Vincent Darré dives into the memory of the Ritz Paris at Artcurial

If there is one Parisian monument that embodies the luxury and elegance of the city, it is undoubtedly the Ritz Paris. The Place Vendôme institution has welcomed the greatest contemporary legends into its salons and sumptuous suites and has contributed writing their stories. A perfect example would most probably be Coco Chanel, who has taken up residence in the prestigious hotel. Today still, her suite bears her name. If Ritz is an emblem, its “grande époque” remains engraved in the memory of those who lived it on a daily basis. Among them, Vincent Darré stands out both for his comprehensive knowledge of it and for his eye for refinement. So when Artcurial came to him with the ambitious project of reviving the hotel’s archive decorations (which comprises a selection of 10,000 catalogue pieces), the decorator didn’t hesitate long. While the sale of over 3,500 lots will take place from April 17 to 21, it is the incredible pre-sale exhibition, named “Il était une fois le Ritz Paris”, that Artcurial’s closest friends came to discover this week. With his inimitable signature, Vincent Darré transforms the Marcel Dassault hotel into the Ritz of yesteryear, and anybody can see how much the “Ritz style” sticks to the decorator’s skin. In the 19 atmospheres recreated, we meet the faces of Jean-Michel Othoniel, Pierre Hardy or Julien Desselle, and we immerse ourselves without moderation in a style that is the very essence of French decorative arts.