Fashion Hotspot
since
1648
look at your phone / computer keybord
only two letters
VB
a unique web adress
rooting in centuries of history
and at the same time the Pop Up Stores
of the World's most famous brands ...
food since 1370 - fashion since 1648 - tech since 1671
1527 1648 1660 1671 1710 1738 1780
1837 1853 1865 1869
1870 1880 1910 1920 1938
1960 1970 1986 1993 1995 2004
2011 2012 2013 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2024
More than just square meters in the heart of Paris
Cremerie de Paris is like an "open history book"
with amazing new chapters adding all the time.
In which concerns "fashion" our history goes back to the year 1648
Cremerie de Paris is connected to the life of many fashion icons,
Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, Thierry Hermes, Empress Eugenie,
Anastasia Romanov, Coco Chanel, Pokemon, Adererror ...
.
Fashion influence going back to 1527
"Maison des Carneaux" The corporation of Clothiers and Bonnetiers were cramped in the nearby Saint-Jacques tower. 1527 The corporation bought a new house at 13 rue des Chargeurs (13 rue des Déchargeurs) The house was on the grounds of what is today the roadway of rue des Halles facing Cremerie de Paris N°1 et N°3.  agrandir le plan fait par Olivier Truschet en 1552 |
1648 to 1865 Pavillon des Drapiers
Meeting Place of French Fashion People
during the times of the Bourbons
Louis XIV & Marie Antoinette
Acquisition of a small building and construction of a Pavilion 1648 the "corportation" buys the neighboring building on 11 rue des Déchargeurs. The house was right in between 13 rue des Déchargeurs and the mansion of the Villeroy family 9 rue des Déchargeurs. The "corparation" mandates the architect Sébastian Bruant (father of the architects Jacques and Libéral Bruant) to build the "pavilion".  A child follows the construction, the young King Louis XIV. He spends part of his childhood next door at the Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon (VB), owned by his teacher Nicolas V de Villeroy.  . The "Pavillon des Drapiers / Pavillon de la Mode" finished in 1660. The architect Jacques Bruant. also erected the Hôtel Desmartes 18 rue Vivienne 75002 Paris or the Châteu du Fayelin in the departement Oise. Sébastien Bruant, his young brother, was the architect of the Hôtel des Invalides.  Ruth Fiori who published the book "Paris Déplacé" explained the façade on page 53 of her book: "Originally, the facade, topped with a broken roof, consisted of three floors punctuated by double columns superimposing the three orders of architecture. In the center, a small avant-corps contained the coat of arms of the guild of drapers (the nave, which has since become the emblem of Paris) in a medallion held by two caryatids. It was surmounted by a pediment in the center of which stood a seated woman depicting the City of Paris""  The Pavillon des Drapiers / Pavillon de la Mode (n°11) or the entrance of the Hôtel de Villeroy Bourbon / Hôtel de la Poste (n°9) and the Théâtre des Déchargeurs (n° 3) bear witness to the extraordinary economic wealth of rue des Déchargeurs during the 17th century. .   1671 arrived at VB, the neighboring Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon La Poste, the Royal French Postal Services owned by the Pajot & Rouillé family. They carried mail with horses and exchanged international courrier with the Thurn & Taxis Postmasters based in Brussels and in Frankfurt. Thanks to the Thurn & Taxis we were able to reopen Cremerie de Paris in 1986. .  1710 Louis XIV appreciates La Poste for its efficiency. When a letter is really important the Sun King comes in person to deliver it directly to the postmaster Louis Leon Pajot because he distrusts those around him. It is likely that Louis XIV passed through the Pavillon des Drapiers that he saw being built during his childhood at 9 rue des Déchargeurs.  The great room of the Pavilion comprised a Portrait Gallery. Geographically it is partly juxtaposed with the current Cremerie de Paris N°1. . 1738 The next King, Louis XV is upset about the wealth accumulated by La Poste and by the splendor of the receptions held at VB, Hotel de Villeroy Bourbon. On May 21, he withdraws the postal license from the Pajot & Rouille family. The drapers pavilion continues its activity.  on N° 9 rue des Déchargeurs (unchanged) and on N°11 (reconstructed in 1868) is now located Cremerie de Paris N°1. . Louis XV is succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI (1754 - 1793) who was married to Marie Antoinette, the youngest daughter of Maria Theresia, Empress of Austria (1717 - 1780)  During the 1780s Marie Antoinette (1755 - 1793) liked to come to the receptions and to the fashion meetings held at the Pavillon des Drapiers so she could meet young fashion talents. According to Mireille D, a Lady that lives at the Hôtel de Villeroy Bourbon today. Queen Marie Antoinette also came to VB because her seamstress lived at the old mansion. Mireille knew the stories from her neighbour Alice Bourquenot (1916 - 2008) a seamstress that worked for the fashion house Carven and that used to dress Josephine Baker (1906 - 1975) Video about Marie Antoinette from the Chateau de Versailles  rue des Déchargeurs in 1780 in the red circle today's Crémerie de Paris N°1 Book by Lucien Coutant about the Corportation des Drapiers explaining the history of the Pavilion and the French tissue industry, see page 14 and page 17 .   Someone who's name is still around and who has known the "Pavillon des Drapiers" in activity was Thierry Hermes (1801 - 1878) 1837 the founder of the fashion house Hermes settled in Paris. more on the links between Thierry Hermes and Crémerie de Paris |
1860 Construction of the Paris foodmarket
Pavillon des Drapiers replaced
by Cremerie de Paris
The place fascinates the ultimate fashionista
Empress Eugenie
Renovation of the Halles Centrales food market Construction of rue des Halles Pavillon des Drapiers replaced by Cremerie de Paris N°1 .  1848 / 1853 Napoléon III became first President and then Emperor of France He pursued the unfinished project of his uncle Napoléon Bonaparte to renovate the Paris Les Halles food market. .  1865 Baron Haussman created the future rue des Halles. A project supervised by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III  To find space it is necessary to remove Rue de la Limace and Rue des Fourreurs. Also the first buildings of Rue St Honoré (N° 1 to N°31 rue St Honoré) as well as N°13, N°15, N°17 and N°19 rue des Déchargeurs including the Pavillon des Drapiers / Pavillon de la Mode. There were many demolitions in the neighborhood where Rue de Rivoli (1848) and Boulevard Sebastopol (1854) had just been drilled. Many buildings had to free up space to carry out the project.  Pavillon des Drapiers on 11 rue des Déchargeurs around 1865 shortly before its demolition and the opening of rue des Halles. .  The building on 11 rue des Déchargeurs corner 15 rue des Halles including the new Cremerie de Paris and was constructed 1868, shortly after the opening of the Pavillons Baltard. 1869 opened the new Cremerie de Paris.  Eugénie has a fascination for the new Cremerie de Paris. While still in school at Sacré Coeur de Paris the history teacher has told Eugénie about Queen Marie Antoinette coming to this place. Eugénie was fascinated by fashion and the Beaux Arts. The past of the Pavillon des Drapiers and the long long history of the Hôtel de Villeroy Bourbon (VB) created in her a special link to the geographic point "Crémerie de Paris". Eugénie was considered to be the biggest fashionista of her times. Living at the nearby Palais des Tuileries (no longer existing ... facing today's Pyramide du Louvre) Eugenie followed the construction of the new Cremerie de Paris, remplacing the old Pavillon des Drapiers / Pavillon de la Mode. Hôtel de Villeroy Bourbon on 9 rue des Déchargeurs was saved from demolition as Eugenie asked the Baron Haussmann to change the axis of the future rue des Halles.   Sad that the Pavillon des Drapiers had to go to make space for the future Rue des Halles. Eugénie request to keep the facade of the pavilon which is dismantled stone by stone and reconstructed in the garden of the Musée Carnevalet. See also article in French by Éléonore Marantz more on the links between Empress Eugénie and Crémerie de Paris |
1880 / 1910 Transmission of the VB stories
from Eugenie to a little girl
and then to the young Romanov children
End of the Second Empire Little by little the stories around Crémerie de Paris (Pavillon des Drapiers / Hôtel de Villeroy Bourbon) are forgotten in Paris .  1870 France was attacked by Otto von Bismarck who won the Franco Prussian war. Napoléon III and Empress Eugénie had to go into exile. End of the Second Empire. .   1880 The old Empress was feeling nostalgic of France: Biarritz, Saint Cloud and the Halles de Paris she had constructed with Victor Baltard and many other people. She loved to transmit her souvenirs to children, in particular a little girl that had lost her mother and that lived with her grand mother Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901) Having lost her only child, Alix Hessen (1872 - 1918) played an important role for Eugenie. Alix loved all the fashion stories that had happened at Cremerie de Paris since 1648. The children liked best the stories about little King Louis XIV (1638 - 1715) coming to VB for school classes. All children dreamed of travelling to Paris to discover Cremerie de Paris. Only Olga Romanov was there with her mother in 1896, at the occasion of an official visit to Paris. World War I and the Russian Revolution made it impossible for the children to come ... Anastasia Romanov inspired many movie makers Don Blooth created a "music box - together in Paris" which is Hollywood imagination, while "the real music box" exists, it is the Cremerie de Paris N°1. Anastasia would be amused that her childhood stories resulted in the fact that 70 years later one of her remote great nephews would be able to buy the historic place and turn it back into a fairytale. As there was so little money to start the new journey she might have helped from the skies to make it happen ... As our grande tante / great aunt she would come to many Pop Up Store Opening Parties be maybe she follows them from the skies just like some other people connected to our long long history ... more on the links between the Romanov and Cremerie de Paris |
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1920 Coco Chanel and Dmitri Romanov
Return of a Story
 1920 Dmitri Romanov survived the Russian Revolution and escaped to Paris. He was the oldest of the Romanov children, most of them having been killed. Once arrived in Paris Dmitri was looking for Cremerie de Paris he knew from the many stories. Once he found it he showed it to Coco Chanel. Chanel that was eight years older fell in love with both Romanov and Cremerie de Paris.  What is left from their story is N°5  and a little jewel ...  Chanel was captivated by a N° 5 symbol forged into the century old railings of the central staircase in the courtyard of Créemerie de Paris / Hôtel de Villeroy & Bourbon VB She returned to the saircase all along of her life sometimes accompanied by her friend Aimée Lopes de Sotto-Maior / Aimée de Heeren.  more on the links between Coco Chanel and Crémerie de Paris discovet the Inside Chanel Videos on VB.com |
1938 Chanel fascinated by a Secret Service Agent
Aimée Sotto Major / Aimée de Heeren
Return of a Story
.  1938 Chanel met Aimée Sotto Maior / Aimée de Heeren who arrived in Paris under the cover of a "wealthy fashion shopper" At the Versailles Circus Ball given by Lady Mendl she was the very first "person in the public eye" to wear a Christian Dior dress. The designer, still unknown at the time, was working for Robert Piguet. The dress got the attention of Marcel Boussac who later financed the launch of Dior. Chanel showed Aimée her little secrets: Cremerie de Paris and the Cedre Imperial Meudon and she told her the fairytales surrounding them. Old fairytales coming from Russia via her boyfriend Dmitri Romanov. Chanel was fascinated by Aimées charisma and beauty. She did not realise that the young it-girl that created a fair wherever she arrived was not only a "fashionista" ... In reality her fashion shopping was paid by the state of Brazil. The real reason for beeing in Paris was not to live in the world of fashion but to work as a "Secret Service agent" Getulio Vargas, the President of Brazil wanted to know more about WW2 preparing in Europe. Germany had invited him to join the AXIS coalition. Chanel's connections helped Aimée to meet people so she could get information. With what she found out from Helmuth James von Moltke Aimée turned into a "secret resistant" influencing Varges to stay away from the "invitation".  Aimée needed to get in contact with the US administration and give the information to Roosevelt.  1938 December at a London reception Aimée met two young men, who might be able to help her. They were the older sons of the American Ambassador Joe Kennedy Sr. 1939 February the older one Joe Kennedy Jr came to visit her in France. She showed him Cremerie de Paris and the Cedre Imperial Meudon she knew from Coco Chanel. Something happened, what should never happen to a Secret Service Agent, she fell in Love In the summer the couple met again on the cote d'Azur, but Aimée needed to continue her Secret Service mission in Paris. 1939 November Aimée got a warning. A German Agent in the Rio "Palacio de Catete" had intercepted a message to Vargas. Aimée now in danger had to disapear instantly taking the next possible ship from le Havre to New York as a Segnora Lopes. Chanel that was not informed about her departure and would have to wait for almost 20 years to see her again. Aimée wanted to convince President Roosevelt to take action in the war. Joe, her young fiancee was a friend of President Roosevelt's sons He would help her with a mission that was difficult as Roosevelt wanted the US to stay neutral. 1940 Aimée continued lobbying work in New York 1941 Time magazine selected her as one of the World's three most fashionable women. 1941 December 11 Roosevelts declared war and decided to liberate Europe. years go by ... .  1960s Getting old Coco Chanel was more and more lonely. One day she run into Aimée, now called Aimée de Heeren. They became friends again, a new friendship that lasted for Chanel to the end of her life. The two Ladies took the habit to walk around Paris in the middle of the night. One (Aimée) was just coming home from a party, the other one (Gabrielle) could not sleep suffering from insomnia. They favorite walking destination was the Paris Les Halles foodmarket operating throughout the night. After a drink at Maison Rouge they went to Cremerie de Paris walked into the courtyard and sat on the magical old staircase with a N°5 symbol forged into the railings. This was the time to share souvenirs from the past or to talk about fashion .  1970 just before Christmas Coco Chanel left a little jewel to Aimée. The jewel once came from Russia and had been a present of Dmitri Romanov. Chanel had keept the jewel all her life as a luck bringer ... more about the links between Aimee de Heeren and Crémerie de Paris |
1 1993 A little jewel from Coco Chanel
Reopening of
Cremerie de Paris
Return of a Story
. 1986 Aimée de Heeren met a young student. A descendant of the old postmasters created the connection. Aimée was intrigued that the young student also knew some stories about VB & Cremerie de Paris.  There were some variations in the stories, but they had the same origin .... the Romanov children. 15 years earlier the young man, had a babysitter that over half a century before was part of the inner circle of the young Romanovs.  The babysitter, his great uncle Carl Solms was a cousin and a childhood friend of Alexei and of Anastasia Romanov. Just like Dmitri Romanov he had escaped from the Russian Revolution.  This picture taken in 1910 shows Carl Solms with his cousin Alexei Romanov and with Tsar Nicolas II. Unfortunately for the student nothing was left for him from the long gone fortunes of the Romanovs except a bit of magic The magic was called Aimée. 1987 The small Cremerie de Paris N°2 reopened as a Sony phone store. The Boutique specialized in repair service. The glamour of Sony and the need to get service for a camera or a walkman attracted many audiovisual people you cannot meet in normal live: famous photographers, iconic film makers, true fashionistas, Lady Diana (1961 - 1997). . 1993 Cremerie de Paris N°1 was for rent but the owner did not want to take the risk to rent it to someone in his early twenties with no financial background. Impossible to get the rental file accepted ... France is not like the US ... a miracle happened Aimee suggested not to rent but to buy the place. "The owner will have no risk" But how to buy major real estate with the revenues of phone repair shop ? Aimée: "France is a country that makes things difficult for young people even more if they are immigrants. You need to find a Bank in America or in Germany to finance you. Pick up the phone and try your chance" Deutsche Bank showed some interest in the project but a high deposit was requested ...  Aimée took the decision to sell the little jewel Coco Chanel had left her and to use the money to help with the down payment. The project was accepted. as if Coco Chanel, that had already died 22 years earlier, had told Aimée "You need to continue the VB story ..." more on the links between Aimee de Heeren and Cremerie de Paris |
1995 On the grounds of the former
Pavillon de la Mode
opened the first Internet Cafe in France
.  1995 Internet arrived on the grounds of the former Pavillon des Drapiers / Pavillon de la Mode. The start was difficult. Not many visitors came to the cafe as internet was still unknown in France. Only a few already connected Americains, a little desperate as their respective Hotels had no web connection.   The cafe got to meet an American that had made quite an extraordinary trip back in 1969, july 20 the first flight to the moon. Another one, also from California, had invented the "dot com system". Without our dog that loved this client we would never have gotten into contact. Dr Jon Postel was completely captivated by the long long history of Cremerie de Paris less the one related to fashion than the one related to hi-tech. Having invented the domain system used today to send emails it amused him to know more about a place that had seen "avant garde emails" (letters carried by horses) three hundred years earlier Thank to his influence the historic families of our house the Villeroys (state advisors) and the Bourbons (Kings of France) now have their names in one of the 676 Two Letter Domains. Almost all Two Letter domains are in the United States or in China, a few in Germany DB.com, LH.com, VW.com a few in the UK BA.com, BT.com, LV.com Only two in France SE.com in Rueil Malmaison and VB.com in Paris making Cremerie de Paris the one and only fashion showroom or Pop Up Store location in the World to have such a short web address. Most of the web cafe visitors were really young. They had crossed the Atlantic to visit the World's fashion capital. Most of them not knowing who they were or who they were going to become ... From time to time someone returns to open a Pop Up Store for a brand he is now in charge of or he has invented in the meantime ...  Also remainig from the Cybercafe days is our Phone Book of the World giving an international visibility to our fashion events. |
.A Kennedy touch
Reopening Cremerie de Paris
 2004 Aimée already over a hundred years old coming to Cremerie de Paris for Internet lessons. Unfortunately barriers of time made it impossible to meet most of the people she knew Coco Chanel, Christian Dior Alexander Bell or Thomas Edison. We only know them through her stories. Having a friend in common with all these people that lived quite some time ago is like being able to bypass the barriers of time ... Someone who remained in her heart was Joe Kennedy Jr  picture of the Kennedys taken on Cap d'Antibes, France 1939  Aimee de Heeren and Joe Kennedy Jr during WW2 trying to influence President Roosevelt to take action against Germany. Joe Kennedy Jr died 1944 August 12 while fighting for the liberation of France. Aimée Sotto Maior never became Aimée Kennedy But the girlfriend of the oldest Kennedy boy remained an icon for the younger brothers, John F Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. Whenever rushing through the French capital they came to see her. We got the meet the youngest one Ted  Ted Kennedy (1932 - 2009), the youngest of the four Kennedy boys also came to our web cafe as his Paris Hotel, the Ritz was not yet connected.   Ted Kennedy (youngest brother of Joe), Aimée de Heeren, Caroline Kennedy (daughter of JFK), Ben Solms (Cremerie de Paris) 2004 Computer connections started to arrive everywhere and the need for Internet Cafes declined 2005 February 15 sadly Cybercafe de Paris closed. The Boutique was rented out to a project that turned into a nightmare. 2006 September 13 Aimée left this World leaving behind a friendship that had lasted for twenty years. 2009 June 16 the former hi-school student left France. . The little jewel from Coco Chanel and all the iconic people we were able to meet through Aimée de Heeren and at the webcafe were like a mission to continue the VB Story ... 2011 January Cremerie de Paris reopened as a Fashion showroom. The first client is the American brand Blauer USA. 2011 July plus October & November Cremerie de Paris getting renovated. |
2012 Nike Barbershop
Return of a Story
 2012 Fashion returns with America's most valuable fashion brand: Nike At the occasion of the Euro 2012 Nike wanted to run a spectacular ad campaign Everything turns around hair style in particular the one of the footballer Mario Balotelli Antoine Leca from the agency Auditoire was asked to set up the Nike Barbershop. With the help of Guillaume Rioufol, Nike discovers Crémerie de Paris It is the very first Pop Up Store. more on the Nike Barber Shop  |
2012 UGG Fashion Expo & Pop Up
Return of a Story
 2012 Return of fashion UGG Australia arrives in France. With the help of Catherine North UGG creates an original shoe fashion expo. Fans of the brand need to take of their shoes off and walk through a tunnel. 3:23 min Video Ugg Pop Up Store by Cremerie de Paris  more on the UGG Pop Up Store |
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2013 - 2017 five consecutive Marc Cain
FW showrooms
Resisting endless constructions
for a spectecular subway exit
Return of a Story
2013 to 2018 "endless" constructions right in front of Cremerie de Paris  2013 - 2019 Construction of subway exit Marguerite de Navarre.  2014 - 2017 Luckily some fashion brands are faithful clients and help to survive the construction. Marccain comes five times from Germany The showroom is decorated by Maria-Cora Eichenauer and Baerbel Bronkal. 1:53 min Vidéo Marc Cain Showroom by Crémerie de Paris. plus sur le Showroom Marc Cain |
2018 Under Armour Pop Up Store
Return of a Story
 2018 The iconic US sports clothing brand and owner of the Two Letter Domain UA.com The Under Armour Pop Up Store was designed by Jessica Koortens. 1:00 min Vidéo #IWILLchallenge by Savly 3:38 min Vidéo VB.com for UA.com by Crémerie de Paris more on the Pop Up Store Under Armour  |
2018 A former webcafe visitor returns ...
Pop Up for the World's largest
fashion retailer
Return of a Story
|
2019 Pokemon by Celio Pop Up
Return of a Story
 2019 Pop Up Store Pokemon N°2 organised by the fashion brand Celio November 5 to 16 Pokemon Center Paris Celio selected Cremerie de Paris for its historic links with the Pokemon going back to the composer Igor Stravinsky that inspires the Pokemon music. The Pop Up Store was imagined by Julia Grosman, third generation of a French Fashion family with an unbeleivable history. The Pop Up celebrates the launch of "Épée and Bouclier" and the Celio x Pokemon collection capsule more on the Pokemon Pop Up Store more on the Pokemon by Celio Pop Up Store |
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2020 ultra hi fashion
from Eastern Europe
Misbhv Showroom
Return of a Story
2019 November 26 ... heavy rain falls on Paris Arriving directly from Charles de Gaulle Airport one of the most elegant woman from Eastern Europe: Patrycja Szklarczyk Two days later the project is confirmed ...  2020 January 14 to 19 Fashion Week Showroon Misbhv first time a brand from Eastern Europe comes to Cremerie de Paris The showroom was imagined by Patrycja Szklarczyk and by Ada Kepinska The furniture looks amazing but it is so heavy two vans are necessary to drive the 1.368 km from Warsaw. more on the Fashion Week Showroon |
2021 A school boy turning
into the fastest growing
Fashion Brand
Racer Worldwide
Return of a Story
Attracted by Coco Chanel and Misbhv the phone of Cremerie de Paris rings. We are asked to make a "facetime" call to show the place for another fashion week showroom project. Surprise the guy on the phone is a teenager. The project is instantly confirmed. A few weeks later walking through Paris we see posters here and there "For the Fashion Week YOU are invited to the Racer Worldwide Pop Up Store Opening party" Oups the opening night thousands of fashonistas arrive. There are so many the young teenager would have needed to book half of the Louvre ... His boss, company founder Mihhail Zigaldo, a little older, is already 20 ...  2021 Fashion Week Showroon Racer Worldwide one of the fastest growing fashion brands at Cremerie de Paris October 1 and 2 more on the Fashion Week Showroom |
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2022 june & july Klarna x Shein,
Summer Pop Up Store
|
. 2023 Jan NBA x Primark
Influencer cocktail
|
. 2024 Jan Adererror
Fashion Week Showroom
from Korea
|
Who is next ?
From time to time
our small "Musée de la Mode" shows this history
on the lower floor of Cremerie de Paris N°1
click on 3D picture to walk up the "Marguerite de Navarre" staircase
and to walk into Cremerie de Paris N°1
3D map of Cremerie de Paris N°9
decorated by Sony Playstation
