CHAISE EN ROTIN

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"DANS MON PARIS - VERSION SWING MANOUCHE".

Zaz.

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YOU CAN SIT EVERYWHERE

Being themself as an everyday fashion catwalk, the Parisian terrace chairs welcome you in every corner of the city. Walking from one street to another & from one quartier to another, you can create your "chaise en rotin" mental collection because they are so different from one cafe to another.

As we said last week LINK: "The symbol of Europe is the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of France is the croissant and the undisputed symbol of Paris is its cafés" & there is nothing that gives us a Parisian café look - like as a rattan chair. Graphic, colored, patterned, stylish, mix of rislan & rattan, they are part of the French capital scenography & a principal character in our breakfast landscapes. Will figure out in this issue of Living For breakfast why a meal taste better if we enjoy it sitting in one of this little pieces of art & design. But first come first: Would you like coffee or tea?

"If I don't feel like writing on a certain day, I just go to the cafe and hang around."

Elizabeth Berg.

A VERY WELCOME SEAT

Colorful wicker chairs on the terraces to give a spark of vitality to the gray of sidewalks and the sky. The most prominent element of these chairs is the use of modular colors in their huge wicker weave that covers the chairs. This structure serves as upholstery and makes them more comfortable than if they only had bars and wooden backrest because, although they are places of passage, we can sit on them for hours.

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L'EUROPÉEN

21 bis Bd Diderot, 75012 Paris, França

* - * Views to Gare de Lyon.

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CAFÉ LE NEMOURS

2 à 7 Galerie de Nemours, 2 Place Colette, 75001 Paris, França

* - * Views to Place Colette, Palais Royale, La Comédie Française & Louvre.

Parisian secret: On the balcony of the La Comédie Française above to the Place Colette, the actors come out to rest in the middle of the performances dressed in period costume for the play they are performing. I once saw two actresses dressed as maids smoking on this balcony, it was like traveling back in time.

WHEN FICTION HAS BREAKFAST WITH REALITY

Fantine gave me a drawing blog for my anniversary exactly in the same place where Angelina Jolie played her character in the movie "The Tourist" (we didn't do it on purpose, I discovered it by writing this article).

In the picture above:

- We see @FantineReucha in a personal photo of her on another Parisian cafe terrace while is drawing.

- Dedication of her gift to me.

- Myself in the real environment of the café.

- The gift.

- Images of the Nemours café in the Colette square compared with the scenes of the movie "The Tourist".

1920

"The young Joseph Gatti emigrates from Italy and settles in Paris. He created a unique collection of rattan terrace furniture to equip the Brasseries of the Grands Boulevards: light, durable, elegant, rattan chairs were very fashionable and many rattan craftsmen were settled in the French capital to produce the demand."

Maison Gatti.

THE TAILOR OF CHAIRS

As if they were made-to-measure garments, at the Maison Gatti factory LINK you can design your own chair by choosing the model, the pattern and the colors. Although looking at their catalog it seems that you are in a tiki bar, this house is located in Paris, the place par excellence of the consumption of these chairs. Now that you know this, you'll probably looking for their medal label on the back of the chair (as if it is a dress) the next time you'll sit in one of them.

A DATE WITH YOUR CHAIR

In these photos we see scenes where this iconic chairs represents the Parisian experience in movies and series that emulate the romantic dream of the "American in Paris". Next to them we see real scenes of cafes in Paris - they are not the same place. From top to bottom:

"Midnight in Paris" (2011).

An American tourist alone on a terrace with a cheap souvenir store next door sitting on a wicker chair. This is the image of the tourist disenchanted and disappointed by the modern and realistic image of the real Paris.

"Emily in Paris" (2020 - now)

1. Emily's mythical look in black vichy plaid and red beret is presented in the middle of a terrace sitting on a wicker chair emulating the "fashion Parisian girl" & her "Parisian life".

"Emily in Paris" (2020 - now)

2. We can't miss these chairs to have the real feeling of a romantic dinner in a Parisian café. Note to Emily's haters: it is realistic that they may be the only customers on the terrace depending on the day of the year, the day of the week and the hour.

"Insception" (2010).

Being in Paris as a dream that is not real. In this scene the protagonist discovers in Paris that what she is living is a dream, until that moment neither she nor the viewers know it. Such a key moment for this character, it takes place in front of a café (remember that cafés represents Paris) and the chairs are the last object to be destroyed.

AN HONEST DESIGN

The Rotin chair doesn't hide what it is. This chair follows, like the Eiffel Tower itself, the industrial design principle of form, function and aesthetics. We see its structure and its construction. It does not hide the screws or staples (unlike a joinery chair). At the same time that it is a consistent wicker furniture, it does not weigh much and is easy to stack. Its materials allow it to get wet and high use. Aesthetically it attracts the eye & looks comfortable inviting you to sit.

PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

RATTAN

"Rattan is a climbing palm tree that is very present in Southeast Asia. Introduced in Europe in the 17th century, its flexibility and robustness quickly seduced furniture manufacturers. Flexible and robust, it is particularly suitable for the manufacture of outdoor furniture. Different materials are used: the pith and the blade for the caning, the splint for the ligatures, the cane for the structure. The exploitation of rattan is highly ecological: every 5 to 7 years, the cutting of rattan is necessary for the respiration of the trees on which it is wound."

Maison Gatti.

RISLAN

"Rilsan is a shrub cultivated in many hot and humid countries. The seed is shelled, crushed and pressed to obtain oil, which undergoes a long series of transformations to obtain a polyamide fiber produced in France since 1947 under the name of Rilsan. This 100% renewable biosourced resin rhymes with performance and durability. Its resistance to impact and abrasion, its good resistance to cold and heat, its low sensitivity to humidity and UV rays make it a material perfectly adapted to the use of furniture manufactured by Gatti."

Maison Gatti.

YOU'D NEVER KNOW

The photos you can see in this article have been taken since 2013 doing "flâneur" & drinking coffee around Paris almost during 10 years. If I hadn't told you about it you would never know, right? They are timeless.

Yes, before you tell me, in some photos have been hung chairs that are not wicker but I liked how the composition looked. I invite you to play to find them :)

And yes, of course, you can always share your café chair photos on social media by tagging @LivingForBreakfast & @VincentMoustache. SEE YOU IN THE NEXT COFFEE MON CROISSANT!!! HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WEEK!