Arty Dandy

Axel Teinturier, the brains behind the impossibly chic Arty Dandy gallery boutique, mixes fashion with art books, housewares, jewelry, small leather goods, sunglasses and perfumes, along with fine art. All the beautifully displayed objects were selected, says Teinturier, for their “creative identity, elegance, audacity and humor”. Teinturier studied art history in Paris and later worked at the Marlborough Gallery in New York, honing a sharp sense of top trends and a connoisseur’s eye for the quality and originality he demands in his wares.

As in a gallery, the inventory changes constantly—clothing according to season and everything else according to whatever Teinturier finds interesting and clever, like a Maison Martin Margiela loupe in the shape of a half-pair of glasses, a hard-to-find item in the digital age ($75). Eye-catching ornaments for the home include candles molded from life-size hands ($45), floating butterflies or colorful perched canaries under tiny bell jars ($370–$450), an elegant Christofle silver tray ($340) and plush designer rugs. The menswear section was dominated this winter by British designer John Smedley’s classic merino sweaters and bags for men in surprising materials, with some great gift items, like Lanvin cufflinks or bowties from Laurent Desgrange. Women’s accessories like the stylish ostrich-leather handbags by Clio Goldbrenner for Vanessa Tugenhaft and chunky-link bracelets and sunglasses by Derome Brenner are hard to find in the US. January’s artworks included Argentine artist Jazmin Berakha’s creamy fabric canvases of elegant women embroidered in metallic yarns. Things change constantly here, but many are fabulous.

1 rue de Furstemberg, 6th, 01.43.54.00.36. website

Originally published in the February 2012 issue of France Today