Having been a fan of Inès since receiving one of her infamous city guides several years ago (which I highly recommend for anyone who wants some real gems), I felt pretty excited to spend a whirlwind day in the French capital- exploring the sun slathered streets in the beautiful new DS 3 Inès de la Fressange – on what felt like the hottest day of the year so far. With a miniature notebook filled with clues for our secret destinations throughout the day, we set off for a whirlwind tour of some of Inès’ favourite French gems…
After a little guessing, and following a chatter-fuelled lunch with Joe, Alice and Adriana– our first stop naturally had to be the Inès de la Fressange store. Situated a stones throw away from Saint-Germain on a quiet residential street- it was a total treat to get to explore everything from her beautiful fashion and home ware selections- with a peek at the in-house atelier too, which felt like a complete treat. Seeing how everything starts off, the design process and the attention to detail was amazing- and certainly felt apparent when looking at the new DS 3 too. With the store boasting everything from playful embroidered knits, delicate jewellery and more stationary and home ware than my small bag could disguise (let’s just say we’ve hit capacity for that at the moment)- we set off for our next Inès recommendation, the beautiful Cinéma du Panthéon in the 5e arrondissement…
Now, the car in itself is arguably one of the most beautiful I’ve been lucky enough to drive in. Much like Inès (and French style as a given), the car feels sleek, sophisticated, and classic- whilst combining subtle personal touches which makes it equally feel modern and playful (without being at all novelty). With an ink-blue exterior and a contrasting opal white roof- the ‘Inès-Red dashboard’ (with her signature fawn embossed) makes the model feel timeless- and the addition of airmail stripes around the windows and lining the interiors pay a suitably chic tribute to the fashion house too (and shows that fashion design can indeed be carried out across motor too)! Driving around the city I felt one headscarf away from being a certain Ms. Hepburn (it’s all in the dark glasses, I promise) and it certainly made driving around the bustling French streets to a soundtrack of horns and mopeds feel all the more glamourous.
As soon as I turned the corner and spotted the art-deco neon sign (and matching Francoise Hardy posters in the cinema bookshop next door)- I knew we’d found somewhere I’d love. Not only does this place showcase numbers of upcoming independent films- but if you wander upstairs you’ll find a secret bar and cafe (with a towering green outdoor terrace)- which makes for the perfect spot for some afternoon gelato and some miniature French cakes. When in Rome, right?
Back in the car, our last stop lead us to the big wheel at Place de la Concorde, where we finally crossed paths with Alice and Adriana again. Having been told that when two of the limited edition DS 3’s cross paths we’d activate an exclusive track by Empire of the Sun (there are only 200 being sold in the U.K so this is pretty rare)- our meeting felt all the more special (with a tres cool soundtrack) in the summer heat, and was the perfect way to roundup a magical day before heading back to the DS Showroom. Until next time, Paris!
x
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