The Paris Left Bank’s legendary department store Le Bon Marché celebrated its 160th birthday in 2012 with a series of commissioned illustrations.
Le Bon Marché has a rich history beginning with a small shop created in 1838. The shop was purchased in 1852 by Aristide Boucicaut who launched it as a department store with his wife Marguerite. In 1869 following his acquisition of additional land, the shop was transformed into the ornate building we know and love today.
Architect Louis Charles Boileau and engineer Gustave Eiffel, the man who built Paris’ most famous tower were the designers of the store – one of the world’s first department stores (the first being in the UK).
Acquired by LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, the Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche is today considered one of the most prestigious stores in the world with a constantly changing stock of designer goods and a world renowned wedding department and gourmet food market.
For the store’s 160th anniversary celebrations included spectacular decorations and exhibitions commemorating the shop’s history, and 600 contemporary creations designed specifically for this occasion. 160 brands were picked to highlight one of their own iconic creations including Diane Von Ferguson, Fendi and Mulberry. The store also commissioned the great illustrator Marjane Satrapi to create a series of scenarios featuring fabulous French actress Catherine Deneuve which appeared in windows in a “pop up” book form.
Check out Bon Marché at 24 rue de Sevres (Metro: Line 10, Sevres-Babylone/ Neighborhood: Saint-Germain-des-Près/7th arrondissement)
