Travel

6th Arrondissement Shops

Establishment neighborhood
Hermès
17 Rue de Sèvres, 6th
Inconceivable as it may sound, we like Hermès’ Left Bank outpost even more than the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré original. Occupying a 1935 Art Deco landmark, which at one time was a swimming pool (the mosaic tile floor remains), this location is a complete brand departure. Archways made from undulating latticed wood reach toward the skylights, and the displays are spare. Beyond the usual suspects of scarves, ties, watches, and saddlery, the space includes an in-house café as well.
Trudon
78 Rue de Seine, 6th
In 1634, grocer and wax merchant Claude Trudon opened a store on Rue St. Honoré—and Trudon has been lighting the city’s palaces and homes ever since. Thanks to their superlative wax and rigorous candle-making process, the scented pillars burn for hours—without ever sputtering or smoking. They’re not cheap—after all, as company lore would have it, Napoleon’s only gift to his newborn son was a Trudon candle encrusted with three pieces of gold—but they are exquisite. The Paris boutique, complete with a rainbow wall of tapers, busts cast in wax, and the full expression of fragrances, shouldn’t be missed.
Vanessa Bruno
25 Rue St. Sulpice, 6th
While Vanessa Bruno has more of a global presence these days, for many, a trip to the Paris flagship used to justify a flight to France. That’s because Vanessa Bruno offers a very specific spin on romantic-yet-modern clothing: Here, you’ll find delicate silk rompers arranged next to chunky lace tops and butterfly-patterned pants. It’s always pretty, but never, ever twee. There are also two other locations, one in the 3rd and one in the 1st.
Bonton
Le Bon Marché, 24 Rue de Sèvres, 6th
Launched by the son of the founders of Bonpoint, Bonton is styled like a department store for minis: Heart shaped cushions, bedside lamps cast in the shape of geese, knitted rattles, strawberry-printed crib sheets, stationery, tutus, and toys mingle with the house line of solid (and adorable) basics. Beyond baby shower gifts and souvenirs for little ones back home, this is an excellent pitstop if you have kids in tow. After all, there’s an in-store hair salon and a retro photo booth. There are also locations in the 3rd, the 7th, and Galeries Lafayette.
Zef
55 Bis Rue des St. Pères, 6th
You'll wish everything at Zef came in cuts for adults (if you're the size of a teenager, you're in luck), whether it's a star-print sweatshirt, an elbow patch adorned sweater, or a sheepskin jacket. Owned by the daughter of fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, there are no mis-steps here: In fact you'll want your kids to stop growing so they can wear this stuff forever. The range runs from newborn to 16-years. There are also locations in the 1st, 7th, and 16th.
Serendipity (Closed)
81 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 6th
If you’re the sort of parent who routinely tears pages out of Milk for nursery inspiration, then Serendipity is your mothership: It’s not twee at all. You’ll find bits of décor that will grow with your child, like woven rattan bucket chairs sized for little butts, poufs cast in the shape of balloons, and Tamar Morgendorff’s hand-sewn swan wall mounts. There are overhead cabin appropriate toys, too, like a two-meter roll of coloring paper that depicts the Paris cityscape and pint-sized binoculars that are virtually indestructible.