Saturday, December 15, 2007

A la Bonne Renommée

I went for a walk in the Marais the other day and took pictures of one of my favorite shops, A la Bonne Renommée, which I can highly recommend for anyone who loves ethnic textiles. It's a fabulous store, very inspirational. I'm going to include it on my list of places for quilters to visit in Paris.

Just look at the window display. Ethnic jewelry, beautiful ikat, and a suzani. Swoon.
Beautiful pillow made of ikat fabric (at least I assume that's ikat, somebody correct me if I'm wrong).
And a close-up of the little silver pitcher with fabric tassels. So simple, yet so lovely. Gives me decorating ideas.
I love these embroidered slippers.

A lovely jacket. I did a terrible job of getting the labels photographed, so I'm afraid I don't know the details of this piece.
A shisha'd jacket from Gujarat in northern India.

I so wanted to take good pictures of the suzanis, but always caught lots of window reflection. Suzanis are embroidered wallhangings made in Central Asia in countried such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. From this picture you might believe this is an appliqued quilt.
Look at the hat - the christmas lights at the top are a festive touch. The wooden object in the lower right appears to be a pin cushion - at the very least it has pins sticking out of it, and more of those wonderful fabric tassels.
Another suzani.
A close-up. I'll talk more about the book later in the post.
I went into the store for the first time and worked up the nerve to ask permission to take photos. They agreed - woohoo.
These pointy hats are such a hoot.
I love the embroidery on the scarf.
More suzanis and an embroidered pillow:

Suzanis and patchwork pillows:

This outfit is so cute. I'm sure I couldn't carry it off (aka wear it successfully) but I do adore it. This just reinforces my desire to buy a sewing dressform so that I can display clothing as art.

My favorite hat and look at that beautiful bag, another embroidered piece from Gujarat:

The store info for anyone coming to visit:

I came home and immediately checked amazon for information on this book Textiles & vêtements du monde : Carnet de voyage d'une styliste by Catherine Legrand. The link will take you to the French site, because the book is newly published in this France, but doesn't appear to have been translated into English. Hope it will be someday.

If you read French and are interested in ethnic textiles and clothes, I suggest you check out the book - I know the pictures are wonderful. The author is a "styliste" at this store. My french dictionary translates that as a coutour designer.
On a completely different subject, my husband took the day off yesterday and we visited the Louvre. Wow, there are so many fewer visitors on a weekday in the winter - we're going to have to do this more often. We then went to Angelina's to have their famous old fashioned French hot chocolate. More like a liquified candy bar - very thick and rich. Delicious but almost too much. Okay, that also might be due to the fact that I ordered a pain au chocolate with it...
I got a great email from someone who told me that I needed to try Strasbourg for Christmas decorations and ornaments. I'm ashamed to say that I can't find that email now in my account, not in any of the folders including the deleted folder. aiyeee. Can you write to me again? Would love to correspond.

20 comments:

Joyce said...

How did you ever manage to leave that store without a huge armful of packages? I don't know what I would choose, they are all so beautiful.

jude said...

who needs a book? this post is filled to the brim. gorgeous stuff. always loving your documentation.

Katie said...

I'd be visiting that store often. It's like another type of museum. I'd definitely have to have a dress form to use to decorate and by the way, i think you could carry off the outfit on you just fine.

Jan said...

Tonya, this post has me ready to book a flight just to get into that shop!! (And have a nice visit with you, of course.)
Thanks so much for sharing...it looks like a dream.

Sassenach said...

I LOVE that hat with the fur top (next to the book). I LOVE that hat! I NEED that hat! How MUCH was that hat?!?!

Unknown said...

To. Die. For. What were prices like?

Lynda said...

Thankyou, Tonya, for sharing that with us. For we fabric ladies, it's like being let loose in a sweet shop (or chocolate factory!). The colours are wonderful, and just what we need in this dismal weather.

Dianne said...

What a terrific post, Tonya...thanks for that! I'm guessing this shop was VERY expensive, non? I love the Marais, don't you?

I loved all the hats in the post, especially, and a dress form for displaying clothing as art is a greaat idea...wonder where you could find one?

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous shop. This one is on my Paris to-do list for sure. By the way, can you help me spread the word about my workshop in Tuscany in March -- fiber arts and creativity workshop near Lucca. I have few people coming from the states but think it's more affordable for Europeans with the dollar exchange as it is. For more info, see my blog-- http://susiemonday.squarespace.com

Susan said...

What an amazing variety of wonderful things in that shop. Thanks for the pics!

Carol E. said...

Darn... I saw a dress form at a garage sale and wondered what on earth a person would do with it. Now I know. That stuff is absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing it. I'm glad they let you take photos inside. I asked in a store once, and they said no, but I had already taken one photo before they asked. Oops! Now I'm going to go book my flight to Paris...

atet said...

What fun fun fun textiles in that shop! I know I'd be in trouble there. Thanks for the recommendation!

Magpie Sue said...

Thanks for the eye candy! What a great find. Like someone else said, as good as any museum!

Denise Aumick said...

What a festival of inspiration! Eye candy extraordinaire! I want one of each please.

Quilts And Pieces said...

Oh what a fun shop and cool window! You know, I think I get so much more out your visits and you showing them to me than I catch if I went myself in person!

Anonymous said...

The scarf on the dressmaker's dummy is to die for. What a fantastic, gorgeously beautiful shop!

Anonymous said...

Hi
I visited this shop in July and bought the book in English!!!
Published by Thames and Hudson in 2008 it is absolutely beautiful, lots of lovely colour photos and stunning drawings.
aviva

allwaysinfashion said...

Believe it or not, Catherine LeGrand, prorietress of this shop and author of the book you loved (whch is now published in English by the way), is a friend of many years' standing. She is absolutely amazing. I hope it was she you talked to when you asked to photograph the shop. Thank you for the great pictures. I have, unfortunately, never been to a la Bonne Renomee in Paris.

Sylvie said...

I know this shop since the beginning , I can say thirty years ago. Each time I go to Paris (I'm french ) I need to go there ... It's very inspiring ... Yes it is very expensive but the feeling of wonder you get there doesn't cost nothing.!..

vb said...

Hi, Can someone please post the ISBN no of the book in English. Am book shopping in last week Jan & would love to buy this one too :) Merci