JARRAR AT SCHERRER

The sometimes old world appeal of Paris just got a little hipper. Bouchra Jarrar, Nicholas Ghesquiere's right-hand woman is stepping into the shoes of the new artistic director at Jean Louis Scherrer. By the same token, the somewhat traditionally luxurious Parisian couture house, gets a rejuvenating injection.

Hip metamorphosis ahead! Jarrar's impressive resume boasts a background in jewelery design for Jean Paul Gaultier before moving to Balenciaga, where she worked alongside Nicolas Ghesquiere for nearly ten years. Work is an understatement when you are the director of the studio and the man's confidante. Responsible for creating ready-to-wear and accessories, she is expected to make her debut for the brand in October for spring/summer 2008. My eyes will be fixed on the podiums.

CHOCOART

We live in an era of perpetual recycling, sampling and morphing, hopefully not because we have run out of fresh, new ideas, but because occasionally certain unpredictable intermingling yields explosively grand results. Or so we hope. La « via chocolat » is a place between an art gallery and a chocolaterie, where skilled cocoasmiths from around the Gaul country display their edible treasures along side the quirky iron sculptures.
Tacky or tempting? The call is yours.
Unusual mixtures are also integrated in to the recipes, so if you are the curious, experimental type it might well be worth the detour. A psy-chocolat-ique analysis is on offer with plenty of cocoa related trivia. My palette will surely not oppose!

Le cho'room Via Chocolat
5, rue Jean Baptiste Pigalle
75009 PARIS
01 45 26 12 73
Tuesday-Friday: 13H00 19H30 Saturday: 10H30 20H00
www.viachocolat.com

FRENCH ELECTIONS

I have already posted about the campaign conscious trends emerging on the Parisian runways, but what of the actual campaign?
Here is a short scoop on last night's results: the French centre-right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy (garnering 31% of the vote) and Socialist Segolene Royal (who took 26%) - possibly France's first female leader, defeated 10 others in last night's ballot, with a record voter turnout of nearly 85%. A nice change following the disastrous results of the last campaign, when negligence to vote lead to surprisingly extreme results.

While we digest these results the contenders are off preparing for the second tour on May 6

More politics: http://news.bbc.co.uk

ATELIERS GUERLAIN

If you are a devotee of divine aromas and esteem that €180 is hardly an expense when it allows for penetration of the empire of the scents, then this is for you! Every friday, starting this coming May 2007, La Maison Guerlain, opens its creative ateliers to the public - expect the ateliers to surprise you with a little twist and a lot of marketing.
Rendez-vous at the Champs Elyesees flagship store where a certain Carole Aymé, responsable of development, will propose olfactive games, short film projections and even a possible initiation into the universe of perfume making. Two types of all day ateliers await your yearning schnoze - for adults and for kids, except the kids get lucky and get in for €35. Lunch is included!


Maison Guerlain,
68, avenue des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris.
Tél : 01 45 62 52 57
http://www.guerlain.com

CAMPAIGNING IN STYLE

Amid the chaos of the much publicized elections, torn between Monsieur Bayrou, Monsieur Sarkozy and la belle Mme Royale, France is maintaining their legendary revolutionary spirit and their sense of style. In tune with the trends and the 2007 campaign, blue, white and red - the national colors - are all the rage. Check out this Chanel pre-collection bag disguised as the French flag!

Only 1, 350 €

to read more about the elections click here http://news.bbc.co.uk