No need to go overseas
We’ve got French culture and style right where we are, if we’re looking for it…
Some days are harder than others to hold tight until my next trip to France. But there are some amazing women-led and owned places in my area that instantly relax me and allow me to imagine I’m there. I hope you’ll visit and experience them yourself! :
1) Raleigh is lucky enough to have a chapter of the Alliance Française—the place to learn French language and culture. From language lessons, reading clubs, to cooking classes with chef Florence Melin, who also leads tours in France with her business Le Gourmet Getaway. We are truly lucky to have a French chef who trained at Ferrandi, Paris’ top culinary school, living in the Triangle. Profitez!
2) Did you know that Durham has a clothing boutique called Vert et Vogue, owned by a Parisian woman named Nadira who is truly a style icône? She carries gorgeous offerings from eco-friendly European designers and the store itself is just incroyablement chic. This is where I shop when I really want to look the part. Earlier this year a business contact in Paris told me when we first met they assumed I was French myself! I was of course, overjoyed to hear that, and I credit the outfit Nadira helped me pick out for the meeting!
3) My other happy place for a French-feeling shopping experience is in Raleigh. France is extremely eco-conscious. Vintage and secondhand clothing stores are everywhere—super nice ones with great curated collections. Nothing reminds me more of that vibe than Revolver, on the local fashion scene since 2005 (a testament to how great it is). The owner Liz has incredible style herself and is just so kind and helpful. A number of fast fashion places have even gone out of business in France, even some big chains, because many French people refuse to shop at them.
4) Want to wake up feeling French even before you dress? Then Culture Salon in Durham needs to be on your radar. I suspect one way I’m blending in when I’m in Paris is due to the owner Katie’s ability to cut my hair in such a way that I look the part. She does runway hair in Paris (and all over the world) for Chanel and other luxury brands, so if anyone around here knows what the latest in hair trends are, it is Katie Manselle.
Want a Raleigh option that embodies the cozy boutique French salon experience with worldclass styling ability? My friend Dina at Halo salon (on the other side of the wall from my shop Beauty Ethics) travels regularly back home to New York and to Europe to stay on the cutting edge of the latest trends. Her co-owner Betsy is wonderful as well.
5) A French expression I love is “bien dans sa peau,” meaning feeling comfortable in your skin and body. Moving with elegance and grace is just part of it all. To that end, Base Moves Pilates is a place that feels extremely Parisian to me (they even sell really cute socks in their store that say “j’adore le pilates")! They have created an aesthetic in their Durham studio that feels exactly like you’ve landed on the Left Bank.
French people are about joyful movement and staying active for life. My friend Jackie, a yogi who’s also a francophile, told me about the yoga class she attended in Bordeaux where it wasn’t even necessary to speak French to understand, the movements are the same everywhere, and the vibe was so welcoming and supportive. That’s just the feeling she aims to cultivate with her Island Yoga to Go experience. Get in touch with her to organize a group yoga class for you and your friends!
And finally, honorable mention, I’m looking forward to the opening of a new French style boutique called Glassbox within the salon of DB Sutton hair salon in Chapel Hill on Franklin Street (they also sell French wine). That’s going to be so fun! Do you know anywhere else that feels French to you? Let me know! I’ll meet you there!
Bises,
Julie
