Where celebrities, models and creatives hang out during Paris Fashion Week | Canada Voices

Twice a year, Paris Fashion Week hosts scores of creatives, models, media professionals, buyers, sellers, celebrities and influencers. This nomadic congregation is a sophisticated lot with a heightened sense of aesthetics – sartorial and otherwise.

Where do they go to eat, sleep, party and recover? Here’s a selection of Paris addresses gleaned from those in the know.

First love

The 44-metre-tall Napoleon statue is an imperial meeting place at Place Vendôme in Paris’s first arrondissement. Matthieu Brichet, CEO of Graff Diamonds, one of the jewellery maisons housed in the historic square, walks steps from his luxury boutique to Ritz Paris, a hive of activity for fashion royalty (Anna Wintour is a regular).

Brichet dines with VIPs at the elegant brasserie Bar Vendôme or sips cocktails at the paparazzi-proof Bar Hemingway, both of which he called “a must for all stars passing through Paris.” The hotel itself is a mainstay for A-listers and billionaires. Last PFW, it welcomed reality star Kylie Jenner.

Home base

For all of the five-star trimmings minus the bling-bling, Hotel Regina Louvre is a popular headquarters for many editors, according to Amy Verner, former style reporter at The Globe and Mail and a contributor to Vogue.com who is no stranger to breakfast meetings here.

Toronto stylist and fashion week regular Kaelen Haworth unpacks her bags at Château Voltaire when she’s not renting an apartment. “The main lobby is a perfect spot for a cocktail,” she said, adding that its central location can’t be beat.

Culture club

The Louvre? Musée d’Orsay? Most have already been there, done that. Smaller museums attract the seasoned veterans. Océane Stanislas, women’s fashion buyer at Simons, picked Jeu de Paume as one of her favourite culture stops. “They focus on photography and video, and they have a Martin Parr exhibit until May 24 that I can’t wait to see,” she said.

Stanislas will also check out the spectacular dome at Bourse de Commerce, or the new Fondation Cartier, which relocated its contemporary art museum from the Left Bank to the more PFW-friendly location across from the Louvre last fall.

Go west

A satellite art hub in the 16th arrondissement includes Palais Galliera, the official fashion museum of Paris, as well as Palais de Tokyo and the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. A short stroll away is hyper-trendy restaurant Girafe Paris, whose terrace offers delicious views of the Eiffel Tower.

Save the date: Nearby Musée Yves Saint Laurent reopens in autumn 2027 after renovations.

Golden triangle

The tree-lined Avenue Montaigne offers shopping at its most luxurious. Claudia Cusano, the Vancouver-born, Florence-based editor of Nuvo magazine, dips into Chanel and Dior whenever she’s in town. “It isn’t truly a visit to Paris without at least wandering through their boutiques,” she said.

The Dior Boutique was once the showroom and atelier of the legendary Christian Dior. Today a modern, multilevel retail emporium, it also houses Michelin-starred restaurant Monsieur Dior, a chic spot for lunch or teatime. The adjacent Galerie Dior is a rite of passage for any visiting fashion lover.

If you’re feeling particularly photogenic, L’Avenue restaurant provides unobstructed views to hungry photographers thanks to its wraparound windows. The Kardashians have been spotted dining at the upscale brasserie.

Japantown

Montreal hairstylist David Damours, who primps the locks of Paris transplant Charlotte Cardin, heads to Little Tokyo for sushi. The Japanese eateries around rue Sainte-Anne have become go-to stops for refuelling between shows.

Joseph Tang, fashion director at Holt Renfrew, said, “Kunitoraya is a staple that I’ll wait in line for to have their udon,” adding that it’s perfect for a solo lunch. Haworth heads to Takara, but warned that it’s busy during fashion week and only takes reservations two days out. Meanwhile, Verner points to Yen, a restaurant known for its soba and the “legendary French fashion editors often spotted here.”

Velvet rope

PFW is prime time for PR agencies to wine and dine industry partners and celebutantes. “Most nights involve branded dinners that are invitation-only and beautifully experiential, involving ‘l’art de la table,’ Instagram-worthy scenography and perhaps a guest DJ or performer,” said Verner. These events typically take place at Paris institutions such as Lapérouse, Maxim’s and Brasserie Lipp, where every Parisian cliché is milked for all its worth.

There’s also the opulent Caviar Kaspia, where Cusano admitted she goes to people-watch. After last year’s Chanel show, actor Jessica Alba Instagrammed her head-to-toe tweed outfit along with the restaurant’s signature baked potato topped with a dollop of caviar.

For a true fashion insider’s night out, suggested Tang, start with dinner at Le Voltaire. “I’ve seen almost every major fashion designer there dining post show,” he said.

After hours

Tang also recommended grabbing a table in the courtyard at Hotel Coste – if you can get past the notoriously selective hostess. Last season, after headlining the L’Oréal runway show, Kendall Jenner met up here with bestie Hailey Bieber, who had just come from sitting front row at Saint Laurent.

Model Coco Labbée, a Quebec expat, said she doesn’t go clubbing much but will attend events at Fvtvr, a house and techno club at the Cité de la mode et du design, or at Silencio, a more intimate venue that’s members only until midnight. Labbée added that if you want to stay out past last call, Le Connetable in the 3rd arrondissement or Cavalier in the 11th are the best bets.

Morning vibes

Early wake-up times, jetlag and, occasionally, hangovers are part of the fashion week experience. For caffeine fixes, the unanimous choice is Dreamin’ Man. Paris-based Montreal photographer Celia Spenard-Ko called it “the best coffee in Paris, hands down” and recommended the Hojicha latte.

While the beloved North American concept of brunch has yet to penetrate the Parisian psyche, there are a few places that do it well. Labbée favours the fluffy pancakes at Georgia in the 10th arrondissement. If she feels like joining the fashion crowd, she’ll head to Season in Le Marais.

L’heure de goûter

At 4 p.m., forget teatime. Stanislas and Spenard-Ko agree on Folderol, a neighbourhood joint that’s equal parts ice cream parlour and wine bar.

Finally, for networking, gossiping, scrolling or just hanging out, head to the 3rd arrondissement, where many PR offices and showrooms are located. “You know you’ll always bump into someone you know at Café Charlot,” said Tang, who noted that the patio is consistently packed.

Paris Fashion Week is a small world, after all.