Parisians take their shopping very seriously. After all, it is the birthplace of haute couture and hard core fashionistas take this business to the highest possible level. Whether they’re window shopping from les grand magasins, or quietly ushered inside the more intimate boutiques for their “first look”, Parisian men and women shop at ease in a city that offers just about anything from the unique to the sublime.

For me, the one shop which I often found myself admiring (and yes, sometimes gawking at their goods!) is Colette. There is no other shop in Paris like it. Since its opening in 1997, the store has thrived as an arbiter of Parisian cool, eclectic high-end fashion, designer collaboration, and it is also home to some of the silliest, unexpected books and knickknacks. The owners of Colette, Sarah Lerfet, and her mother, Colette Roussaux  have impeccable taste and a keen sense of humor.