chez Corto Moltedo / #146 / 49 27 97 91. Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido at #142 / 49 27 09 09 / has the full range of diva Serge Lutens' scents while culty, distressed-luxe fashion boy Rick Owens' store is at #130, artisan glovemaker Maison Fabre at #128, and M. Ludot's LBD store La Petite Robe Noire is at #125. Cross the street, cut through the gate, and up the steps to hidden ‘Passage des Deux Pavillons'. At last, something for the gents. Derville / 42 96 82 27 / has jewel-toned, bespoke shoes, and Maison Bonnet (see Adv. Shopping) makes sharp specs. Cross the street, turn right, and enter the C.19th shopping arcade Galerie Vivienne. There's a well-earned bordeaux waiting at #12 Legrand Filles et Fils / 42 60 07 12, or a cuppa and a thigh-inflating homemade cake at #35 A Priori Thé. Here you'll also find great rare old books at #45 Librairie Jousseaume, and monsieur Jean Paul Gaultier's mothership at #6 / 42 86 05 05. Stop before you drop and have a truffle-laden lunch at #13 Un Jour à Peyrassol / 42 60 12 92. Exit and push on to find Debauve & Gallais' royal chocs at #33 / 40 39 05 50. Now cross the place de la Bourse, turning left onto rue du 4 Septembre, right onto rue Montmartre, and a few steps further take a final right into interior design heaven aka rue du Mail. First up, find gorge cushions at #13 Houlès / 83 79 06 00, with sleek modernity in silk across the cobble at #20 Christian Fischbacher / 42 36 97 00. Zig-zag your way down the narrow street, drooling over woven eye-candy in the windows. Now, a quick left to the place des Victoires brings you to a row of chic shops incl. Victoire, Maje, Hartford et al. Then, follow rue Etienne Marcel into rue Hérold to find the hyper-chic L'Éclaireur (see Stand. Stores) for fash, art and lifestyle at #10. Exit left, then right and quick left to Galerie VéroDodat. Powder your nose at #21 ByTerry (see Adv. Shop.), before browsing through the gallery and finally ending at, deep breath ladies, the flagship of Christian Louboutin / 19 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau / 42 36 53 66. Phew! Time for a tipple a prance around the corner at trendy Le Fumoir / 6 rue de l'Amiral de Coligny / 42 92 00 24. Cin cin, chérie!