Author(s): Laure Verchere

Travel

Paris insiders know the best place to go for inspiration is not the Louvre, and the best place to go to buy something fabuleux is not the Boulevard St. Germain: it is the famous antiques markets of St. Ouen. Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Andr Breton, and today's leading artists and designers have all had their appetites whet by unique discoveries... Many of the most influential artists, designers, stylists, and decoratorsChristian Dior, Coco Chanel, Andr Breton, Rudolf Nureyev, Madeleine Castainghad their appetites whetted by their early finds at the March Serpette, Biron, Paul Bert, or any of the 16 clusters of dealers that today make up the largest marketplace of secondhand furniture, clothing, books, housewares, and art objects in the world. Where farmers and ragpickers once plied their finds, today the highly curated stalls outside the Porte de Clignancourt attract up to 150,000 visitors each weekend. Paris is a city that richly rewards its wanderers and seekers, and in Antiquaires, author Laure Verchere and photographer Laziz Hamani play flanurs to capture the treasures of St. Ouens appealing mlange of furniture, books, decorative objects, and curiositiesand the dedicated sellers who endow them with life. 180 illustrations