At the highly anticipated Clare V. sample sale last month at Row DTLA, designer Clare Vivier exuded calm as she walked through the packed aisles, smiling and offering assistance while hundreds of frenzied shoppers snatched up her discounted handbags, colorful accessories and apparel. (Shout-out to the stranger who offered me tips on how to clean my ink-stained Clare V. leather wallet from a few years back!)
Shopping in Paris may be synonymous with luxury flagship stores and gilded passages, but there is far more to it. Beyond the polished windows of the Champs-Élysées, a diverse shopping scene thrives, from design-forward concept stores in revitalized neighborhoods to the sprawling flea market on the city's northern edge, where treasure hunters make annual pilgrimages for the next great find.