Catch Me If I Fall Goes to Saint Tropez

Bienvenue at 4 Avenue Marechal Foch, 83990 Saint Tropez, France!

Saint Tropez has always been lucky for me. So when Catch Me If I Fall was invited to join a new concept store tucked just off the Place des Lices, I hopped on a plane in a heartbeat.

The town— with its curious mix of brash waiters and their boisterous champagne-laden theatrics, the gleaming red tables at Senequier, and the steady procession of yachts glittering like a row of silvery jewels before an equally dazzled crowd of tourists—has been on my wishlist for Catch Me If I Fall for quite some time.

I love this wonderfully disordered yet wildly beautiful and eccentric little town. I love its glitz and glamour, from the leathery-tanned inhabitants, always in a full face of makeup despite the intense blaze of the sun, to the zippy little racing cars beeping at tourists to get out of the way. I love its quieter side, as I steal myself away from the horn-honking and polished extravagance and wander along the coastal path past the quiet cemetary by the sea. Slipping in and out of coves, past once grand villas with tennis courts as ragged as the chipped paintwork, a little battered but altogether more genuine, waves splashing over my feet…there is nothing better.

There is also something deeply comforting in the sight of the gravelly square, its sandy expanse alive with the sound of petanque players—played with a grave intensity, un café or a shot of Pastis. The marketplace hums with the sale of baskets and floaty dresses juxtaposed with stalls of cherries, oranges, watermelons, all piled lush and high. Just beyond, the glossy façades of megabrands form the backdrop for clusters of influencers, posing for selfies outside Dior’s shopfront.

The new concept store just off the Place de Lices - where you’ll now find Catch Me If I Fall - is the antithesis of all this. The first thing you notice is the fun yellow open-topped car in the window, the back seat piled high with Globetrotter suitcases as if it’s just got back from a romantic getaway. The ground floor is just busy enough with things to look at and buy - pick up a Snoopy emblazoned Globetrotter, a Connolly bag, or even better, a Connolly sundress in chequerboard squares of blue or red, elegant and comfortable in the heat. Shelves of Fornasetti candles are the perfect gift to bring to an impromptu dinner chez nous.

Upstairs is a more tranquil space, white and spacious, and filled with carefully curated vintage pieces of furniture next to beautiful one-offs by Fornasetti, several of which were flying out of the proverbial window when I was there, bought for nearby homes that grace the hills just outside the town centre.

When occasionally, people have asked me what my sales strategy is with Catch Me If I Fall, I’ve answered that it has always been to sell our very special fragrance in magical, unique destinations. Places where the staff are as enamoured with the story behind the fragrance as Frank Voelkl and I are. This store is one such place - magical, sure; unique, definitely, but also completely unassuming, with no name, just an address, a great location and wonderful staff, Cledea, Christos, Frank and of course, on occasion, Ivan. For now, this is the only location in France where you can buy Catch Me If I Fall, so having this exclusive store as our first ever French location feels extra lucky.

Thank you Saint Tropez, and thank you 4 Avenue Marechal Foch, here’s to summers scented with the salt of the sea, and summer skin adorned with Catch Me If I Fall.

Catch Me If I Fall is on sale at the newly opened pop-up in Saint Tropez through July and August. The address is: 4 Avenue du Marechal Foch, 83990 Saint-Tropez, France. For all enquiries, email info@lapyae.com