Some Things Are Meant To Be ...

Wall of Gloves
Denise Francelle
rue de Rivoli

As most people know, I have an extensive collection of beautiful scarves, gloves and other accessories, many of which I have found in Paris. For years, I have skipped all the big name stores and designers in Paris to buy my treasures at a tiny boutique on the rue de Rivoli - Denise Francelle.

The current owner, Sandra, is the grand-daughter of the shop's namesake and I have been shopping there since my first trip to Paris, almost 20 years ago. For me, no trip to Paris is complete without a few hours at Denise Francelle.

This trip was no different. I saved this guilty pleasure for the last few days in Paris, and finally decided on my last Monday that I would breeze in and pick out my scarf or gloves for this trip. Except when I arrived mid-afternoon, I couldn't find the shop.

Now, as many times as I've been there, the shop is often hard to find - it is tiny, very tiny - often more than one person in the shop is a crowd - there is almost no room to turn around. Nevertheless, I was baffled as I walked up and down the two blocks where I knew the shop was. After 20 minutes, I gave up - I was hungry, tired and a bit frustrated from walking the 5e all day - I needed to clear my head, fill the tank and rest the dogs, so I headed toward my little home in the 7e.

Inside Moulin de la Vierge
on rue St Dominique.
Photo from the Puff List blog.

After a delightful repast at my favorite patisserie on rue St Dominique, Moulin de la Vierge, I went to the apartment to check on Denise Francelle's address and relax from a hectic day.

All I could find was the same rue de Rivoli location and what appeared to be a manufacturing location in the 15e - yes, Denise Francelle had crafted custom-made leather gloves for decades, which sold for about $70 - a bargain at any time.

Determined to find my friend Sandra and her shop, I headed out again, arriving shortly via Metro at the Concorde stop. Down the street I went, exact address in hand this time, only to find the shop was gone. After asking in the surrounding shops, I discovered that Denise Francelle had closed in the Fall, 2011.

It seemed impossible for I had seen Sandra on my June, 2011 visit to Paris and she had said nothing about moving or closing the store. I headed to the rue St Honore to stroll and drool over the two Goyard shops and to stem the rising sadness I felt at losing Denise Francelle and the friendship I had built over decades with Sandra.

Not to be deterred, I woke up on Tuesday determined to find Sandra or at least to find out what had happened. I called the number listed for what I thought might be the manufacturing facility in the 15e and in my best French said, "Je voudrais a parler, Sandra?" "This is Sandra," came the reply. Oh joy! I had found her. Within minutes, I was out the door and on my way to her new shop on the Place Vendome near the start of the rue de la Paix.

Sandra

As I entered the shop, Sandra came around to embrace me, and once again, I felt at home in Paris. I had found two old friends.

Though the new shop is not the old one, it is indeed a treasure filled with wonderful gloves, hosiery, lingerie (a new addition), the most exquisite hand made parapluies (umbrellas) and tiny silk and lace parasols, walking sticks to die for - though no scarves right now but they will return, as Sandra continues to stock the store.

I spent the next hour or so chatting with Sandra about what had happened and the amount of time it had taken her to move the business from one place to the other and that is when I discovered that some things are meant to be.

The New Shop

If I had come to Paris in the Spring, which is my usual time, I would not have found Sandra. She told me as we talked, that the store had been open only 11 days. That the number I called was indeed the shop number, but the address listing was her personal home address, and that until late Monday afternoon, the phone was not working in the shop.

We both realized what a miracle it was that we were able to reconnect. Since she has changed the name of the shop, it may have taken years to find her but this is one time that clearly it was meant to be! And yes, I did buy the most exquisite and quirky pair of black leather gloves, with raised multi-colored leather dots.