Dear CHICettes,

Girl and the City has moved to a new home!

Subscribe today to my daily newsletter at www.chicsetera.com for all the latest in fashion, shopping, and chic news from Paris!!!!

Look forward to seeing you there!

xoxo

www.chicsetera.com

–daily CHIC news from Paris–

Acne jeans are popping into a new line of chinos inspired by iconic chino-wearers David Hockney and Robert Rauschenberg. The POP line (for both men and women) is to be available for preview from tomorrow evening, at a special cocktail in their new galerie Valois boutique.

Acne Studio, 124 galerie Valois, 75001 Paris, Tél: 01 42 60 16 61, M° Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre

www.acnejeans.com

The rumour mills are working overtime for the latest Brangelina pregnancy - everyone has been whispering twins - while French paparazzi will be intrigued to learn the Jolie-Pitts may be planning to deliver in France!! A tribute to Angelina’s mother Marcheline Bertrand, who passed away last year.

www.chicdressing.com

Meet the newest namesake bag from Hermès, a besace designed for Yohji Yamamoto, and first featured during the recent Paris Fashion Week. Initially offered in Barénia leather, the runway edition featured a super-luxe crocodile version, and is sure to heat up the custom orders at the Hermès atelier!

Available by special order from Hermès.

www.hermes.com

www.chanel.com

My lovely and way-awesome fashion friend Zack Ashley, who has just moved to Paris from New York, took some pics at the Just Cavalli opening Tuesday evening on the rue du Faubourg St-Honoré. I love his description of the new boutique, which he calls “very fairy tale slash space ship”. Only in fashion! The opening was celeb-low but the after party warmed up with Kanye West, Dita von Teese, and current Cavalli poster boys Rock&Roll (who are also going to be playing a secret set tonight at the Truskel – shhhh!) 

Just Cavalli, 50 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, 75008 Paris, M° Concorde

www.robertocavalli.com

One of the biggest scoops of this week’s fashion week is all about who is DJing and for whom! It seems everyone wants to thrown in their musical two cents! Last night English designer Gareth Pugh was a surprise addition to a Richard Mortimer (of Boombox fame) party. This weekend will see French actress Joana Preiss promoting her new album and spinning at a Rock & Republic party at the Hôtel de Crillon. And Saturday night’s Colette/Self Service party at Le Lup will feature two very hush-hush guests: YSL designer Stefano Pilati and actress/designer Chloë Sevigny!! Get your groove on!!

John Galliano’s show at Dior yesterday afternoon was a swinging sixties trip to the Valley of the Dolls! Big-haired super-groomed Barbies walked the catwalk, oozing with high-octane glamour! Colours were bright magentas, turquoises, lemons, and limes; prints were psychedelic; and the exotic skins were totally drool-worthy! 

www.dior.com

Last night Cacharel founder Jean Bousquet invited fashion press to a cocktail to view the upcoming collection under new artistic directors Mark Eley and Wakako Kishimoto of Eley Kishimoto fame. I can’t think of a better partnership and I love the quirky universe they’ve already created!

www.cacharel.com

Esteban Cortazar might be the new kid at Emanuel Ungaro, he’s amazingly only 24 years old, and he definitely has some large shoes to fill, but he’s obviously taking the attention in stride. Boxes of Jadis et Gourmande chocolates were dispatched yesterday morning to fashion editors worldwide with a note attached “Pressure? What pressure!!…” A sweet peek to his first show at Paris Fashion Week for Ungaro on February 27th!

www.estebancortazar.com

www.tassiacanellis.com

The cat’s out the bag: American sisters and local Parisian expats Bianca and Sierra Casady (AKA CocoRosie) will be the hot-band-to-watch performing at Prada’s New York fashion week party tomorrow night. It’s not a Prada first for the girls, who were also featured on the Spring 2006 runway soundtrack created by Frédéric Sanchez. Those of us in Paris shouldn’t feel left out however, on February 14th Bianca Casady will be celebrating the opening of her art-meets-fashion-meets-everything-else tea room called Mad Vicky’s Tea Gallery! Mariage Frères beware!

Mad Vicky’s Tea Gallery, 3 rue Nicolet, 75018 Paris, M° Château Rouge

www.madvickysteagallery.com

This has not become a food blog, I promise! But I’m so excited about my find yesterday! Coffee Union is an independent coffee shop offering real American donuts!! There are currently 13 different flavours, but there will be 20 by the end of the month, and everything is available for delivery. Homer Simpson would be proud.

Coffee Union, 11 blvd des Filles du Calvaire, 75003 Paris, 01 42 77 51 99, M° Filles du Calvaire

www.coffeeunion.fr

If I’m in an indulgent mood there’s nothing that can bring so much pleasure, or equally cause as much anguish, as cupcakes! Visits to the Magnolia Bakery in New York, Sprinkles in Los Angeles, or the Hummingbird in London, are remembered and replayed with an almost orgasmic fervour: all of the flavours, all of the colours, and not to mention the sprinkles! On the other hand, hearing of a friends visit to said cities and the knowledge that they may soon be gobbling their baker’s dozen at Bleeker and 11th is enough to bring one to the depths of despair!

Reading Mots de Mode’s blog yesterday about her visit to the Hummingbird Bakery (and I remember Géraldine from Café Mode blogged and visited too) made me decide to take action – it’s time the Parisian cupcake drought came to an end! In fact that is my project this weekend, and yours, if you’d like to participate too!

A super delicious cupcake recipe below! Let’s bake!

The Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Cupcakes: 

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract Icing:
Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.Vanilla Buttercream:
The vanilla buttercream used at the Magnolia Bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners’ sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture. 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extractPlace the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.Yields: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

Your inspiration:

www.magnoliacupcakes.com

www.sprinklescupcakes.com www.hummingbirdbakery.com

Every couture week I come to realise just how much I have still to learn about fashion and clothes! I used to blank when someone mentioned a term like dolman sleeve (was that the shorter elongated sleeve or a puffy cuffed sleeve?! Panic!) but recently I got a hold of former Yves Saint Laurent staffer Sophie George’s new fantastic book Le Vêtement de A à Z, a complete guide to sartorial terminology and I love it! Entirely bilingual in English and French (very useful) – it comes from her new publishing house Editions Falbalas – the first house to be exclusively devoted to fashion!  

En librairie now or at www.amazon.fr

The champagne was flowing at last night’s Louis Vuitton launch for Blason – the new line of fine jewellery designed by Marc Jacobs gal-pal Camille Miceli and rapper/producer Pharrell Williams. A wild start to Couture week!

Camille Miceli and Pharrell Williams launch Blason

Pharrell Williams and Ludivine Sagnier

Sophia Coppola, LV President Yves Carcelle, and Virginie Ledoyen

Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson

Elodie Bouchez and Romain Duris

www.louis-vuitton.com

A Friday sale on Girl and the City to get in the spirit of things! A very fashionable friend who works at a major fashion house is selling a selection of shoes and other items. To view a complete list please send an email to me at girlandthecity@hotmail.com and I will forward you the images which have prices and sizes listed. Bon weekend and happy shopping! xox

Ok so maybe I’m not officially back from sale shopping! However one I thing I will pick up before the end of the day are this year’s edition of stamps from couture houses like Franck Sorbier (above), Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, Chanel and Givenchy (I feel very guilty – I still have to send Christmas and New Years cards! Eek!).

www.laposte.net

… back tomorrow! xox Girl and the City

www.soldesbyparistouch.com