By Cynthia Rose

© Corinne Ayache

Paris changed Anne Lederer’s life, turning her from a corporate lawyer into a proud small business owner. Parisian guide guru Jeanne-Aurore Colleuille describes Lederer’s 1st Arrondissement café Scoop as “feminine by desire in its New York style . . . yet ideal for conserving one’s figure without renouncing glamour.” I offer a hearty second. Since Scoop is near my hairdresser—not to mention the Louvre—I’ve become well acquainted with its fresh and tasty ice creams, salads and burgers. In pouring rain, I enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner there (surrounded by French couples cooing over the dinde farcie, or stuffed turkey). That evening sealed my curiosity; I had to meet Lederer and find out how she started Scoop.

What first brought you to Paris?
I was a finance lawyer sent on assignment to a French law firm. But at that time I lived the Paris of guidebooks and tourists—any café with rattan furniture on the terrace seemed glamorous!

How did you come to change your métier?
Scoop happened because of a dare! I was having a drink with French friends, in a place that serves “American” food. It was so awful that I started trying to explain how things were actually changing, Americans were exploring local produce, healthy eating and so on. My friends said they’d only believe that if I proved it.

© Corinne Ayache

So you opened your own business?
Yes—and entered a different world. I moved away from my little American enclave, from the left to the right bank. I was too busy to just hang out with expatriates. Our perfect little spot came up, but that was just the start for Scoop. Initially we were an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. But in winter Parisians won’t eat even sorbet, so we started making gourmet hamburgers.

What is your own quartier?
I live in the “haut-Marais,” which is fantastic, young and energetic. A lot of designers have come there, especially on rue Charlot, which has Surface to Air as well as my neighborhood canteen, the pizzeria La Briciola. Other places I like are Ekjo, Miki Mialy and, for fantastic handbags, Stéphane Verdino. Also the Lebanese stand in the Marché des Enfants Rouges.

Design us a day to introduce someone to Paris . . .
We’d start with buttery croissants and my chef Sonia's homemade orange and lime jam, plus café au lait in the Luxembourg Gardens. No visit is complete without quality time at a neighborhood market, so we’d visit one just to enjoy the sumptuous sights and sounds! We’d walk in the Champ de Mars and lunch at La Fontaine de Mars, take a ride on the No. 69 bus through the left bank, then visit the Musée d'Orsay. Take a walk across the Pont des Arts and stroll through the Tuileries, finishing with a drink on the terrace of Café Marly. Although the food is as terrible as the service, it is incredibly lovely at night.

© Cynthia Rose

Name one thing in Paris that is underpublicized.
The Musée Marmottan Monet in the 16th, for Monet and the Impressionists.

How would you celebrate a special occasion?
In summer I would go to the Restaurant du Palais Royal, to have a coupe de champagne on the terrace and maybe eat outside. It’s the city’s most beautiful spot at night; it becomes so quiet you can even hear the fountains . . . In winter I’d go next door and dine at Le Grand Véfour.

Editor's note: This summer Scoop is hosting an English-language book club for native English speakers and Parisians who want to practice their English.

INFO

Scoop
154, rue St.-Honoré, in the 1st.
01 42 60 31 84.

La Briciola
64, rue Charlot, in the 3rd.
01 42 77 34 10.

Café Marly
93, rue de Rivoli, in the 1st.
01 49 26 06 60.

Marché des Enfants Rouges
39, rue de Bretagne, in the 3rd.
Tues–Thurs, 9–2 and 4–8; Fri–Sat, 9–8; Sun, 8:30–2.

By Cynthia Rose

© B. Lomont. A quick self-portrait Lomont made at the Hôtel de Brienne
while documenting the restoration there. 

Bérangère Lomont is a professional photographer dedicated to architecture, reportage and portraits, especially of artists in their ateliers. She works for the Paris museum La Cité d’Architecture et du Patrimoine (City of Architecture and Heritage), and with the art conservators l’Atelier ARCOA, for whom she photographs the entire process of a restoration. Her own work is shown in both private galleries and in venues such as the Centre Pompidou. 

What do you most enjoy about your craft?
For me, photography is a passion, one in love with life and with people, one in which banality simply does not exist and every moment is memorable. Every person is photogenic, each ray of sun sculpts the city and every day is a discovery. Currently I'm working toward an exhibition that will show Parisian domes both secular and sacred—those that we never see in their entirety. It’s literally heavenly!

© B. Lomont. The dome of l’Hôtel de Béthune-Sully in the apartment of the duchess,
after restoration by l'Atelier ARCOA.

From Nadar to Atget, Doisneau to Cartier-Bresson, we have seen the Paris of many male photographers. Is it different for a parisienne?
Those are all great masters who gave us unforgettable portraits of Paris, timeless photographs. The epoch has now changed and digital technology permits us to create new images; I started one series of Parisian buildings and their inhabitants where you see the residents digitally integrated on their building’s façade—both disturbing and very funny. But the universe of all photographers remains aesthetic. We consider the whole setting because our search is always to exalt the beauty of everything we photograph. Thus, my view both as a woman and as a Parisian remains within the spirit of those great masters.

© B. Lomont. "The most charming of Paris shopkeepers," Lomont says of her 
neighbor in the Latin Quarter.

Tell us about your quartier.
I live in the heart of the Latin Quarter on a mythical street, la rue de la Montagne Ste.-Geneviève. Life here is animated by the students; the neighborhood is filled with shops and cafés that give it the life of a village.

What are your favorite places in the rest of Paris, and why?
For me, the Place des Vosges and the gardens of the Palais Royal represent the absolute perfection of architecture. It is a dream; one can even picnic. I travel by bike, so I love crossing the Seine, watching the light on monuments and following the quais. I shop at the bouquinistes [antiquarian booksellers along the Seine] or cycle by Canal St.-Martin, where one can meet some very droll people.

© B. Lomont. The Romanesque chapel garden Eyrignac in the Périgord. "The most
beautiful garden in that region!" says Lomont.

For you, what makes the “perfect day in Paris”?
A walk to see the Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée Cluny), then to pass by Notre-Dame and continue to the Musée Carnavalet. Or breakfast in the Place des Vosges, then a visit to the covered passages, then saluting the statue of Louis XIV on Place des Victoires. Visit the opera, then reach the end of the day in Montmartre to watch night fall over the city.

What are your favorite cafés and restaurants?
I love the brasseries with their traditional fare and style: the Brasserie Île St.-Louis and Le Vaudeville, as well as small restaurants such as Le Villaret and Le Chardenoux. The restaurant Miroir and, in the Maubert, Le Buisson Ardent.

© B. Lomont. The controversial exhibition of Jeff Koons at the Château de Versailles.

Where would you go to celebrate a special occasion?
To La Dame de Canton. It’s amazing to spend a night partying on a junk moored at the quai François Mitterrand! Otherwise, the restaurant of Le Meurice.

See more of Lomont's work on her website.

INFO

Brasserie Île St.-Louis
55, quai de Bourbon, in the 4th Arrondissement.
01 43 54 02 59.

Le Chardenoux
1, rue Jules Vallès, in the 11th.
01 43 71 49 52.

Miroir
94, rue des Martyrs, in the 18th.
01 46 06 50 73.

Le Villaret
13, rue Ternaux, in the 11th.
01 43 57 89 76.

By Cynthia Rose

Photo: Steve Sampson

Paris can transform expatriate artists into entrepreneurs (think Nancy Cunard or Sylvia Beach), and Kumi Ozaki-Charau is one modern example. She moved from Japan as an Air France employee. But Ozaki-Charau now has her own company, Mingouwou, as well as her own label: Rani Mingouwou Paris. Through these, she produces one-off sacs (handbags) and jewelry.

A different passion inspires her concert series, Kumi’s Classiques, a Parisian showcase for young classical musicians. If you’re the sort of girl who’s out every night, Ozaki-Charau’s face may be familiar from openings, expos and concerts.

Tell us a bit about the Japanese community here.
The Paris community is quite large, from people who work for Japanese companies to artists, scholars, students and those, like me, who married a French person. It produces small newspapers, in French and Japanese, such as OVNI, the Association Amicale des Ressortissants Japonais en France or JIPANGO. The Japanese district, so-called, is between Palais Royal and Opéra.

Describe your handbags and rings . . . I love them!
I make my sacs out of cloth I create by knitting together pieces of different fabrics. The result is like an abstract painting where the shades intertwine. My rings use glass and crystal beads; their differences come from the beads’ shapes, sizes and colors. For me, what matters most is the relation between the ring and the personality of the woman who wears it.

© B. Lomont

How did you establish your company?
So many of my designs were selling that I needed legal status, thus I became what the French call an auto-entrepreneur. This is easy to do now, with just a few mouse clicks. My brand name, Rani Mingouwou Paris, mixes Hindi, Japanese and Chinese, but it uses a French spelling. “Rani” means “mon amour,” and Mingouwou is my home city, Nagoya, as it is pronounced in Chinese. Because I now have had many years of la vie parisienne, each of my creations says "Nagoya Mon Amour!"

Where can we find Rani Mingouwou Paris items?
In addition to private orders, I sell sacs and rings in places such as Les Ateliers du Créatur or via BOX or Jhin.

How did you start Kumi’s Classiques?
In Paris you can always hear famous orchestras, conductors and soloists. Anyone can find these via the monthly Cadences, or the weeklies Pariscope and l’Officiel des spectacles. Hearing so much music, I discovered that many young musicians rarely get to play for an audience. I started Kumi’s Classiques to do something about that.

How does it work?
Attendees are notified by email, and anyone can subscribe. Most concerts are free, but audience members give what they want; all money goes toward piano tuning and to the musicians. I feel honored that my artists give me their trust. They rely on me to organize everything.

When you take a day off to enjoy Paris, what do you do?
I go to areas that change my “Paris culture”—Gare de l’Est, La Chapelle, Gare du Nord or Barbès-Rochechouart. I’ll swim in my favorite pool, the Piscine de la Butte-aux-Cailles, whose water comes from hot springs. Or, when it’s fine, I love being in the Jardin du Luxembourg, with a book or my knitting. There I can time-travel back to Impressionism. In the evening I might see a ballet at the Opéra national de Paris or a concert at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

Courtesy Mingouwou

What quartier would you recommend to a visitor?
I live in the 13th, which has Paris’s biggest Chinatown, but also a very old French side: La Butte-aux-Cailles. It’s like a village with architecture inspired by Alsace and Russia, as well as Art Nouveau. There are artists, boutiques and a fountain with fresh spring water.

What is one favorite thing you do with friends?
Three places I go with friends for a quiet tea or coffee break are Zen Zoo Thesaurus, Thé de Chine (which has superb dim-sum lunches) and Jolly Hotel Lotti.

Where do you go for something new?
I love Paris because it's French but also not only French. For me, the Chinese, African, Pakistani, Tamil, Turkish, Algerian and Jewish parts of town are full of discoveries. If you are daring, try some Chinese or Tamil food. For authentic Chinese cuisine, I recommend Fleurs de Mai or Chez Shen and, for spicy Tamil, Gowri-Villas.

Where would you celebrate a special occasion?
With a concert at the Salle Pleyel, followed by a dinner at La Maison Blanche, with its beautiful view of Paris!

Kumi's Classiques Free Concerts in March

Friday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m.
École de Langues A.A.A. (Association des Amitiés Asiatiques)
21, rue d’Antin, in the 2nd. Metro: Opéra or Pyramides.
Performers: Kenji Nagaki (cello) and Miho Nagata (piano).
Program: Schumann, Fauré, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Dvorak
and Debussy.

Monday, March 15, at 8:30 p.m.
Église Réformée de Paris-Luxembourg, St.-Germain
58, rue Madame, in the 6th. Metro: Rennes or St.-Placide.
Performers: Naoko Sakagawa (oboe) and Yoko Nakamoto (piano).
Program: Marcel Bitsch, Jules Massenet, Jean-Michel Damase,
Maurice Ravel, Debussy and Saint-Saëns.

For more information, or to subscribe to Kumi's Classiques, email kumi.charau@hotmail.fr.

INFO

BOX
48, Passage Choiseul, in the 2nd.
(Passage Choiseul runs from 40, rue des Petits Champs to 23, rue St.-Augustin.
Passage hours: Mon–Sat, 7 a.m.–9 p.m.)

Chez Shen
39, rue au Maire, in the 3rd. 01 48 87 88 06.

Gowri-Villas
53, rue Louis Blanc, in the 10th. 01 42 05 72 65.

Jhin
5, rue de Condé, in the 6th.

Mingouwou
18, blvd Arago, in the 13th.

Thé de Chine
20, blvd St.-Germain, in the 5th. 01 40 46 98 89.

By Cynthia Rose

Courtesy Mireille Guiliano.

Mireille Guiliano’s life has been devoted to representing both French women and French luxury. Marriage to a US CEO (of the New York Institute of Technology) brought her from Paris to New York. There she helped found Clicquot, Inc., the US importer of Veuve Clicquot champagne; she also became a senior executive at luxury conglomerate LVMH. Her work life has always combined high pressure and continuous travel.

In 2005, however, she found time to write French Women Don't Get Fat, a book that achieved record international sales. When its follow-up, French Women for All Seasons, proved just as popular, Guiliano retired from decades of corporate life and became a full-time author. In October she published Women, Work and the Art of Savoir Faire, and April will see the first French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook. Mme Guiliano splits her time between Paris, Provence and Manhattan.

What inspired your latest book?
In terms of mentoring and shared experience, there is a paucity of business books by women for women—I mean everything from packing a suitcase to making a presentation! Whenever I spoke about other books, many women wanted to know more about my professional life, and they encouraged me to answer with a book. Finally I agreed: a “holistic” book on women and work could reach a broad audience and, hopefully, help some women. All of my books are designed to help people.

Was it easier to understand “home”—Paris, France and Europe—because you began working elsewhere?
Definitely. Only when living in another culture does one appreciate the good and bad parts of any culture. Furthermore, it made me realize the fundamental differences between French and American culture. I became more tolerant and less judgmental of others.

What difference does the Internet make in your work?
Men and women from all over the world contact me every day; I never expected to touch so many different lives! Also, websites give me an opportunity to engage with people daily, to observe both their struggles and accomplishments. This helps pinpoint the type of advice and content people look for to improve their lives. It’s due to overwhelming requests, for instance, that I wrote my upcoming cookbook!

You travel constantly. What helps you cope?
I fly at off-peak hours and, since I’ve seen my share of lost luggage ruin a relaxing trip, I never check luggage. Instead, I will FedEx or DHL clothes to my destination. I love Issey Miyake clothes, which fold into the size of a handkerchief, never wrinkle and can be washed and dried in no time. I always bring a cashmere wrap and my iPod—my husband put my favorite music on it, as well as my Italian lessons. Most important, I never eat on the plane. I bring nuts, dried fruits or a banana and maybe some hard cheese. When I arrive, I reward myself with a nice meal.

Courtesy Mireille Guiliano.

When you arrive in Paris, what cultural difference strikes you first?
The change of pace! The time and importance given to greetings and small talk—no matter how busy people are or how long the line is. People walking or biking to work and taking time to go out for lunch and eat at a table. Plus, the importance of conversation and laughter.

Let’s imagine a businesswoman (of any age) is headed to Paris, treating herself to a short vacation. Where do you suggest she stay?
The 6th Arrondissement has the features for my taste—that’s where I chose to live, near St. Sulpice. There are also great small hotels there, like Relais Christine, La Villa, Le Sénat, Le Relais Saint-Sulpice and Millésime.

What things should she be sure to see?
Small museums like the Musée Delacroix or the Musée Zadkine. My favorite bookstore, the Librairie des Femmes. The view from the Pont Neuf and the Luxembourg Gardens—especially near the Fontaine de Médicis or farther up, near rue Vavin.

Where would you tell her to shop?
In the boutiques along rue Jacob, rue Bonaparte and rue de la Cherche-Midi. She should try the treats at patisserie Gérard Mulot or the chocolate at Patrick Roger. There is a great Thai spa on the rue de Vaugirard. There are the great cafés, like Café de Flore and, for restaurants, she has great choices: from Hélène Darroze to La Marlotte, Huîtrerie Régis to Le Bistrot de l’Alycastre to KGB.

What about the day it rains all day?
Go and see a film. There is the Christine, for old movies—or, for current ones, any of the three theatres near Odeon. Or go to the most beautiful bookstore in Paris, Galignani; half of their 50,000 books are in English. Afterward, have tea next door at the splendid Starck-Dali salon of Le Meurice hotel. Plus, of course, it does not rain in department stores, such as Le Bon Marché!

What unique souvenir might a professional woman discover?
Scarves and belts—or interesting vintage and modern jewelry. Rue Bonaparte has nice shops, as does Le Marais. There I particularly like rue du roi de Sicile. Also the small streets around the Place des Vosges and up-and-coming areas on rue Charlot, rue Poitevin and rue de Turenne.

Courtesy Mireille Guiliano.

What gifts might she bring her husband, her sister or a friend?
I recommend ties, necklaces and food (from olive oil to chocolates), as well as leather items from wallets to bags. My foreign friends enjoy going to a smaller department store where the French go—like BHV on rue de Rivoli—more than the huge, touristy brand-carriers such as Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.

If you designed a day for introducing Paris to a visitor, how would it unfold?
I’d start with a typical breakfast (croissant and a crème) at an outdoor café on a quiet street, reading a paper. Then walk to a garden (after the Luxembourg, those of the Palais Royal and the Tuileries are ones I love). Wander the small streets in a left bank neighborhood, go to la Cour du Murier (the courtyard inside the Beaux-Arts school ENSBA) and to Musée Cluny.

Lunch would be the main meal. I would pick l’Atelier, which to me offers the best value in Paris for a terrific culinary experience. But it’s expensive, so figure $50 to $100 per person. For less, try a small bistro where the French eat home-style meals—the few on rue Lobineau come to mind. In the evening, see a ballet or attend a concert at Sainte Chapelle. Dine light afterward (read: seafood) in a brasserie.

I would not include any touristy shopping or sightseeing; crowds ruin things for me. But definitely include a walk along the Seine—if it’s sunny, in late afternoon, when the light and colors are magical.

If Paris were one film, one piece of music or one image for you, what would it be?
Paris is the city of lights and history, so anything from a biography of Madame Curie or Jeanne d’Arc to a daffy comedy. The music would be Offenbach’s La Vie parisienne and the photo would be Amoureux aux poireaux (Lovers with Leeks), by Robert Doisneau.

You advise drinking as much water as possible, but toilets are hard to find in Paris! Also, is it true one should never ask to use the toilet at a French dinner party?
When I was growing up, both were true. There was no asking for a WC at a party—and too few public toilets! But “an American” would be excused for asking to use the toilet in a home. As for public restrooms, there has always been a tradition of searching department stores, hotels and cafés. France also now has quite a few modern, high-tech sanisettes (public WCs) on the streets. In terms of that convenience, it probably went from last to first in the world!

Find out more about Mireille’s projects, web community and recommendations at her sites: Mireille Guiliano and French Women Don’t Get Fat.