Observations from Paris...
We're in Paris, walking through the shops and enjoying the creative windows of the town. We are letting ourselves soak in the city's fashion genius and will send our observations.
Paris is all about her 3 F's: food, fabrics and fashion.
Stores to Visit:
Galeries Lafayette
Printemps
Bon Marche
Shine
Colette
Maria Luisa
Mosquitos
Kokn to Zai
Laduree
Galeries Lafayette & Printemps. The big guys...
The colors on handbags and accessories for spring are very bright: Turquoise, orange, yellow and hot pink were featured at Bottega Veneta, Marc Jacobs and YSL.
The white sales are on in January and they still appear to be meaningful to the French consumer based on the level of activity seen at both Galeries Layafette and Primptemps. Sales are not as diluted here as the over promoted home products are in the U.S. The French wait for the sales, purchase good quality products and pass them along.
Food has always been considered a fine art in Paris. Concurrent with Maison, Paris Des Chefs will be featured in the heart of Paris.
One observation is that the macaroon has become the signature cookie of Paris. Not just Laduree, which is now in New York. Several macaroon shops have popped up all over the city.
Corby commented:
- Se5 flott! Hyggelig e5 se at du spilte pe5 hnenes ukulele, samt gav henne et signert plekter!Forse5vidt kjenner jeg jo at det hadde ve6rt hyggelig e5 eie et slikt flatpick selv, og jeg undrer pe5 om det er den typen flatpick du benytter.Uansett: Hvilken tykkelse er det pe5 det?Og; hvilket materiale er det laget i? Noe sier meg at det er et nylon-plekter.Selv sverger jeg til Dunlop .73 laget i nettopp nylon, som du sikkert vet ne5r det kommer til flatpicks, men jeg har ogse5 noen tynne .46 liggende.Det hadde seg nemlig slik at jeg en gang tenkte at slike tynne plektre jo me5tte ve6re perfekt for det jeg liker e5 kalle Cat Stevens-raspingen ; han har det jo ofte med e5 sle5 an noen raske sekstendels underdelinger er det vel her og der i flere av sangene sine. Virkningsfullt, er det!Men ja Hvis jeg treffer deg nok en gang; noe jeg liker e5 tro at jeg gjf8r, sier jeg jo ikke nei takk til et plekter med ditt navnetrekk pe5 til tross for at jeg jo har to eksemplarer av din autograf allerede Og; jeg skal si til Hiromi at det er gledelig e5 se at hun har sansen for deg - Pe5 gjensnakk!
Ceyhun commented:
Boca Raton, FL, updated May 1, 2006 Experts call real esatte a local industry. When analysts slide Cleveland, Ohio, under their microscope, it does not reveal what’s happening in Los Angeles or Boston.Still, if a “hot” real esatte area cools off, who’s going to argue that it does not have larger implications? Boca Raton, Florida, may have some valuable lessons for the real esatte industry as a whole.Within Boca Raton, a “typical” subdivision the Boca Country Club characterizes the area. This popular subdivision of 945 homes, nestled in over a dozen separate and distinct communities, epitomizes life in the paradise of south Palm Beach, Florida.Buyers choose from hi-rise condos, town and coach homes, attached courtyard villas, and detached esatte homes. Many of the communities have their own clubhouses, while others offer small private pools in every home.An 18-hole championship golf course threads its way through the Boca Country Club. The links are part of the world-famous Boca Raton Resort & Club, recently purchased by the Blackstone Group. Blackstone, a public company, has a well-deserved reputation as a savvy real esatte group.So how’s the Boca Country Club doing? Like dozens of other subdivisions in the Boca area, it has sizzled with sales for five, price-popping years. Until now.Absorption Rate’s Crystal BallReal esatte experts watch “absorption rates” closely. It’s a time-tested yardstick. Homes “go to contract” in an “average” amount of time. Recent history determines exactly how many, and how fast. Simple mathematics determines, over a year, how many homes can be “absorbed” in a particular market … if the immediate past projects the immediate future (which it often does).In the year prior to Hurricane Wilma, which ripped through south Florida in October, 2005, 64 homes had new owners at the Boca Country Club. At any one time, between 8 and 12 homes were up for grabs. It took less than 45 days, on average, to find a buyer willing to go to contract. In some cases, homes went to contract in a day or two. Prices continually bounced higher at the rate of over a percentage point per month.That’s the immediate past. Here’s a snapshot of the present: 48 homes are for sale at the Boca Country Club as of this writing. That’s a record, five times higher than “normal” … and it actually surpasses the bad old days of the early 1990s, when IBM deserted Boca Raton and left its housing market in shambles for almost a decade (IBM has since returned, albeit much smaller).On average, houses currently take 112.2 days (almost 4 months) to go to contract (up from the low 50s prior to Hurrican Wilma).Given the current number of listings, 358 homes would have to sell in the next 12 months to “absorb” the homes with For Sale signs. That would be more than seven times the number that sold last year. It will not happen. In the first four months of 2006, only 5 homes have been sold.What’s Next?One of three things will occur. Only three things can occur. Either prices plummet and buyers rush in. Or sellers take their homes off the market. Or it’s going to take a lot longer to sell a home.Prices will not plummet in hurricanne-ravaged Palm Beach. Why? Because it costs a lot more to build a house than it used to. Roof tiles, wallboard, lumber, steel, washing machines and water heaters … everything costs more in a new house. And the osmosis of those rising prices drags up the pricetag of used homes.Prices may not rise as fast as they have in the past five years – no more double digits – but they will not suddenly reverse. The battleship of rising prices does not turn on a dime. Not unless the pre-construction boom goes belly up, which seems unlikely (but stay tuned).Watch out for 2008, however. That’s when capital gains jumps from 15% to 20% according to current legislation. A 5% hike on a big-ticket item like housing could get a lot of sellers to rush into the market to beat the deadline. Supply and demand. Housing prices suffer. The rush for the exits may have already started.Will Sellers Stay Put?Sellers faced with fewer buyers may pull their homes off the market. It’s a pain to keep it in show condition, and strangers rummaging through your kitchen and bedroom gets very old, very fast. It takes time, however, for a listing to “expire” most listing contracts are for 6 months or more, with 1-year the norm.A real esatte agent may suggest in a listing presentation that your home will sell for more than you imagined, and in just a few weeks. They may even hint that they have a buyer ready and willing, right now, this very minute. Often, this mystery buyer disappears once the listing is taken (as an aside, offer an agent who suggests a buyer in the wings a single day, one-show contract that usually separates fact from fiction).Regardless, it remains surprisingly hard to cancel a listing contract once you’ve signed the bottom line. The listing agent will sadly explain that it’s his or her broker’s decision not to release the seller. Your home remains on the block until the listing expires, and if you sell your home to anyone who saw it while it was listed, you may owe the broker a commission even after it expires (there’s a time limit of six months to a year on this, depending on your listing contract).Today, it seems likely that more homes will be listed on the market, not fewer. A record-shattering 48 homes are for sale at the Boca Country Club right now … powerful proof. So it does not look like inventory will pressure buyers into reaching for their wallets anytime soon.Most Likely: A Stagnating MarketSellers will suffer through the stigma of stagnation. They stand at that precipice at this very moment. Because a disconnect between buyers and sellers has appeared. A huge disconnect.While many sellers currently believe that they can sell their homes in roughly 2 months, the absorption rate suggests a lot more time is needed: well over 2 years, not 2 months. That is a real disconnect.At least one area of real esatte seems destined to gain from all this … the long-suffering rental market will start to boom. An increasing number of Boca Raton homeowners have quickly discovered that the best way to “cash out” of a home is to rent instead of buy. That lets them bank the tax-free capital gains ($250,000 for a single person, or twice that for a married couple). No blossoming real esatte taxes, no overheads, and you’re just a plane ticket away from outrunning the next hurricane threat. With money in your pocket and nothing to worry about.Which may, in fact, explain who so many sellers have surfaced recently. They can’t downsize, because even smaller, less expensive homes often carry new, revised real esatte taxes in excess of their existing residence. Once the tax assessor gets hold of a sales contract, and reappraises a new home, the new home’s tax base can double or triple. Housing Bubble? There’s no shortage of pinpricks right now. * Sellers want to cash in.* Tax assessors seem intent on doing the same.* Smart sellers would rather rent than downsize.* A 5% hike in capital gains looms on the horizon.* Five times as many sellers as usual have listed their homes.Buyers seem willing to wait a while as things sort themselves out.* A lot of real esatte agents and their brokers are holding their breath. Every historical event takes time before it gets recorded as fact. But the Housing Bubble does seem to have witnessed a first-class “POP!”
JCP commented:
Do tell more in regard to color and trend you are seeing
hl commented:
Loved your observations...keep them coming. I hope you can keep telling us more.
Julie Shapiro commented:
Great info - love the lively colors observation - we could all use some "brightness" in our fashion to uplift our economic mood. Food seems yummy - want to run out and purchase an airline ticket. Loved the posts cheered up my day
MMK commented:
Special thanks!!...Must meet at Angelina- rue de rivoli for famed hot chocolat and Mont Blanc! Food, Art and l'amour meet ... even Karl L and his troops!!
alextenbroeck commented:
this is so helpful. Cant wait to check out on my next trip to Paris!
meg freeman commented:
Sounds wonderful! I have never been to Paris and your blog makes me wish I was there! I will go someday and it's nice to know where to eat and shop. Thanks, Meg
AC commented:
More on upcoming colors for 2013!!
DebbieDG commented:
I agree - more on food! Tell us more about your favorite cafes and restaurants. Also is there one item that you recommend as a "must-buy" in Paris?
jg47 commented:
Really surprised that you would not have recommended the store Merci. Suggest you add to your list
Colorfulllll commented:
What do they feature at Maison? Mostly bedding? or fabric for upholstery as well?
Belieber commented:
NEED to know the BEST Macaron shop in Paris! tell me more more more!
JaneJune commented:
Paris! Lovely. I heard Maison 2012 blew last year out of the water! Did you see more patterns this year? or are people going back to more simplistic roots? can't wait to read more
Julie Schott commented:
So jealous you're in PARIS!!!
RIOTRIOT commented:
Bright colors from Bottega? Sounds unusual for them
textilequeen commented:
How are the prices in Paris these days? Is a "white sale" really such a sale what with the Euro being so much more valuable than the dollar?
Foodie89 commented:
Very interesting how food and fashion seem to be one in the same! Would love to hear more on this, pictures would be greatly appreciated.
AjAjAjAj commented:
Great stuff, am curious about the drink of choice in Paris bars. What are they drinking?
Spicy Scientist commented:
This makes me want to move back to Paris! What do you think about the Marché St Pierre?
LilyBeatHat commented:
Cant wait to see what you come back with!! Sounds fabulous over there, keep me posted!
WIREDGrrrrl commented:
More on food! Please post pictures! I dream of Paris always! Looking forward to reading your posts
