One of the hidden secrets of the 6th Arrondissement in Paris is the 1930s art deco swimming pool at 17, rue de Sèvres. I don’t know if you’ll ever get the chance to visit this urban oasis because the spot was recently acquired by one of the last true luxury brands in France, Hermès. This is particularly nice for the city’s mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, who lives just upstairs, somewhere behind the stunning mosaics of violets on fields of gold that adorn the facade.

The Rive Gauche was once home to bohemians and intellectuals. But the real money seems to have moved south, and Hermès cannot seem to move in fast enough, which is why they have opened a temporary boutique at 16, rue de Grenelle. Temporary boutiques are quite fashionable these days, and the French refer to them as “boutiques ephémères,” which sounds so romantic that I simply had to have a peek.

Which is why I was looking into their window during a shoe-shopping trip with the Frenchman this weekend. Well, that and the stunning redhead who was embossing gold and silver sheets into a rainbow of animal skins that were carefully displayed behind her. Naturally, I had to go in and investigate further.

>read the full post by Sylvia Sabes