0 - WELCOME

March aka Spring!

February flew by and it’s already March, which means that Spring is here! I’m excited to put my winter coats in storage and switch them for trenches and lighter outerwear. Last month, I ended up going to Paris for 1.5 weeks, which was a glorious escape from the snow and cold in NYC. This has definitely been the coldest winter in a long time, so I’m glad all of that is over now (fingers crossed)!

For this month’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing my favourite spots in Paris — shopping, design, food and otherwise. Hopefully I’ll be back later this year, but until then, I am headed to Utah and Aspen in a few weeks to ski! It’s been a minute and I can’t wait to be a ski bunny.

1 - FASHION

Spring Picks

Spring merchandise is arriving in earnest online/in stores now, and I’m very happy about the newness. As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, I’ve found fashion to be pretty homogenous lately, and I’m craving something more interesting, whether it’s colour, texture, or material. Here is what I have my eye on for spring:

Under $300 Favourites

Luxury brands keep increasing their prices and clothes are becoming more cost-prohibitive these days. As a result, I find myself gravitating towards high(er) street brands like Massimo Dutti, COS, and Source Unknown. Here are my under-$300 favourites (with some great dupes too):

Jewelry Brands

Last month, I shared my favourite apparel brands, and this month, it’s time for jewelry! I’m excited about all the options in the market right now — there’s really no need to be buying the traditional stuff (unless it’s vintage of course):

• Le Sundial: Le Sundial’s designs are quite refreshing and it also doesn’t hurt that Silvia, the founder, is incredibly chic. I recently bought the Onyx Tassel Necklace

• Jujuvera: A new-ish brand from NYC, Jujuvera skews more vintage-inspired and a little “louder” if you will. I like the Mayra Cuff

• Agmes: Agmes is my go-to for well-made, interesting jewelry. I’ve been to their showroom a few times, and Morgan, the founder, is very sweet. I wear the Turner Ring and Jean Cuff all the time

• Sophie Buhai: As you probably noticed by now, I wear a lot of Sophie Buhai. Her pieces are pretty much the epitome of “classic with a twist”. I love her silver jewelry — right now the Nautilus Ring and Perfume Choker are on heavy rotation

• Arielle Ratner: I’ve been following Arielle Ratner for years and her jewelry is amazing. She’s primarily known for engagement rings, but her fine jewelry is delightful too. These Flora Studs are on my wishlist

Five Things I Bought

Here are five things that I bought and loved last month:

2 - TRAVEL

Paris

Ah Paris, the city of love! I feel right at home in Paris — a large part of it is due to its fashion/cultural attractions, and the other is probably because I speak French. I’ve been many times now, so it’s time I created a guide of my favourite spots so far.

What to Do

• Paris has a plethora of museums. Every time I go, there’s always a new one I haven’t heard of or been to. If we skip the obvious ones, my favourites are Atelier Brancusi, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Musée National Picasso, Fondation Louis Vuitton and Musée de l'Orangerie

• For architecture/design, I am obsessed with Fondation Le Corbusier and Villa La Roche. I highly recommend visiting Le Corbusier’s apartment as well

• I hear Paris has great lymphatic drainage and kobido, but I haven’t have time to check it out. Suisen, EviDenS and Holidermie are on my list

• For exercise, I go to Barry’s, Reformation Pilates and The New Me Pilates. I find Barry’s in Paris a lot harder than NYC (which is saying something)

Where to Shop

• European brands are always cheaper in Paris, especially with the 12% VAT refund. Paris has all the typical luxury brands, but I especially love Charvet, Dries van Noten, Lemaire, Alaia, Destree, and Charlotte Chesnais

• For vintage, I go to Nuovo Vintage and Open Dressing (as an FYI, vintage doesn’t qualify for VAT refunds). Other stores I love and always visit include The Broken Arm, Ofr, Librairie 7L, Le Bon Marché and Dover Street Market

• For interior design, I like Carpenters Workshop Gallery, Pierre Yovanovitch Mobilier, Aurelien Serre, Galerie Amélie du Chalard and Laura Gonzalez for inspiration

What to Eat / Drink

• There are so many coffee shops in Paris that we almost went to a different one every day. My favourites are Nuances, Buddy Buddy, The Coffee, Noir and Laïzé

• Boulangeries and patisseries are everywhere — I like The French Bastards and Aux Merveilleux de Fred

• My favourite restaurants as of late are Komatsubaki, Sushi B, Shabour and Verjus, but there are so many on my list that I haven’t been to yet

Where to Stay

• We have stayed all over the city, but my favourite area is Le Marais due to its proximity to the places I frequent. I find staying around the Champs-Elysées / Saint-Honoré the equivalent of staying in Soho (hard pass)

• There is no shortage of nice hotels in Paris. Ones I find very chic: Hotel Lutetia, Hotel Balzac, Saint James, Le Pavillon de la Reine

3 - OTHER

4 - PARTING NOTE

I usually try to watch most of the Oscar-nominated movies before the actual event, but I’ve had no time this year. Which ones are your favourite? Let me know so I can prioritize!