http://www.theswitch.fr/

BRING ME FLOWERS, SING ME A SONG: Karuna Balloo is a Paris based ‘horticultural textile...

Wed, 30 May 2012 15:36:00 +0200

BRING ME FLOWERS, SING ME A SONG: Karuna Balloo is a Paris based ‘horticultural textile designer’. That is, she takes vintage or hand dyed silks and creates intricate flowers to thread through your hair, pin to a hat or your garments as worn above by Joséphine de la Baume on the front cover of her album, ‘In Wonder’ by Singtank (remember them from our opening party at W Paris - Opéra?!) that just came out this week. Each flower that Karuna, originally from Mauritius, handcrafts is unique and named after a song. Fierce, sweet, acidic, feminine - find your keepsake accessory amongst the electronic floral display on her website www.karunaballoo.com

Singtank LP cover shot by Pierre Even and styled by Elisa Nalin

Buy via iTunes here

THURSDAY NIGHT IN PARIS

Wed, 30 May 2012 15:07:00 +0200

MY HOUSE IS YOUR HOUSE: Since discovering the DJs Aurélien Haaas and Jeff Lasson aka Get A Room! at our opening parties at W Paris - Opéra we try to catch them when we can. Their cosmic mix of electronic house, deep house, electro, disco and Balearic has put this pair right on the map for us as DJs for summer 2012. We’re told the pair will be hosting Sunday sunsets at Wanderlust, the forthcoming and brand new night-club and events space that opens next week in Paris (more details to follow in the coming week) - Balearic Sundays ahoy? We’ll soon find out….

MATCH POINT: Romain Gavras, enfant terrible of international...

Wed, 30 May 2012 11:46:00 +0200

MATCH POINT: Romain Gavras, enfant terrible of international music video directors, has released another video rife with conflict and anger for Jay Z and Kanye West’s track ‘No Church In The Wild’. Essentially it’s just a load of blokes rucking with the police, the lyrics contain more depth but perhaps the artists wanted to keep the video simple. There’s no wry social comment hidden amongst all the pow! zap! pof! like there was with the MIA ‘Bad Girls’ video but hey, it’s unquestionably a beautifully shot and precisely acted piece of work that will now join the higher annals of pop history. Look out for the performances by the elephants and horses, an animal oscar to them all.

SNAPSHOT: PHOTO SCRUM

Tue, 29 May 2012 17:50:03 +0200

MAD FOR IT: Photographers jostling for their shot as Parisian DJ and producer Kavinsky takes to the decks at Villa Schweppes, Cannes May 21. Need to know track: Nightcall from the soundtrack of Drive (Youtube)

Kavinsky Soundcloud

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Yes, yes, yes the women and...

Tue, 29 May 2012 12:31:00 +0200

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE BOYS: Yes, yes, yes the women and the gowns on the red carpet at Cannes but what about the men? Here Wes Anderson, Edward Norton and Bill Murray show how versatile a tuxedo can be in expressing its owners personality: Wes, a known fan of custom-made suits, is wearing dark purple velvet with Vichy check shirt and oversized bow-tie, Edward Norton is wearing a sleek black ensemble by Dior Homme while Bill Murray is wearing a bright bow-tie that we’re told that he very proudly tied himself for the red carpet. Also wearing tailored Dior Homme on the red carpet are Ewan McGregor, Sam Riley and Walter Salles. A few styles of ‘Le Smoking’ are offered by Dior Homme but it’s the streamlined and thin collars, slim trouser and strip ties that the French maison has become known for. For W Paris - Opéra guests, the flagship Dior store where the full menswear range is carried is located at 30 Avenue Montaigne, 75008. Tel: 01 40 73 73 73

www.Dior.com

LADY ON RED

Tue, 29 May 2012 11:31:00 +0200

ANJA RUBIK wears a cobweb lace and silk chiffon gown from the autumn-winter 12/13 pret-a-porter collection by Elie Saab on the red carpet at Cannes. Represented by Next models in Paris, Polish beauty Anja is also the face of Elie Saab perfume. Look at that make-up, absolutely flawless.

The Elie Saab flagship store in Paris sits at the top of Les Champs Elysées (1 Rond-point des Champs Elysées-Marcel Dassault, 75008. Tel: 01 42 56 77 77) and is also home to the couture and design ateliers upstairs, a must-visit for fans of the Lebanese designer.

www.eliesaab.com

VINYL: JUST SOLD OUT

Tue, 29 May 2012 11:27:00 +0200

INTERVIEW: Cover artwork for the vinyl version of the new EP by Mathieu Lescop that’s still available in digital form. Need to know track: La Foret (vimeo). We interviewed Mathieu just minutes before he played a live gig inside the Armani store in Saint-Germain at the beginning of the month where he talks about his forthcoming LP, the story behind the making of the video to La Foret and the attention he puts into writing lyrics….

You re going to play for Armani tonight, how many tracks are you planning to play? Sixteen tracks and it will last a bit longer than half an hour

Have you already recorded your first album? Yes it’s already recorded and is going to be released in September

In France, with which label are you with? I am on the label Popnoire Records (site)

I really loved the video for La Forêt, who directed it? John and Jane (who run PopNoire records

Is there a story behind it? We were at the studio because I was recording the album with John, Jane was filming the recording process and since it was very dark in the studio she was lighting me with a lamp, at some point she moved the lamp and filmed with the camera and we liked the effect so we decided to shoot the video in total darkness with that effect.

I love the lyrics Thanks!

Are you very careful when it comes to writing lyrics? Because the lyrics to La Forêt are really strong, more so than is usual in a pop song. I wrote the text first then the track came second. Lyrics are what I spend more time on, first I look for musicality in the words and once I got that the composing music arrives naturally

You live in the suburbs of Paris, have you ever lived in the center of Paris? No never

Do you want to? Maybe one day but I think I have the soul of a suburban

How did you meet your label Popnoire? Because they are good friends, Jane is a friend from my teenage years, we kept in touch because they are artists like me

to buy on iTunes HERE

INSPIRATION FOR A LAZY WEEK-END PART 2: Made for the womens surf...

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:38:00 +0200

INSPIRATION FOR A LAZY WEEK-END PART 2: Made for the womens surf brand pret-a-surf by Duffy Higgins and John Jaxheimer, this fashion film made it to the short-list of finalists in the Vimeo Awards 2012.

www.pretasurf.com

INSPIRATION ON A LAZY WEEK-END: Paris and New York City have...

Sat, 26 May 2012 11:32:00 +0200

INSPIRATION ON A LAZY WEEK-END: Paris and New York City have long shared a creative relationship and so until the winners are announced we’re going to preview the finalists amongst the 2012 Vimeo awards shortlist (being held in New York June 7-9) who continue the link between the Big Apple and the City Of Lights. First up ‘Step, Clap, Go’ by Opening Ceremony that’s headed by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon who are the creative directors of Kenzo in Paris….

www.kenzo.com

SUNGLASSES ON! Temperatures are soaring in the city which means...

Fri, 25 May 2012 14:30:29 +0200

SUNGLASSES ON! Temperatures are soaring in the city which means one thing to Parisians not at Cannes - “au parc!” One outdoor destination is Square des Batignolles, the largest green space in central Paris that features landscaped gardens and architectural follies such as temples, tea-house, bridges, waterfalls and sculpted cascades. Here, Parisian folk group Captain Kid performs live for www.soul-kitchen.fr in the park….

PARIS DESIGN: LE TRABENDO NIGHT-CLUB

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:53:00 +0200

Today, urban music festival LA VILLETTE SONIQE kicks off in the north-east of Paris with MF Doom, Shabazz Palaces and Flying Lotus playing live but afterwards (and throughout the festival) the after parties are being held at Le Trabendo which unveiled it’s redesign last month. To celebrate both we spoke to Ahonen & Lamberg aka Anna Ahonen and Katariina Lamberg, the Paris based design duo who art directed the décor and graphic identity…

Off the top of your head, can you choose four words to describe your redesign of Trabendo? Rhythm, geometry, boldness, excitement.

How long did the project take to execute? We started the project with the interior architect Linda Bergroth in October 2011 and the opening was April 12th.

Is there anything to say about the choice of font or the choice of colour palette? For us a big inspiration were music lovers and the traditional music venue aesthetics, with the light boards screaming the names of the bands, we wanted to choose a typeface from that world. The client wanted to have something colorful and we wanted to bring the colorfulness to a second level so that it’s surprising and sophisticated. The 13 colors have been chosen from high art masterpieces.

Where is your atelier and what are you working on today? Our office is in Marais. At the moment we are working on more wall painting designs for London and Montreal, logos, visual identities and clothing prints for fashion houses.

Can you name a place in Paris that you find creatively inspiring? Any great concert, exhibition, show… Paris is full of inspiring people, events and places. For us, anyway, the inspiration often comes from trivial everyday life of Paris.

www.ahonenandlamberg.com

www.villettesonique.com

www.trabendo.fr

Django Django mix-tape for Radio Nova

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:34:33 +0200

Django Django mix-tape for Radio Nova

THIS WEEK-END IN PARIS: FRANÇOIS KEVORKIAN

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:11:00 +0200

D IS FOR DISCO: When talking about François Kevorkian superlatives start tumbling from the sky. A French DJ who emigrated to New York in the 70s, François K is a direct link to the birth of house music; he’s the DJs DJ. Before drum machines had been invented he was the session drummer on many disco tracks and DJed at the legendary Paradise Garage with Larry Levan plus Studio 54 and the Zanzibar club. Moving forward nearly thirty years and Kevorkian was part of Body & Soul the Sunday day-to-night New York club that’s one of a few key nights attributed with honing and polishing the sound of deep and soulful house music. Musically Kevorkian is a jack of all trades, there’s no sonic genre that he can’t explore and mould into a DJ set where one of his signature elements can be long, cosmic mixes between tracks that take the dance-floor on a journey or up, up and up into a frenzy. Kervorkian is known to relish playing twelve hour mixes where he really takes the floor off into outer-space but for Paris, though he’s appearing for much shorter periods of time, he is appearing twice, lucky us. First for a RedBull Masterclass Q&A with Didier Lastrade (free entry) and then again for a DJ set. For details follow the Facebook links….

http://www.facebook.com/events/278183788937584/

http://www.facebook.com/events/308649849210302/

SCUFF IT UP, WEAR IT IN: The must-see Parisian menswear store...

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:08:00 +0200

SCUFF IT UP, WEAR IT IN: The must-see Parisian menswear store French Trotters has collaborated with Bleu de Chauffe, the made-in-France, eco holdall brand on a capsule range that includes a 100% desirable leather strap for your camera. Click on images to enlarge.

La boutique incontournable pour hommes French Trotters a collaboré avec Bleu de Chauffe, une marque française écologique.

www.frenchtrotters.fr

www.bleu-de-chauffe.com

SOIRÉE DIY COCKTAILS NIGHT AT THE W: Last night the Living Room...

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:10:00 +0200

SOIRÉE DIY COCKTAILS NIGHT AT THE W: Last night the Living Room hosted the first of a monthly event where customers are invited to have a little fun with the expert bar staff and our exclusive cocktail menu. The concept is simple, choose a cocktail then come behind the bar and be taught how to make it with friends who are seated at the bar. A different way to do apéro’s or apéritif’s with friends before going off into the Parisian night….. (click on images to enlarge)

La nuit dernière au Living Room s’est tenue la première édition de l’évènement mensuel où les clients sont invités à s’amuser avec l’équipe du bar et leur carte exclusive de cocktails. Le concept est simple: choisir un cocktail puis s’installer derrière le bar pour y apprendre à le préparer pour les amis assis au bar. Un approche différente de prendre l’apéro avec des amis avant de s’aventurer dans la nuit parisienne…

www.wparisopera.com / 4 Rue Meyerbeer 75009 Paris. 01 77 48 94 94

(photos Fabien Pochez and Yoko Miyake)

The third single from the debut album ‘I Thought I Was An...

Wed, 23 May 2012 12:11:00 +0200

The third single from the debut album ‘I Thought I Was An Alien’ by Stéphanie Sokolinski who used to be a regular at the Pop In bar that was the hub for the nu-folk scene in Paris partly due to the fact that David-Ivar, lead singer from Herman Dune, DJed and hosted the Sunday night open mic sessions there….

Le troisième single de son premier album ‘I thought I was Alien’ de Stéphanie Sokolinski ancienne régulière du bar le Pop In qui a accueilli toute la scène nu-folk à Paris en partie grâce à David-Ivar, le chanteur de Herman Dune, qui y organisait des soirées le dimanche soir.

www.s-o-k-o.com

TAKE A SEAT HON, YOU LOOK FABULOUS: Have you visited the new,...

Tue, 22 May 2012 18:28:00 +0200

TAKE A SEAT HON, YOU LOOK FABULOUS: Have you visited the new, huge Prada store on Avenue Montaigne yet? Where many Prada stores buy their ranges according to the tastes of the area in which it’s located, the store on Avenue Montaigne holds the full runway collections. Ready, steady, go! In the meantime watch the new, sparkling short starring Helena Bonham Carter and directed by Roman Polanski, it’s delish.

Avez-vous visité la nouvelle et gigantesque boutique Prada sur l’avenue Montaigne? Tandis que la plupart des boutiques accordent leurs stocks en fonction des goûts de la région, le magasin de l’avenue Montaigne offre toutes les collections complètes. A vos marques, prêts, partez! En avant-goût, voici le nouveau et brillant spot réalisé par Roman Polanski and helena Bonham Carter, un délice!

Prada 10 Avenue Montaigne 75008 Paris. Men’s: +33 (0) 153239946 / Women’s: +33 (0) 153239942.

PARIS DESIGN: La Chance is a new Parisian based furniture and...

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:58:00 +0200

PARIS DESIGN: La Chance is a new Parisian based furniture and lighting design company that launched its debut collection during Tom Dixon’s MOST at Milan Design Week last month. La Chance favours objects that show their inner working and structure while Jekyll and Hyde is a concept that asked designers to create two versions of each - “the Jekyll version features prime colours and shiny finishes while Hyde is in monotone or natural materials, like brushed metal and oiled wood,” reads the company communication. Founded by Gallic duo Jean-Baptiste Souletie, 28 and Louise Breguet, 27, La Chance brings together international talents including Pierre Favresse whose ‘Magnum’ table is featured here. A lecturer at Les Arts Décoratifs Favresse is seen as an ambassador for the ‘nouvelle vague’ in current French furniture design.

Jekyll: Matte walnut or black lacquered tabletop, Carrara marble legs, black structure

Hyde: Matte birch or blue lacquered table top, birch legs, blue beige or black structure

www.lachance.fr

www.pierrefavresse.com

SNAPSHOT FROM PARIS

Tue, 22 May 2012 17:55:00 +0200

SECRET DESTINATIONS: Ravioli being made at Pasta Linea, an Italian Epicerie where fresh, organic pasta is made every day according to traditional Italian recipe’s. Opened by Italian Sylvie Pronzato and Parisian Alexis Pottecher Pasta Linea is a weekly must for gastronomic lovers in the know.

Ravioli en fabrication chez Pasta Linea, l’épicerie italienne qui prépare tous les jours des pâtes fraiches et bio selon les recettes italiennes traditionnelles. Ouvert par l’italienne Sylvie Pronzato et le parisien Alexis Pottecher, Pasta Linea est un must pour les amateurs de gastronomie et les gourmands.

Pasta Linea, 9 Rue De Turenne 75004, 01 42 77 62 54

TONIGHT AT W PARIS - OPÉRA

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:38:00 +0200

SHAKE IT UP: Starting tonight is the first in our Soirée DIY Cocktail events where visitors to our Living Room bar can have the chance to mix their own cocktails from a menu provided in the presence of experienced maker Aurélie Panhelleux. From 7pm until 2am.

Ce soir, la première de la Soirée Cocktails DIY lors de laquelle les visiteurs de notre bar du Living Room auront la chance de préparer eux-mêmes les cocktails sélectionnés par Aurélie Panhelleux. De 7pm à 2am.

W Paris - Opéra, 4 Rue Meyerbeer 75009 Paris. 01 77 48 94 94

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