By Anya Cooklin-Lofting
I can’t imagine a finer holiday than a few days in France, punctuating the languorous poolside hours with jaunts to the nearest antique market for a good rifle through rustic, storied bric-à-brac to take home. A vintage ashtray marked serendipitously with the initials of a good friend makes the perfect gift, or perhaps you find the dining chairs you’ve dreamed of for years; the cerise on the top of the renovation you never thought would feel complete. These treasure troves, which are common across Europe, are most popular in France. Antique-savvy tourists and local collectors are joined by interior designers from across the globe in search of the antique gem to give their homes a unique feel, laden with personality and history.
Such markets go by various names, such as brocantes, puces or, a personal favourite, vide-greniers, which, rather delightfully, translates to ‘emptying the attics.’ Luckily, you can find antiquing hotspots very nearby many of the favoured holiday destinations, from the charming churn of Paris to the sophisticated splendour of the South, giving visitors to Paris, Beaune, Lyon, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Marseille no excuse but to explore…
Paris: Les Puces de Saint-Ouen
The Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is more than just a flea market; the network of 1,700 dealers manifests in a rambling series of warehouses, alleyways and stalls across any and all categories of antiques and vintage furniture and accessories. It is the largest second-hand market in the world, attracting over five million annual visitors, each of whom would struggle to see more than just a fraction of the ware in a single day. Within Le Puce de Saint-Ouen there are 14 distinct markets, and everyone has their own favourite. Highlights include the Marché Vernaison where dramatic courtyards conceal some of the most spectacular pieces for sale, and the Marché Dauphine, one of Saint-Ouen’s largest markets totalling 150 sellers in the iconic glasshouse-style structure.
Lyon: Les Puces du Canal de Lyon
Considered ‘second place’ to les Puces de Saint-Ouen, les Puces du Canal de Lyon is an indispensable part of France’s antiques and second-hand offering. Restaurants and cafes punctuate the stands belonging to some 400 merchants, attracting 500,000 visitors annually. Located in Villeurbanne on the Jonage Canal, les Puces du Canal de Lyon is just a 20-minute drive from the city centre, making it the perfect holiday outing as you enjoy the rest of the region. It holds the unofficial title of the capital of French gastronomy – an excuse to visit if I ever heard one.
Marseille: Les Puces de Marseille
At les Puces de Marseille, you can find all manner of bric-à-brac, produce and clothing, but its gallery of antique dealers is its finest and most alluring section. Around forty antique dealers can be found in the gallery all year round, closed only on Mondays, and joined by a further 120 dealers on weekends. Les Puces de Marseille are particularly well-located for the popular holiday destinations of Aix-en-Provence and Cassis, making the eclectic market the perfect, shaded spot to explore between a leisurely breakfast and apéro.
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue: Le Village des Antiquaires de la Gare
The Provençal town of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is renowned for its antique markets, and rightly so. L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is home to almost 300 permanent antique dealers, operating out of the beautiful buildings that line the canals. The whole town is dedicated to the arts and beautiful objet and some of its most beautiful homes have been converted into galleries. Twice annually, at Easter and on 15th of August, the city welcomes an influx of dealers that come to present their ware to collectors, interior designers and interested browsers in celebration of the country’s status as a mecca for antiques and unique finds.
The Art of Producing a Standout Event With Rapport
By Amira Hashish
My creative studio Rapport thrives on working with global design, home, lifestyle and travel brands to shape their narrative through compelling stories and experiences. We work with everyone from Soho Home to SUITCASE Magazine to bring their stories to life. Event production and hosting is at the heart of our process. My background in journalism means I approach the production of an event rather similarly to working on an editorial piece. I encourage clients and collaborators to think of their events as key storytelling opportunities. They provide an opportunity to convey who you are to your audience in an engaging way. From the tablescape to the guestlist, here are some tips for creating a very special occasion that will live on beyond the big night.
Identify The Story
I always like to start by sitting down with a brand and identifying what story they are hoping to convey through an event. Think about how you would like your guests to feel and what key messages you want them to take away from the experience. Also consider the demographic of your audience and what they enjoy. This applies to those who attend the event as well as everyone who is going to be consuming the content that comes out of it. The brand message should be woven in subtly through the narrative of the occasion. Forcing your agenda or logo is a definite no-go but creating a moment that feels truly exciting and special will naturally result in people spreading the word and create a synergy between you, the experience and those who are part of it.
Choose a Venue That Gels
If your brand or business was a space, what kind of aesthetic and ambience would it have? The moment guests arrive at your event it should feel as if they are stepping into your home base. The style and personality should be reflective of your story. Consider every detail down to the scent. For an event Rapport hosted with Diptyque, guests were taken on a scent profiling journey. The evening was split between three rooms and for different spaces and segments of the event – from the cocktail reception to a talk and a sit down dinner – there was an accompanying room scent. Lighting will also play a big role in conjuring the atmosphere. Consider whether the venue allows for the mood to change throughout and whether there is the opportunity for natural light or candlelight.
Decide on Format & Flow
Consider whether the event will comprise varying stages. For example a talk, drinks reception and sit down dinner. Or whether you would like to keep things casual with standing-style canapés and chat. At Rapport we are particular fans of intimate suppers with a fun group of guests who enjoy sharing stories and getting to know one another. We like adding layers to the evening too.
Soho House asked Rapport to arrange an event celebrating incredible women for International Women’s Day. We paired up fashion designer Stine Goya and UK MD of Diptyque Amanda Morgan. I spoke to them about the art of running super successful businesses in front of other inspiring women. We kept it cosy and comfortable with guests seated on vintage armchairs at the private events space in High Road House, Chiswick. Then it moved into a cocktail session in a neighbouring room before we revealed the candlelit supper table. The flow felt relaxed and gave everyone who attended the chance to warm up and connect with each other. Think about breaking tradition. Go beyond a welcome speech to immerse guests with your brand message in a way that feels engaging and relevant. Browse the IWD event here.
Curate The Invites & Guestlist
This comes back to your audience and your story. Gather a group of people who will have common interests and who are likely to have a fun time at your event. If you are hopeful that they will spread the word about your brand to their friends and followers think about who is likely to be interested in their experiences and whether there is a synergy between your audiences. Go for a quality over quantity approach. Inviting someone because they have a huge social media base isn’t necessarily effective. A true tastemaker whose small following is super engaged can be powerful for broadening out your message to the right circles.
At Rapport we always personally invite guests who are friends of our creative studio. A generic ‘save the date’ invite is not our style. We tailor-make thoughtfully designed invites with an enclosed note about what the guest can expect from the event and why we would love them to attend. The seating plan is also super important and it should never be about status. ‘What do you care about?’ is a way more important question than ‘what do you do?’. We spend a long time figuring out who will enjoy each other’s company most. Ultimately we really want people to have a fabulous time. Seeing those moments of connection come to life is particularly thrilling.
Create a Thoughtful Tablescape
The right tablescape will give your event the wow factor and create a statement opportunity for capturing content. The big piece of advice here would be to factor in all the little details that will give the design as much substance as style. Weave in thoughtful touches that bring your story to life.
At a Rapport event for Visit California and SUITCASE Magazine we were working with a theme of ‘California Creativity and Diversity,’ celebrating the destination and its commitment to hospitality. We hosted the event at the newly opened Short Stories Hotel in West Hollywood and every inch of the table was created to subtly nod to the theme. We sourced napkins made from vintage clothing fabric in a local flea market and hunted down matchbooks from old California restaurants that were the epitome of chic in their heyday. We collaborated with florist Christina Pack of Wild at Heart to line the table with beautiful blooms that tie in with the scheme. Guests were also greeted with our signature Rapport candles and bespoke notes on their table setting. It sparked discussion amongst people as well as working wonderfully for photos. Browse the California event here.
Capture Quality Content
The event should live on long after it takes place. It can provide a great point of reference for your brand and help tell its story in circles that extend far beyond the one that comes together at the occasion. Hiring a really strong photographer and a videographer is super important. Ask to see examples of events they have shot before. The best photographers and videographers will be as skilled at capturing the table as they are those little moments between guests that convey the atmosphere. At Rapport we have a pool of picture and video collaborators who we know and trust. Commission a strong set of imagery and a social media reel that you can share with your audience.
Pick The Right Partners
Whether you are keen to enlist a drinks sponsor or considering gifting at your event, make sure that the partners you work with align with your brand. Again, there is an opportunity to reach new audiences via collaboration but this will only prove fruitful if there is a synergy between the people you are keen to reach. When Rapport hosted a dinner in celebration of Chelsea Flower Show for Babylonstoren wine at The Kensington Hotel we brought together a collective of brands from our network who could relate to each other’s stories. Browse the event here.
To enquire more about Rapport’s events services contact info@clubrapport.com. Visit www.clubrapport.com for details.
Converted Places to Stay
By Anya Cooklin-Lofting
One of my 2022 New Year’s resolutions was to take a trip outside of my comfort zone, so my partner and I hired a campervan and toured some of the most beautiful parts of the Scottish Highlands. At the time, life in the van felt like enough of a departure from my aggressively urban existence in London, but having returned to the metropolitan hubbub of the capital, I want to take my out-of-comfort-zone travel experiences one step further. Having researched the subject of unusual places to stay for comfort zone-averse holiday-making, I am continually drawn to the weirder, more wonderful accommodation available, especially in the form of converted planes, trains, forts and even machinery.
SiloStay
First up is SiloStay, a collection of purpose-built grain silos converted into apartments in Christchurch, New Zealand. Each of the 9 silos available to hire is sustainable and stylish, breathing new life into the industrial, corrugated complex. The complex won the ADNZ/Resene Architectural Design Award in the Commercial Interiors category in 2014, and the timeless, utilitarian schemes still feel modern, fresh and design-led. Staircases wind seamlessly around the curving, blonde wood-clad walls, and the raw effect of the corrugated metal walls serves as an exciting reminder of the structures’ history.
From $200 per night, www.silostay.kiwi.nz
Das Park Hotel
Not for the fainthearted, Das Park Hotel in Ottensheim, Austria, is perhaps the ultimate ‘converted stay.’ The rooms, designed to provide the most space and comfort as possible, are set in converted sewage pipes. So successful has the innovation been with younger travellers and holiday-makers looking for something different, that a second location has been established in Bernepark near Essen in Germany. The amenities are limited and guests are provided with only the minimum necessities (think light, power, a sleeping bag and a blanket and local bathrooms at the nearest petrol station…), but there is an honest and rare ‘pay as you wish’ system that takes the edge off.
Pay as you wish, www.quirkyaccom.com/das-park-hotel
The Old Railway Station
Everyone is familiar with the converted train carriage – they abound on AirBnB and can be hired for cosy weekends away with the family or a loved one all over the UK, in fact. The Old Railway Station in West Sussex, UK, is a train carriage hotel comprising four Pullman train carriages at the former Petworth Railway Station is a beautiful example of how charming these converted carriages can be. There are several other examples across Yorkshire, Norfolk, and in Wales that simply ooze quintessential British charm.
From £300 per night, www.old-station.co.uk
No Man’s Fort
For the most unique, memorable family holiday, party or event, the ominously named No Man’s Fort, built in the late 19th century as a fort to protect Portsmouth, reopened in 2015 as a hotel. It sleeps 44 guests and can hold up to 200 people for parties. Although the hotel is currently closed to the public, it’s certainly one to keep an eye on for the rare opportunity to stay. The spacious rooms, a selection of bars, elegant dining rooms, jacuzzis and spa treatments in this eerie and historic setting surely make for a totally unique stay.
Helicopter Glamping
Finally, and continuing along the military theme, you and five friends can now head to Stirling in Scotland to stay in a 17 metre-long aircraft, the Sea King ZA127. Its active service in the Royal Navy as a search-and-rescue helicopter ended in 1994, and shortly after a stint in naval training, was purchased by a couple at a MoD auction. Its dimensions are surprisingly generous, and although its owners have created a warm, homey feel with soft furnishings and thoughtful details, original elements of the aircraft have been retained and restored, including the exterior, the cockpit (painted with an RAF roundel and complete with the original dashboard, roof panel switches and foot pedals) and the original lighting.
From £170 per night, www.helicopterglamping.com