Bowled over by Bows

I seem to be intent on looking like a over-embellished chocolate box (well, someone DID comment that I over-accessorised so I’ll stand by that comment like a trooper…), what with all this talk of rosettes and now bows…

Palais-Royal is a bit of a Paris must-see in a few ways, playing host to a useful Marc Jacobs store, a stunning Pierre Hardy store and a fantastically simple Rick Owens store.  The home grown Parisian turf store is the famous Didier Ludot where I have to gasp because this designer vintage store is astronomically expensive.  Still, looking is for free right? 

In the windows of Didier Ludot is a display created by up and coming French designer Alexis Mabille who has been making accessories (Treizeor) based on different variations of the bow tie and also has a ready to wear line called Impasse 13.  I’ll be looking forward to seeing this couture-influenced designer judging from past collections. 

He has created some special couture pieces though for the display with the hope that he will show his couture line in January.  It didn’t photograph well, but the piece that caught everyone’s eye was the coat adorned with apparently 650 organza bows and took Mabille two and half weeks to construct.  There aren’t that many people in this world who could pull of 650 bows at the same time, but behind a window with those pastel pinks, mauves and peaches gleaming out, at the Palais Royal where you might have a fancifully pastel pastry or two, drinking some Jasmine tea, it makes perfect contextual sense.