Visit of Dover Street Market Paris: Fashion and Art in the Marais

Hello everyone! Today, I’m taking you to Dover Street Market in the Marais in Paris. I’ve been there before, but quite quickly, without really taking the time to explore it. This time, I had my camera with me — I also share my photography series on Citizen Division — and a little time ahead of me, so I took advantage of it.

The boutique is located in the Hôtel de Coulanges and, just for the location, it’s worth a visit. We go from one room to another, we climb up and down, there are clothes, perfumes, facilities… I really didn’t know where to look, but I love this kind of place. I took lots of photos and then went to have a chai latte at the café, facing the garden. A quiet afternoon in the Marais, just the way I like it.

Dover Street Market Paris

I was definitely familiar with Comme des Garçons, so I had some idea of the atmosphere. It’s very fashion-oriented, very minimalist, and sometimes almost too perfect. I really enjoy looking at this universe, even if it’s not always the one that I identify with the most. On the other hand, visually, there’s a lot to see and I obviously spent a lot of time taking photos.

What I especially liked was the building. Some rooms are almost empty, others are much more packed, and the settings change completely from one space to the next. I could stop on a mirror, a light, or a detail of the set for several minutes. Yes, I am that kind of person!

The installation by Yukio Nakagawa

In the courtyard there was the installation Yukio Nakagawa by Comme des Garçons. I didn’t know his work before coming here and I discovered his universe on the spot. He worked with ikebana, but in a much more raw and radical version than the very wise floral compositions I had in mind.

I loved the large images installed in the courtyard. The flowers are not presented at all as something delicate or simply decorative: they are more raw, almost strange at times, and completely change the atmosphere of the place. That’s also what’s cool about Dover Street Market: you come for the fashion and you stumble upon the work of an artist you didn’t know five minutes before.

The perfumes, of course

Of course, I couldn’t go past the perfumes without smelling them all. There were Blackpepper, Concrete, and the collaborations with Monocle. As always, I felt like I had found my new favorite perfume about three times in ten minutes. I have a real problem with perfumes, but I think that’s no secret anymore!

I have always had a soft spot for woody, spicy or slightly different scents than those usually found in the women’s section, which are often much too sweet for me. Of course, the Comme des Garçons perfumes had everything to keep me occupied for a good while. I already mentioned them in my article about my current perfume favourites As soon as I discover a new one, I am convinced that it will be mine forever… until the next one.

A chai latte in front of the garden

After the visit, I went to have a chai latte at the café and sat on the terrace facing the small park. The sky was grey, it had rained a little and it almost seemed like we were in London. Of course, I loved it.

The café is quiet, tucked away and completely isolated from the hustle and bustle of Rue des Francs-Bourgeois. I stayed for a while looking at the garden and watching the people go by. It’s typically the kind of place where I can stay much longer than planned. Next time, I’ll come with my computer to work on the Minuit d’Orsay projects.

And I missed Kate Moss...

I discovered after my visit that Kate Moss came on October 19 for a signing session around the book Kate by Marc. I missed it by only a few days. I’d rather not think about it too much, ahah.

Dover Street Market regularly organizes installations, meet-ups, and launches. I’ll definitely be checking their schedule more often now, so I don’t miss another Kate Moss event next time!

I think I liked Dover Street Market a lot more this time simply because I took my time. It’s not a warm and bustling store like Merci or Fleux: here, everything is more precise, quieter, and sometimes a bit confusing. But with the installation, the perfumes, the photos, and the chai latte facing the garden, I had a very good afternoon there.

If you like this kind of shops, you can also read my articles on Thank you and Fleux. The three addresses are very different, but they are exactly the places I like to discover in Paris.

Have you heard of Dover Street Market Paris? Tell me if you have ever tried the coffee there and, above all, if you also feel all the scents when you pass by!

Dover Street Market Paris
35-37 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 75004 Paris
doverstreetmarketparis.com