Antoine et Lili (Paris, France)

They say never to judge a book by its cover, but I'm guessing most people have done so on a few occasions. When it comes to fashion or style, I try to be as non-judgmental as possible and because I get bored easily, I enjoy browsing and going to different stores, whether they're girly, avant-garde or classic. Antoine et Lili is one exception though. It's a brand I've known about for ages, but it never really appealed to me initially. Back when I was still visiting Paris as a tourist, I remember reading a short feature on them in Lucky magazine's Paris guide and the bright fuchsia walls covered in ornamental kitsch pictured on one of the pages, scared the hell out of me. I recall seeing one of the stores for the first time (you can spot them a mile away) - pink exterior with various baubles and trinkets in the windows - and wondering if this was even a French brand. Since then, I've passed several of these boutiques, yet it was only last week I finally decided to take a browse.

The entrance area (left) and overview of the split-level store (right).

I am all too familiar with brands and stores that promote Asia kitsch. While they're fun to look at, I rarely buy anything from them, which is probably why I held off visiting these particular stores - I had other priorities. But as autumn was approaching and I was desperate to cling on to the last bit of summer, I found myself being drawn to the colorful storefront of Antoine et Lili in the Montmartre area. This shop was the first one the label opened, back in 1997, with five more opening in the city throughout the years. The brand itself was created three years prior to that, but it still remains a mystery as to who the founders actually are and where the names Antoine and Lili come from. According to the profile on the official homepage, there might be an Antoine and Lili hidden in every one of us (which doesn't really clarify anything), and many of the items were collected or inspired by travels to the East. In any case, while there is a lot of kitsch to be found, the actual clothes are surprisingly tame.

Pink wardrobes and interesting shoes on the ground floor.

The first things you'll notice upon entering the shop are probably the bright fuchsia interior, the floral carpet, which clashes slightly with every other color in the store, and the lime green walls and shelves. Even the staff was dressed in these colors, making the interior of Manoush seem fairly low-key in comparison. But while Manoush extends a lot of their boho kitsch to the clothes and accessories, the kitsch factor here is focused mainly on cute jewelry or decor items. Some of the accessories are inspired by Mongolia, India or China, but the coats, dresses and tops are actually quite normal and timeless. I found dark-colored wrap skirts, chunky blue cardigans, pink silk tops and floral blouses - everything was highly wearable.

Mongolian dolls, rings and brooches at the cash desk.

So if you're expecting to find some Bollywood-esque costumes you might want to look elsewhere. I did find elements from the Far East in some of the outfits, such as the hats and the colorful boots. The main floor space had most of the current range, which is divided into various collections with names such as 'Gobi', 'Tulgaa' or 'Khan', referencing places, events or personalities from the region inspiring the pieces. Garments are housed in beautiful pink wardrobes, giving you the feeling you're browsing someone's very colorful apartment. Throughout the floor space you'll find props and smaller items - most of them for sale - such as the Russian dolls or embroidered cushions. Most trinkets will be around the cash desk, including a large selection of wooden and sequined jewelry, Mongolian figurines or Nepalese scarves.

Walls and racks draped with necklaces and other jewelry.

More clothes and accessories on the upper level.

The rest of the store is divided into two other sections - a mezzanine and a lower level. The mezzanine had more clothing from the current collection as well as entire shelves filled with baskets, polka-dotted bags, hats and shoes.

Gotta love the bunny lamp (far left corner).

So many polka dots... incl. a mushroom lamp.

The lower ground held many of the same items only in different colorways. In addition, I found a few children's items. There seemed to be more home decor pieces here, including candles, perfume and my personal favorite... the duck lamps, which would go very well with the bunny lamp I found in the previous section. I also found a frilly magenta-colored umbrella with plastic flowers attached to it. But the most bizarre item here was probably the pink beret... what was something so French doing here, surrounded by all the Mongolian inspired pieces?

Upper level accessories and clothes.

I didn't buy anything, though I might have to return for one of the cool lamps (I'm sure the husband would be thrilled... not), but I was quite positively surprised by the good quality and versatility of the clothes. It's probably a smart move pairing them with the surrounding kitsch... that way you get to look at nice clothes but have other silly things to distract you. It's like browsing an indoor market, but slightly more organized. Of course a lot of the kitsch is actually pretty cool as well, especially if you're not heading to Nepal or Mongolia anytime soon. There's a bigger boutique - actually called 'Le Village' - that includes a tea room, entire children's section, clothes and a decor department which can be found in the 10th arrondissement, so head there if you're wanting to spend more time shopping. For now, I'm happy enough with the smaller boutiques. And if you're feeling a sudden urge to browse this colorful store yourself but you're not in Paris... guess what? There's an online shop (offering worldwide deliveries) where you'll find a few items from each collection. And from what I see, even the bunny lamp is available there...

Selection of accessories, incl. duck lamps, Russian dolls, embroidered cushions, boots, the Bidi bag and hats.

Surprisingly normal clothes... and have I mentioned how awesome the bunny lamp is? (individual images: Antoine & Lili).

Address: 90 rue des Martyrs, 75018 Paris
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-19:00
Antoine et Lili Homepage & Online Shop