my favourite french staples, a paris inspired ensemble & an introduction to grabr
A hyper French outfit for an occasion, & by occasion I mean an introduction to Grabr, a wanderlust inspired service connecting travelers with people who are seeking a product from abroad. Shoppers can order anything from anywherein the world and have it delivered by someone travelling there.
Things from France I personally adore owning: many diptyque variations, a beat up mini Chanel, black and white vintage paris prints, delicate lacy lingerie, black fuzzy berets, Comme Des Garcons accessories, tiny jewellery from Colette, one of the only magazines i like called Wad & even a cliched metallic Eiffel to sit on my dresser as a memory of my best times in the city.
Grabr and I collaborated on a wishlist e-book, whereby I have shared all the things I find myself craving from my past Parisian life. It was such fun to compile and full of personal nostalgia. You can download it here.
There are many things I crave from faraway places , like the cannoli I eat every time I’m in Rome or the amber incense from the resort my family went to for many years in Indonesia or the peanut butter from Whole Foods in the United States. You know, things that would probably become lovely little constants in my life should I have access to them, but instead, they remain luxuries I can enjoy only every so often or at worst, never again at all. I guess I am already lucky enough in that I still work in Paris, meaning I can stock up on all the French staples I learnt I couldn’t live without when I lived there full time. Such as Caudalie cosmetics or Diptyque scattered across my shelves, there are few fashion magazines I enjoy but the two titles I do like are French. And so my suitcases back to Barcelona are always faithfully stocked up with these sorts of things. But what about the women that don’t have the privilege of returning to Paris as often as I do? Most of you adore Paris, you tell me time and time again; a great deal of Frassy feels like a poetic dialogue between us about the city of lights in itself. Now you know I don’t condone shopping, but the memories that come from something you bought on a trip away and loved? Those are beautiful anecdotes and ones we should have repeat access to, even just for the nostalgia, an emotion I treasure immensely. These sorts of purchases mean more because they are attached to an experience. This is why I was so intrigued by Grabr, quite like rediscovering an old postcard, you can rebuy absolutely anything from your travels, regardless how far from home it might be. So, if say, you are wanting a new Maison Michel hat or a box of your favourite Chantal Thomas lingerie, or perhaps a perfume you can only buy at Nose in the 2eme – I or someone else travelling to Paris could pick it up and deliver it to you. The app connects you with travellers everywhere. What a lovely idea, to me, it feels like wanderlust coming full circle. I’m certainly tempted to use the service to source that Indonesian incense I’d kill to have burning in my home, until then, I urge you all to revisit the treasures from your past travels and explore Grabr. If you are looking for something francaise, my guide to unique gifts from Paris is full of my french favourites, which is downloadable right here.
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