One of the great attractions of Paris is undoubtedly the excellence of French-style service in the city’s top hotels. A sense of elegance, luxury and refinement irrevocably linked to Paris and its palaces.
Trianon Palace - Sky Ferreira
What if, to pay tribute to this excellence, Printemps Haussmann were to transform itself into a Parisian palace for a summer? That’s the original idea launched by the Parisian department store in 2008. But of course, there’s no question of guests staying overnight. In fact, the “Printemps Palace” operation involves giving the store’s windows a makeover in the style of a grand hotel.
Le Bristol - Pixie Geldof
This year and until August 22, 2010, Printemps is appropriating the elegance and art of living of the following eight Parisian palaces: Le Crillon, Le Fouquet’s Barrière, Le Grand Hôtel, Le Meurice, Plazza Athénée, Le Trianon Palace and Hôtel Amour. And to make the experience totally unforgettable, artist André has been chosen as photographer for these legendary venues. Stylist Camille Bidault-Waddington, an iconic figure on the Paris fashion scene, also accompanied André on this intimate project.
Le Meurice - André et Ashley Smith
Much more than just fashion photos, the artist wanted to portray real personalities in places rich in memories: ” More than fashion photos, these are portraits of girls with real personalities that I admire…girls I wanted to portray in real or fantasized situations“. In this way, characters from the worlds of fashion, nightlife, art and music posed for André’s lens in the rooms, lobbies or bars of the capital’s finest hotels. These shots of Alexandra Richards, Sky Ferreira, Ashley Smith, Pixie Geldof, Aurel Schmidt and Poppy Delevigne were then displayed in the 8 windows of Printemps Haussmann, illustrating the artist’s vision of the department store’s palaces.
Le Grand Hôtel - Alexandra Richards
Night owl, graffiti artist, multi-talented artist, André wanted to share his “flashbacks of moments spent in the rooms of certain palaces” through these photos. He has always had a strong connection with palaces: Some evenings, I like to lose myself in the luxury of a grand hotel. They’re romantic meeting places, and from time to time, it’s nice to sleep there like a foreigner in Paris with a pretty girl. .
Le Plaza Athénée - Aurel Schmidt
In July, four of the 8 partner hotels also offered Printemps customers exclusive workshops to discover their know-how: smoothies with the Crillon, Millefeuille with the Grand Hôtel, picnic baskets with the Trianon Palace and Sensai treatments with Fouquet’s Barrière.
Le Crillon - Poppy Delevigne
Through these paintings, each of the Parisian department store’s windows is the opportunity for a unique journey into the world of luxury, an intimate but determined journey. Combining photography and accessories, these windows perfectly illustrate the theme of the Parisian palace, blending it with some typically Parisian elements like this mountain of Ladurée macaroons on this grand hotel luggage cart. And their mission is accomplished: to turn Printemps Haussmann into a luxury hotel for the summer, the very image of French luxury.
L’Hôtel Amour - Alexandra Richards
The making-off of the shoot is available online on the Printemps website.
www.printemps.com
Le Fouquet's Barrière - Ashley Smith
Marie-Odile Radom
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
