EMMA CULLINANhas this week's...
Jump the queue at Louis Vuitton
YOU’LL OFTEN see queues at the front door of the Louis Vuitton shop at 101 Avenue des Champs-Elysées, in Paris, but there’s a back way in that offers a more exciting prospect than bags.
Walk past the shop's main entrance, heading towards the Arc de Triomphe, and take the first turn on your left, to the side of the shop, and walk through the glass doors. Here you will be met by slim, elegant young women who will smile, say bonjourand usher you into a lift.
As the doors close you are plunged into complete darkness, depriving your senses and wiping out the busy Parisian streets, to prepare your mind for the art that will greet you when the doors open at the top of the building.
The last time I was here there was an exhibition on the power of words that included a huge pile of paperbacks and a neon sign by Tracey Emin.
After you’ve appreciated the art you can step out on to the high walkway around three sides of the building and stand overlooking the whole of Paris. As you walk to the back of the building you can see the Eiffel Tower sticking up above the rooftops and then, at the front, the bustling Champs-Elysées right below you.
On the way back down, the lift operator will ask if you would like to visit the bookshop. Say yes and be deposited in the heart of the Louis Vuitton shop. All with no queuing and having taken in some quality culture and an aerial view of the city.
A Parisian tipped me off about this – and you do have to be told, because Louis Vuitton keeps it quiet and there are absolutely no signs to it.
louisvuitton.com/ espaceculturel
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