HAPPENINGS

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Purple People Pleaser

Ffifteen years ago, artists still treated fashion with disdain. Olivier Zahm and Elein Fleiss changed all that with their genre-bending magazine Purple in 1992. Soon, magazine boutiques were crowded with like-minded glossies (Spoon, Dutch). Now Zahm is debuting a Purple-themed pavilion called the Rose Poussière at the triennial La Force de L’Art, France’s take on the Whitney Biennial. In it, he’ll pair artists—Slyvie Fleury, Sturtevant—with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Hedi Slimane. May 9 to June 25 at the Galeries nationales du Grand Palais.

ROOM SERVICE
Playing the Left

Aalong with the obvious romantic appeal of all those cute, intimate Left Bank hotels comes the unfortunately high risk of getting a damp room, lumpy bed, and c’est pas mon problème service. There are, however, a few that surpass the cliché. Grace Leo-Andrieu’s Hôtel Le Bel-Ami, near Café Flore in the sixth, has 115 bright, contemporary rooms that feel cozy, and a sparkling new fitness room and spa (33-1-42-61-53-53; from 300 euros). At L’Hôtel, groovy tastemakers hang out in the bar, and guests get boldly decorated rooms designed by Jacques Garcia. The Cardinal apartment (Room 62) has a terrace (33-1-44-41-99-00; from 280 euros).

Hôtel Duc de Saint-Simon is far enough off the busy St.-Germain to be quiet, but not so far that it’s inconvenient. All room numbers ending in 7 overlook the garden (33-1-44-39-20-20; from 250 euros).
-T.I.

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