I've moved on...
...to a different domain. Why, what were you thinking? The truth is, I just woke up one day and decided it's time for a change—a metamorphosis, if you will; or, in layman's terms, if Britney can shave her head, then maybe so can I? Nevertheless, it's been a rather handsome 10 years of talking to you, and thank you for putting up with all my moodswings and terrible dad jokes. Fear not! The hormonal imbalance and jokes are more terrible on CUBICLE, see you there.

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flaneur
Stroller, lounger, saunterer, or loafer; the man of leisure, the idler, the urban explorer, the connoisseur of the street.

“Flattery? Flannel…? Sorry, I don’t think I know this word”, I blubbered, pausing Pauline mid-sentence as she began to explain the inseparable nature of Hermès and the art of flânerie over one eggy breakfast at Berners Tavern. What a funny word. Turns out it’s one of those untranslatable foreign words that mean a multitude of things in English yet is so satisfyingly encompassing when you finally understand exactly what it is. A complex word, like love, or sort of like when girls say ‘fine’ to their boyfriends during a quarrel.

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I’d like to think that I’ve had my own versions of that word before learning of it. Maybe that time when I was 12 and obsessed with aimlessly rollerblading around the neighbourhood alone, imaginings different lives in the houses I passed by – that was called ‘mum I’m going out with friends’ (usually met by ‘what friends? you don’t have any friends’). In uni I befriended Ellen, a fellow flâneur – and it’d take one of us to simply cock a head towards a back street and that was code for ‘we’re not going home anytime soon’. We ambled, wandered and strolled the streets of London, unconsciously categorising quirks and novelties of the city as we happened on them.

Fast forward to now, in the city that birthed the very word – Paris. It was much the same but a different enjoyment, learning the art of being a flâneur with the true master in its art, Hermès. We, along with Susie Bubble, set out from Palais Royal and meandered through time-worn galleries and under ornate, covered passageways from the 18th century; from 1st Arrondissement to the 9th, losing all sense of time and rejoicing in the lack of an objective. Or at least until our stomachs started a to-do list and put itself at the very top, which we promptly ticked off at Caffe Stern, an engraving-shop-turned-Venetian-restaurant (by David Lanher and designed by Philippe Starck).

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While I do attest to the fact that digital ‘wandering’ so totally can be a thing, and unearthing a good cat video as rewarding as finding a peculiar object off the street, true flanerie is defined by disconnecting oneself from the usual pace, and occupying with time, child-like curiosity and a discerning eye – all-in-all a luxury to be earned, even saved-up for. These values define Hermès, and therefore a perfect fit for the theme of the year and annual exhibition*. As we joined up with the bustle of the real world at the end of Passage Verdeau, a rather special treat awaited… stay tuned for part 2!

*Hermès Wanderland exhibition; 9th April to 2nd May; Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY. Open 10am-6pm daily. Free entrance.

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Coat – Dagmar. Bag – Monsieur Gavriel. Trousers – Zara. Shoes – Acne ‘Jensen’

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31 Comments

  1. LOVE the jacket with the big patch on the back :)
    xx from Germany/Bavaria, Rena
    International Giveaway: Zatchels Bag as Thank-You for the Supporter of my Hobby

  2. I absolutely love your post! The imagery is fantastic and so inspiring. Looking forward to P2. – The Vie Design – x

  3. Incredible photos as always Shini, and I love your writing style. You won’t believe how beautiful the Jardin du Palais Royal looks right now, with all the flowers… It’s all pink!

  4. Oh my gosh…gorgeous gorgeous!! Wish I can take photos like this!

    xo,
    Alice / The Inconnue Blog / The Inconnue Etsy

  5. Shini, I love how you manage to capture the most beautiful details in the most unexpected places. Like an umbrella or the front of a car poking out from behind a wall. Really beautiful. Looking forward to part 2. xx

  6. This is such a magical post Shini! The photo of the toys in the shop window is wonderful & has a very nostalgic feel to it.
    The word flaneur is very interesting. There’s a lot of words that are untranslatable in english (my favourite is “pelinti”, which you should google) & I’m going to add flaneur to my list of these words because it sounds soo pretty.

    THE FASHANN MONSTER

  7. your photos always put me in a really good mood! so beautiful :)

  8. Thank you for a wonderful Paris stroll. I love these types of images; so many interesting city life details.

  9. miri

    These photos are so beautiful! Thank you for sharing. Love your coat and the bucket bag.

    X
    Miri

    http://currentlywearing.com

  10. Love this
    xSophie
    http://www.sophysticate.com

  11. Ah! This is such a dream!

    http://www.eatwearwander.com

  12. ohh.. all my favourite places in Paris.. will be there in about 4 weeks, first promenade will be for the Palais Royal et les Galeries nearby.. thanks for the great shoots! xxSol

  13. Gorgeous photos, truly Parisian :)

    http://www.lips2lagerfeld.com
    http://www.lips2lagerfeld.com

  14. Flânerie is my favourite french word – possibly my favourite word period! I picked it up watching a six-part documentary about Paris and it eloquently describes exactly what I love doing when I visit new places.

  15. I loved the Hermes Wanderland exhibit so it was really nice to read your thoughts behind le flaneur and to see your take behind this quintessentially Parisian concept! Looking forward to your post on Hermes Wanderland – I really like reading different perspectives about places/exhibitions I’ve been to! x

    Jasiminne | Posh, Broke, & Bored

  16. These photos are absolutely gorgeous! I love taking and seeing creative snapshots of the world around us. I loved the photo of the toy shop window❤️ I hope to travel to Paris one day!

    Thanks again for this beautiful post!
    Gwyn- http://17degreesgwyn.blogspot.ca

  17. STUNNING PHOTOGRAPHS! ♥

    THE KAWAII PLANET

  18. Paris is such a beautiful city – thanks for such gorgeous photos of it!

  19. Oh please tell me where are those passages as I have to see them when I go to Paris :O Great job in making everything look amazing, as always!

  20. Gorgeous coat Shini!

    http://www.theavantguardian.com

  21. What a wonderful, beautiful and visually delightful little trip. Agree, the photos won’t replace the real thing, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. x

  22. As always, your photos are beautiful! Want your life. :)
    http://www.aveclui.com – KL

  23. I guess that is what I do when I go to Montreal and wander around :)

  24. […] kidding aside, the treat at the end of a day of flânerie in Paris was this – an invitation to a den of treasures atop the Hermès 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré […]

  25. […] at the Saatchi Gallery in London tomorrow*. If you’ve stuck around the past few weeks and discovered the curious art of flânerie with me, you will also want to experience this. Eleven rooms, each with a reference to urban […]

  26. Stunning photography! I love the carpet on the stairs and the photowall!

    http://reloadevolve.com/

  27. Hara

    It’s also the name of a German magazine. Look it up!

  28. […] pixels, and my hands would ever be clean of ink or glue. But in my first year, I met Ellen – a fellow flâneur, for those who remember – a deft hand in all things hand-crafted, and a keen […]

  29. Your vision of Paris is mesmerizing! I rediscover the city I live in through your pictures!!

    http://Sugarsheet.com

  30. […] is pretty small & our plan was just to be flaneurs: while there are dozens of historic buildings to see the only things on our itinerary were the Old […]

  31. […] is pretty small and our plan was just to be flâneurs: while there are dozens of historic buildings to see, the only things on our itinerary were the Old […]