Divine Power, Dreams & Denim – A Week in Paris
Celebrating life in Paris, Paris Makers, and the strange, new, true and beautiful – forever!
🗿 “Open this issue at random and imbue the image or word you encounter with an unknown power”, invites the Profane team. Launching Thu, issue n°22 has something slightly divine and prophetic about it – a desire to distance itself from harsh reality and invent a world where believing, wanting to believe and consciously dreaming become creative acts. One of Paris’s most singular indie mags, Profane is a biannual publication dedicated not to the art world proper, but to the figure of the amateur: obsessive collectors, outsiders, self-taught or weekend artists working far from official circuits. (6-8pm, Librairie Sans Titre, 143 av. Parmentier, 75010)
⚕️ Inside the little-known MAHHSA museum of Sainte-Anne hospital, a major psychiatric and neuroscience hospital in the 14th, an exhibition presents 145 drawings and paintings created between 1858 and 2020 by artist-patients, psychiatric patients turned artists, and artists engaging with psychiatry. Works by recognized figures such as Aloïse Corbaz, Unica Zürn and Maurice Blin sit alongside anonymous creations, regrouped through themes of refuge, imaginary worlds, symbolism and adventure – offering a fresh reading of the museum’s collection of outsider art.
🍽️ The historic Le Grand Véfour on the Palais-Royal enters a new chapter with chef Bruno Doucet now in the kitchens, following the departure of Guy Martin after 34 years, and the sale of the institution to the Paris Society group. A pivotal figure in Parisian bistronomy, Doucet built his reputation outside Michelin circuits at La Régalade, before also taking over Le Comptoir du Relais from his friend Yves Camdeborde. At the Grand Véfour, his ambition is to turn the 240-year-old institution into what he calls a “luxury brasserie”. The opening menu stays close to his bistro DNA while nodding to the grandeur of the setting – pâté en croûte, foie gras with smoked eel, poached skate with confit potatoes and caviar beurre blanc, and pigeon with petits pois à la française.
👖 Atelier Tuffery brings its French denim heritage – made in the Cévennes since 1892 – to Paris with a new Marais boutique (39 rue des Blancs-Manteaux, 75004). Across four generations, the family house has helped turn workwear into a wardrobe staple, still producing its jeans in Florac with a focus on durability and longevity. More atelier than flagship, the space offers tailoring, alterations and repair services, extending the life of every piece it sells.
🎭 And finally, inscriptions open Thu at 2.30pm for a rare public sale at the Opéra National de Paris, where more than 5,000 stage costumes and accessories from iconic opera and ballet productions will be made available to the public, with prices ranging from €2 to €800. From Les Indes galantes to Eugène Onéguine, Coppélia to Siddharta, pieces from landmark stagings by Robert Carsen, Thomas Jolly, Angelin Preljocaj and others will be available across three days (29–31 May) at the Opéra Bastille.
Thanks for reading :)
Kate
[ BOOK RELEASE ] The Ofr. Paris Cookbook, a collab between Mkrs. and my friends at 0fr., celebrates the joy, ritual and radical hospitality of the Parisian table. We’ve invited 25 special guests – our friends, collaborators and heroes – to share a recipe, and reflect in a thoughtful Q&A on their relationship to food, cooking and life around the table. The book reveals the city in surprising ways – open, diverse, globally connected, and alive with possibility!
👉🏽 In stock at 0fr., other good bookshops in France, and on French Amazon
Welcome to Paris, Puces. on Substack. Expect the best of : LIFE IN PARIS 🇫🇷 each week, plus expert intel and tips from the world’s most epic FLEA MARKET✨ Art, Fashion, Design !
On Mondays: Life in Paris postcards - a curated mix of sights, bites and delights, celebrating Paris Makers, and the strange, new, true, and beautiful, forever!
On Fridays: Flea market intel - in-depth guides, behind-the-scenes stories and practical tips (this content is now paywalled, but Life in Paris remains free).
👉🏽 After years exploring the Puces de Saint-Ouen and researching for my book ‘The Paris Flea Market’, I now share that insider knowledge through bespoke buying and research tours – for collectors, decorators, architects, or anyone who wants to explore the markets with a deeper eye. Hit me up!