Paris Shopfronts Opens in Style at Lapérouse
Last Sunday evening, Sara Andelman hosted the Paris launch party for Paris Shopfronts at Lapérouse. Guests wandered between rooms lined with 18th-century wood paneling, champagne glasses in hand, and copies of the new book set out on tables.
Joel Holland, author and illustrator, stood nearby in conversation with Vivian Song, while Sara greeted arrivals with her usual ease.
Among the invitees were the owners and staff from the shops featured in the book, adding a direct link between the pages and the people who keep these storefronts alive.
The crowd also included designers, editors, and friends of the Paris cultural scene. Figures from publishing, art, and fashion gathered to mark the release, each pausing to leaf through Joel’s drawings of familiar façades: bakeries, record shops, florists, and cafés.
Conversations moved between admiration for the detail in the illustrations and stories of personal connections to the places depicted.
Book Signings
The party followed two daytime book signings. On Saturday, September 13th, Holland signed books at Librairie Galignani, the English-language institution on Rue de Rivoli.
On Sunday afternoon he appeared at À la Mère de Famille, the city’s oldest confectioner, where visitors lined up to meet him and have copies inscribed.
Both stops drew a steady stream of readers, artists, and Paris admirers.
The gatherings underlined the spirit of the book itself: a tribute to storefronts that define the daily rhythm of the city. Holland’s Paris Shopfronts joins his earlier volumes on New York and London, continuing his series of illustrated portraits of urban life through its architecture and commerce.
