a day in the life: michele ouellet

you may recognize this girl from some free people catalogs! she modeled in our december ’09 and january ’10 books, and i interviewed her back then for the blog. michele often works in paris – and hung out with our team while they were shooting there – so i asked her for a little rundown of her ideal day off in paris!

paris! such a fun, beautiful city. i love working there and no matter how many times i visit there is always something fabulous to discover! the city is set up in such a way that nearly every corner you turn, a gorgeous monument or bridge or statue or building is right in front of you. there is so much to take in! whenever i have some time to kill between castings i explore st. germain and le marais or pop into one of the many museums. my perfect day off would look something like this…

read more for the full post!

after stopping for a pain au chocolat and a cafe i would wander into le marais –  a vintage lover’s paradise. guaranteed you will make some great finds in this charming neighborhood!

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there is a wonderful hammam spa called les bains du marais where i love to get massages, and after that i would stop in at l’eclaireur (40 rue de sévigné), my favorite store in paris:

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it is so well curated and they have luxurious, unique things there.

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i’ve been buying my jeans from noir kennedy and april 77 for years and recommend checking those stores out as well!

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for lunch in le marais, i LOVE meeting up with girlfriends at the delicious rose bakery (30 rue debelleyme). it’s super healthy and has great juices and great vibes!

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but if you’re hanging out with boys, i recommend taking them to l’as du falafel (34 rue des rosiers). this place is CRAZY! the name means ‘king of falafel” or “falafel pro”! their claim to fame is that lenny kravitz eats there and they have pictures of him everywhere to prove it!

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of course in the spring or summer, it is just HEAVENLY to walk around the tuileries or palais royale parks, but paris is equally as stunning – and dramatic – when its a bit gray and gloomy.

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Opera-garnier

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one of my best paris memories was a secret tour of the opera garnier by a good friend who danced there growing up. it is seriously BEAUTIFUL! it was so fun peeking inside the theater while the dancers practiced. if you love ballet go.  if you don’t love ballet, still go.

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a delicious local spot for dinner is le petit marche, directly behind place des vosges. i go there all the time and always get the tuna millefeuille! i promise you will love it.

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my favorite restaurant in the world is caviar kaspia (17 place madeleine, 75008). its very chi chi, decadent, and really fun at the same time! i mean, caviar on a baked potato? TOO GOOD!

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my favorite drink in town (besides champagne, of course) is the french 75 at harry’s bar (5 rue daunou, 75002).  it opened in 1911 and is reputed to be the oldest cocktail bar in the world – they are credited with the invention of the bloody mary!

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the key to paris is to explore, explore, explore! get into the parisian lifestyle! have a 3 hour lunch! wear heels, perfume, lipstick! drink champagne! speak french! have fun!

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with the free people crew during our january catalog shoot :)

thank you so much michele! check out her blog here!

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13 years ago

what a life!

Janelle
11 years ago

A friend and I are spending this July in Paris, any one have any tips on budget friendly spots to check out? Also, if any one knows of any beaches that are a day or less by train away, and not too terribly crowded in the summer months, we’d love to spend a few days some where we can swim our little hearts out!