Author: Sam Growdon

Oui! Colette, J’arrive!

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Colette in Paris isn’t a new store – however it is still one of my fave concept cult stores to visit. I popped in there on a saturday afternoon and it was full of young, trendy locals and visitors to the city. Their book collection is one of the best I’ve seen, they have a great selection of fashion biographies that will make any fashion lover tingle. I spotted a very chic tourist glancing through How to be Parisian wherever you are, written by four french women who have been friends forever and decided to put together a very funny manual on how to be parisian chic (I grabbed a copy, will let you know how my transformation goes!). The upstairs section of the store is my favourite, you’ll always find interesting pieces that have been perfectly curated for the girl looking for the extraordinary and it’s impossible to walk out of the store without buying something – this time I got myself a pair of gorgeous Ancient Greek Sandals, the fantastic cult-ish shoe brand, gaining a major celeb following. …

Talking twins and tattoos : Kelly Mauritsen

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Model, full-time mom of twin boys, avid yogi and tattoo lover. I met with Kelly Mauritsen to talk motherhood, future plans and getting inked – seven times! PARIS, France – It’s a cold grey morning in Paris when fellow South African Kelly Mauritsen and I meet at a contemporary coffee spot at the foot of Avenue Montaigne. She is completely make-up free with perfect skin, dressed in casual blue denims and a beautifully hugging black turtleneck – she’s makes being a full-time mom to twin boys look super chic and easy. In another life she’d love to be dressed in Balmain and Givenchy, but that this wouldn’t be very practical when running after the twins, Reilly and Viggio, in a wet and cold Parisian park (She’s not a Kardashian after all!) She’s in the middle of “orientation” with the boys at a play school nearby and grumbles that the French system of easing kids in to play school is a total pain. I have to agree, it takes a whole week to orientate the kids here – …

Bonjour, Hello, Howzit!

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I am Sam, more commonly referred to as Jack and Tom’s mom. I originally hail from the Vuvuzela-loving city of Johannesburg, I’ve lived in London and Hong Kong, I called Paris home for three years, moved back to Hong Kong for two, then the Big Apple, NYC (hope you’re keeping up!) and now I call Tokyo home – erm, did I mention I love to travel? I’m a Creative Director, having worked for magazines such as ELLE, heat and FHM, and I’ve been a weekly fashion columnist for Grazia. I also art direct and design creative projects for numerous clients and every now and then I manage to post on this personal style, fashion and lifestyle blog, LaBelleCrush.com. Moving a lot and having two small kids has changed my perspective on this modern day fast paced concept of “doing everything” … (yes, I know we’re able to change a diaper while checking our emails making sure that the boss got the report all while keeping an eye on CNN in the background, oh and did I mention the toddler hanging onto your leg playing horsey?) BUT, we’re made …

Who said Lugano was just for old rich people?

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Given the nickname “the Monte-Carlo of Switzerland” it’s not hard to see why. This perfectly picturesque city bordering Italy to the North has it all. A Lake surrounded by mountains, law-abiding and friendly citizens, luxury shopping (dozens of second-hand luxury watch stores), beautiful parks to keep the kids happy and serene walks. Before visiting, I was under the impression that we’d only be seeing a lot of understated and extremely wealthy people with Hermés handbags and shoulder-draped jerseys – that Lugano was very pretty but a little boring. The understated wealthy people are there, but in fact there is tons to do and the pure beauty of this place allows you to while away the time taking in its natural beauty. A short drive and quick ferry ride will also take you to the town of Bellagio on Lake Como, made famous by some actor called George Clooney – perhaps you’ve heard of him? We took a day trip to the town, but apparently George was busy with wedding plans or something! Bellagio is postcard pretty, …

A glass cloud? A floating sailboat? A smashed perfume bottle?

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Nope, it’s the new Fondation Louis Vuitton recently opened in the Jardin d’acclimatation in the Bois de Bologne in the west of Paris. The merging of two visions between LVMH’s CEO, Bernard Arnault and Frank Gehry the controversial Canadian-American architect-extraordinaire. I headed there on a very grey Parisian day with my youngest strapped into his pram. There is no doubt when you arrive at the entrance that this building is special. It is ginormous in size and the shiny Louis Vuitton Logo stands out like a diamond encrusted brooch on the entrance lapel . From the publicity photos the building seems as if it’s floating like a glass cloud above the park and has in fact been described as a “cloud of glass – magical, ephemeral, all transparent” by Mr Gehry himself in a 2006 interview with the Guardian . But as I stood outside admiring it’s size I didn’t get a sense of anything light – the gallery is imposing, grand, powerful and dominant – which is perhaps a reflection of the luxury conglomerate itself. …

Ski suits swinging from the ceiling

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As the temperatures drop in the Northern Hemisphere and you dream of warm duvets then it’s worth visiting a Moncler store. The brands outerwear is just that – super high fashion duvets. Who knew that a skiing label could become so stylish that even if you don’t set foot on a ski slope you wouldn’t look out of place. I visited the Moncler store on Rue Faubourg Saint Honore, it is a masterpiece ! My favourite part, seeing the mannequins suspended from the ceiling dressed in – you guessed it – ski suit-esque garb. It’s a store full of imagination – beautifully merchandised, creatively designed and with awesome tunes playing the background you’ll want to spend hours just browsing.

Ready, set, aller! Navigate Paris with these reads

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While the simple app on your smart phone is very quick and SO tech forward, there’s nothing like the printed version! Open the book, turn the pages, see the photos and read the stories… Here are my top three at the moment. If you love history and your mode of transport is the Metro, then this is a great way to tick both of those off the list. The book follows Lorant Deutsch, an historian and lifelong Francophile as he uses the 21-stops on the Paris underground to unveil events from French history – a super fun, awesome way to spend time in the beautiful city while brushing up on your history. Metronome by Lorant Deutsch Food, clothing, live animals (yes really!) – too many markets and so little time? Get yourself the Markets of Paris Second Edition mini-guide written and compiled by Dixon Long and Marjorie R. Williams. This little black book of markets takes you through the entire market scene in the city, including organic produce, artisanal vendors and antiques. It also includes virtual markets as …