Where is the Cool's Paris

There are many blogs out there and we all have our "must reads," and Laurent Laporte's Where is the Cool is on top of my list so I thought it would be cool to do another installment of an artist's take on their city. First, I interviewed Ryan Conder, owner of South Willard, where we got a little perspective of good living in Los Angeles. And now, we have Laurent Laporte's view on Paris, France. As for Laurent's blog, I highly recommend checking it out as Laurent always knows what's cool and where to find it.

1) When posting on your blog, who/where do you draw inspiration from? Other blogs? Books? Etc.

I find inspiration everywhere, whether it be books, blogs, on the streets, traveling, etc. However, my two main sources of inspiration come from my childhood and from flea markets. I am passionate about the story behind an object. I am unfortunately a great nostalgic who tends to dwell on the past. Style is more important to me than the garment itself. An isolated piece of clothing has no interest to me, it’s more interesting when it has a story to tell and that someone, somewhere created a bond with it. One of my friends categorically refuses to wear Vans because he’s never skated before. It’s a bit far-fetched, but I respect his way of thinking.

2) What are your favourite spots in Paris? To eat? Drink? Shop?

I like to eat a lot, my personal foodie spots are all about quantity as well as quality. For example, my favorite pizza place is ‘Da Carmine’ (9, rue des Martyrs). I’ve only ever had their speciality, the ‘Di carmine’. A sort of calzone with over a dozen different ingredients inside. Fantastic. I recommend ‘Chez Shen’ (39 rue au Maire) for the best stir-fried noodles. Cheap and excellent.

Food from the south-west of France is dear to me so I love eating a typical dish like ‘Black pudding Sheppard’s pie’ at the ‘Au dernier métro’, a restaurant with a very friendly atmosphere opposite the metro stop ‘Dupleix’.

To finish, I love meeting up with friends at ‘Babylon’ to eat the best chawarma in the world. Ask for ‘a mix’, I love watching the chef meticulously prepare what is essentially junk food.

For a casual drink, Paris is full of places where people gather to always talk about exactly the same thing and this really saddens me. ‘Phoney authentic’ places like ‘Chez Jeanette’ or ‘la Perle’ get on my nerves very quickly.

I have a soft spot for the old cafes that struggle to survive in Paris like the ‘Autobus’ next to the winter circus with Pierrot, the larger than life and generous landlord. I enjoy simple or quirky places like ‘Rosa Bonheur’ in the park of the Buttes Chaumont. Non-pretentious music and tons of fun in the sun.

When it comes to shopping, I am very concerned with the origin of the garment. 90% of my wardrobe comes form flea markets (St Ouen, Paris or Ebay USA). I rarely buy something new except from a few places like the magnificent boutique on Boulevard des Capucines ‘Old England’ as well as ‘Ralph Lauren’(I’m excited about the new flag shop on St Germain) and ‘Hackett’ when a sale is on. Otherwise, I always like to swing by the ‘Rocker Speed Shop’ (19, rue Commines) with its friendly bikers. ‘Anatomica’ is great for exclusive Alden. The old owner Pierre Fournie is probably one of the best in his field.

3) Aside from having a blog, what is your occupation?

I sleep very little, am hyperactive and very curious. So have many projects here and there. I have, for example, another blog (soon to be a website translated into English) called A chiper A choper (to snatch and grab) achiperachoper.blogspot.com / www.achiperachoper.com. It’s an online bric-a-brac auction that I run with a friend who is as passionate as I am about beautiful things. We go to boot sales every week to find a hidden gem.

I write as often as I can for another blog called Redingote.fr. Along with the Redingote team and a few friends, I am setting up a magazine I have a lot faith in: Green Sleeves to A Ground / http://www.interstitched.com/

On top of all that, I also have a life offline ahahah, I am a copywriter in an advertising agency. It’s a pleasant job but also extremely frustrating for someone who enjoys the process of setting up projects.

4) Any big plans for the summer?

Traveling is vital in my life. I think it’s the most important thing in order to remain open and inquisitive. Every year, I go surfing in Biarritz in the south-west of France, the town’s own way of life really speaks to me.

I have booked tickets for Berlin in July and definitely want to check out Zurich as soon as I can. One thing’s for sure, the BIG trip is for September, I am going to Tokyo: in my opinion, the most interesting place in the world on so many levels.

5) What music are you currently listening to that inspires you?

I listen to a lot of music. Music trends have a lot of influence over you. Look at what happened with World Music over the last couple of years. This year, I’ve been able to listen to some very good albums but I particularly like Gonja Sufi and his producer The Gaslamp Killer who I’ve seen live recently. The LA scene is exploding onto an international level with the Brainfeeder label and their men: Flying Lotus, Nosaj Thing, etc.

6) What are your favourite and least favourite things about living in Paris?

Paris is an extraordinary city; I couldn’t live anywhere else in France. It’s a place that, culturally, has loads to offer. There’s always something to see, to eat or to listen to.

The only downside is this new trend that consists of having one place that corresponds to one type of person. People that are happy to be clones. I hate when people rely on their own style and just go out to show off their new possessions. It’s the reason why I am going out less and less. I went to Copenhagen recently and I fell in love with the place for this reason. Different people meeting up and mixing to create a unique and unexpected experience. No one can discover new things or learn if they’re stuck in their own bubble.

Special Thanks to Laurent for taking the time to do this interview.