E
mpreintes Paris is a one of a kind concept store. Craftsmen from all around France show their work in these magnificent 600 sqm at the heart of the iconic Marais district. Over a thousand different objects that include furniture, accessories, tableware, decorations, sculptures and jewellery are spread over four floors lit up by large windows. Handmade in France, all the objects on display are either one-of-a-kind or limited-edition pieces that would otherwise be impossible to find.
The Empreintes project was envisioned for long time and finally realised by the Syndicat professionel des métiers d’art, a proper trade union that powerfully supports and organises the work of over 6.000 craftsmen, artists and independent manufacturers. Since this year, the Syndicat has been online too with a marketplace, where craftsmen can sell their work directly to the public.
Empreintes Paris is enviably located in rue de Picardie, a tiny street in Haut Marais, the cool neighbourhood in the historic part of Paris. Incidentally, the Picasso Museum is located too in the Haut Marais, in the Hotel Salé which is one of the area’s most beautiful buildings. During the last decade, an increasing number of ateliers and galleries, as well as interior design and clothes stores with alternative concepts like the famous Merci have settled in the area.
The building in question was once the home/ workshop of the Woloch family, who since the ‘30s made jewellery for Chanel. In 2008, it was turned into a showroom that sold Italian fashion, but a few years later it returned to its craftsmanship roots. Refurbished from top to bottom by the Ateliers d’Art de France, in September 2016 Empreintes opened to the public with the same unaltered Parisian flair of times gone by, aiming to give a future to craftsmanship.
Empreintes Paris doesn’t just represent an alternative to mainstream industrial production, it also provides a meeting space where creative workshops take place. The Café Empreintes, with desserts maison served on plates made by the créateurs, has recently joined the basement screening room and the top floor library.
Against the strain of modern-day life; this is what springs to mind when you walk into Empreintes, a place that comes to life thanks to the fingerprints (the meaning of empreintes) which these creative craftsmen left. A nonconformist store, set up as a meeting place where different ideas and discoveries come together, where we can take a break and enjoy a convivial form of shopping, creative and timeless, and where we can embrace a slow paced life.
Store Infos
Store Info
Empreintes Paris, Concept Store
5, rue de Picardie, Paris, France
Tel: 00 33 (0) 1 40 09 53 80
Opening times:
Mon - Sat 11.00 – 19.00
Closed on Sundays
www.empreintes-paris.com
Photos:
Courtesy Empreintes Paris
Credits Alexandre Gallosi and Claude Weber
