Martin Margiela | Garçons store | Paris | designer

There's a men's store called L'Eclaireur [pictured at left] that I always go to if I have time. They have tremendous taste and bring in better-known designers, but also lesser-known designers. L'Eclaireur has clothes and accessories, they might have some luggage, a few records, shoes. If you're looking for men's stuff, I would go there. They carry stuff like Martin Margiela. Margiela is a Belgian designer who designed for Hermès. Margiela opened a store in Paris recently. The store is hidden on a little pathway on the side of the great gardens of the Palais Royal. Typical of Margiela, the store has almost no sign in front of it. I think in London they have a sign, but in Paris I don't think they have the sign. The only way you know that you're at a Martin Margiela store is the label on the clothes, which includes the numbers one through 23. Depending on what line it is, if it's women's evening wear or if it's men's casual wear or if it's accessories, one of the numbers is circled. So they like to be a little obtuse, but it's well worth the hunt. A good concierge would be able to tell you immediately where to go.

Going to the Comme des Garçons store is an extraordinary experience. They have one room that, the last time I was there, was painted completely red. And there were these red plastic ottomans on the floor, and you'd sit on them and they'd all start moving. It's very high-concept, this store, which is typical of Comme des Garçons. It's also interesting because their perfumes are very bizarre. They use things that you wouldn't expect, like leather and dirt, as inspiration for their scents.

AT MY MOST BEAUTIFUL
You have to go to the Musée Rodin. They have drawers filled with little sculpted hands. I think some of them might be [Rodin's] students', but they have these drawers that open that are filled with little hands that he would just sculpt and sculpt and sculpt. It's pretty extraordinary. And Notre Dame - you have to go there. Then go sit at one of the cafes and have some chocolate ice cream. Even if you don't like chocolate ice cream, have some chocolate ice cream. You'll pay four times what it's worth, but the view that comes with it is just beautiful.