Kate Spade New York celebrates the opening of Paris flagship

Kate Spade New York celebrated its new — and first — Parisian address by throwing a party in the sleek, modern space. Clear, oversize balloons with gold spots matched the store’s cheerful gold light fixtures as partygoers milled around displays of clothing, bags and accessories.

“There’s something very gay, feminine and joyful” about the brand, noted French actress Clémence Poésy, glancing around at a collection of brightly colored handbags tucked around a leopard statue. The actress lives between London and Paris and just finished her third season of the French-English television series called “The Tunnel.”

Joséphine de La Baume wore a short, black velvet romper by the brand and said she has weakness for little silk dresses from the Nineties, like what Courtney Love would wear. The actress recently assembled a garage-style music group and plans to perform in small venues around the French capital with hopes of getting a single out next year.

Also on hand were influencers Anne-Laure Mais, Anna Dawson and Natacha Birds, who helped the brand draw up sites for an off-the-beaten-track tour of Paris. A DJ table was set up on the boutique’s second floor, delivering pumping vibes while guests admired pictures taken with the label’s augmented reality app that added images to pictures on people’s phone cameras. A bite of the elegant mini veggie burgers sent more than one guest scurrying to find a mirror to dislodge poppy seeds from their pearly whites while laughing at the predicament.

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