Serious shoppers have long made pilgrimages to the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen in the northern outskirts of Paris. The world’s largest arts and antiquities market serves as inspiration for leading interior designers like Philippe Starck, who opened a restaurant there last year. (For shopping tips and recs on a personal guide, check out our article in the November 2012 issue of Luxury Travel Advisor.)
Further proof that the Puces isn’t just bric-a-brac: L'Eclaireur—one of the hottest concept stores in Paris—is opening a boutique there. Vogue Paris reports that the new store—the 7th for the brand, which also boasts a shop inside Le Royal Monceau hotel—will debut on June 8 as part of the Village Vintage concept in the heart of the Puces.
Habitat, the famous European furniture store which has also recently opened a vintage design store at Saint-Ouen, imagined Village Vintage as a sprawling space where the most prestigious names in fashion, accessories and design would be showcased. (Think Oscar de la Renta, Balenciaga, Céline, Marni, Dries Van Noten, and Martin Margiela.)
For more information on the Puces de Saint Ouen flea market, which is only open on the weekends, visit www.marcheauxpuces-saintouen.com.