Visit Galeries Lafayette this Christmas

It’s official. We’ve commenced the most wonderful time of the year in Paris… The Christmas festivities have kicked off in the French capital! Indeed you’d be hard-pressed to find a more perfect place to spend the holidays than Paris. The city pulls out all the stops with sparkling lights, Christmas markets, and festive events. Paris is already celebrated as one of the world’s best shopping cities, and this special Christmas ambiance enhances the experience. Playing a key role in the yuletide merriment, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann— the beloved department store— takes its job very seriously. Not only is this grand magasin your one-stop-shop for gifts and gastronomic goodies, but it’s also a major player with decorations that are a destination themselves. People make pilgrimages to see the giant Christmas tree, glittering under the Art Nouveau glass dome, and the highly anticipated shop windows— designed to melt even the hardest of (frozen Grinch) hearts. This year award-winning actress Jessica Chastain did the honors in unveiling the 11 decorated windows. What’s particularly cool about les vitrines is that they feature children’s drawings of imaginary characters brought to life with the help of illustrator duo Marie Pommepuy and Sébastien Cosset – otherwise known as Keraskoët. Galeries Lafayette’s Young Dreamers Art Competition was launched earlier this year across the country, and the 11 winners, aged between 5 and 11 years old, are thrilled to find 3D models of their characters in the store windows, around the Christmas tree, and also in a special film “The Dream Factory,” directed by Nicolas Bary for Galeries Lafayette. About that famous tree… Christmas in Paris isn’t complete without gawking at the Galeries Lafayette Christmas tree. This year, the iconic department store teamed up with Maison Piaget to create the design. Especially fabulous is the aurora borealis experience which takes place every 30 minutes. The dome lights are switched off and a constellation of stars can be seen around the tree. We also love that the Homme (men’s) store is going gaga over Harry Potter, inviting the “Wizarding World” into its store and in the incredible window displays… The world premiere of the “Fantastic Beasts” movie, the latest adventure from best-selling author J.K. Rowling, just took place in Paris– and Galeries Lafayette is celebrating in style. Winsome workshops Did you know that Galeries Lafayette Haussmann offers a number of workshops, like wine tasting ateliers, beauty master classes, and macaron bakery classes? Not to mention the original fashion shows… Get the skinny on all of the ateliers here. For Art Lovers The Galeries des Galeries is hosting a series of exhibitions on the theme of fairytales. Head to the first floor exhibition space to immerse yourself in art and design- running through January 13, 2018. For more Christmas events at the store, click here. Shopping Tips Calling all Santa’s elves. There’s a lot to love with some unique one-off collaborations this year. For sweet tooths, Galeries Lafayette Gourmet has a selection of exclusive treats designed by pastry heavyweights Pierre Hermé Paris, Yann Couvreur, Alain Ducasse and more. There’s a Piaget Pop-up with covetable exclusive bangles like the Piaget Possession Bracelet—crafted in 18-carat pink gold mounted with two ≈ 0.79-carat malachite cabochons and 20 brilliant-cut diamonds. Other cool finds: high-top leather sneakers by Off-White; coats by Stella McCartney Kids; gorgeous stoneware mugs by Absolut Maison; Lexon rechargeable Bluetooth speakers by José Levy; an exclusive transparent iridescent bag by MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA; 95 Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires by CHARLES HEIDSIECK for Champagne drinkers; advent calendars by LE CHOCOLAT DES FRANÇAIS (we also love the fun advent calendar by L’Occitane, stocked with beauty products)…. The list goes on an on. Why not go see for yourself? CLICK HERE TO GET A VOUCHER FOR A SPECIAL GIFT WITH PURCHASE