Paris France

Over the centuries, the French have cultivated the fine art of rebellion. The list of targets encompasses tyrants, wars, colonialism and, above all, capitalism in its many manifestations. The latest enemy may seem unlikely: billboards. The Dismantlers, as a nationwide group of anti-ad crusaders call themselves, aren't violent or loud or clandestine. In fact, they invite the police to protest rallies where they deface signs. With a copywriter's flair, one of their slogans warns: "Attention!

A pair of newcomers to Paris men's fashion week set out their stark vision of menswear, and they didn't so much push the envelope as light it on fire and beat out the flames with a gilded elk horn. Avant-garde London-based designer Gareth Pugh, known for his intricate geometric designs and out-there pieces, closed out the four days of Fall/Winter 2009-2010 shows in Paris on Sunday with the debut of his men's line.

On a recent weekday, Clemence Dubreuil had no school because her teachers were on strike, so the 9-year-old begged her mother to take her to a museum to see a new exhibit about sex. If that all sounds very French, it is: Strikes are as much a part of the national character as frank talk about sex. But as the exhibit and the mild controversy surrounding it are proving, the cliches need some updating.

The body of Katoucha Niane, one of the first African women to attain international stardom as a fashion model and a vocal opponent of female genital mutilation, was found in the Seine River in Paris, police said Friday. Known simply as Katoucha, the former top model for Yves Saint Laurent and other top designers was found Thursday near the Garigliano bridge, judicial police in Paris said.

In between the trendy decoration shops and smart cafes in the Marais quarter, there is old "auntie." That would be Credit Municipal of Paris, the pawnshop owned and operated by this city since 1777 where Auguste Rodin put up pieces of his sculptures to pay for new tools and Claude Monet had a friend buy back his late wife's beloved medallion so she could wear it in her casket.

The stylistic melange born during the French century in Vietnam -- roughly 1850 to 1950 -- traveled back to France to influence cuisine, couture, the arts and letters. Even today it lingers at Paris galleries and at traiteurs Asiatiques, small restaurants where delicacies are spiced with basil and lemon grass. Some places to find traces of Indochina in the City of Light: 1. The Musee Guimet, 6 Place d'Iena; 011-33-1-56-52-53-00, www.guimet.fr.

CAR WRECK prints embroidered with glass shards, aerodynamic forms frozen in motion -- Hussein Chalayan's Spring collection, titled "Inertia," captured the chaos of a week when the global economic crisis was hurtling out of control and Washington was stalled trying to fix it.

Paris NOT EVEN a global credit crisis can compromise the enduring value of French chic. That was the message from Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld, the reigning godfather of Paris fashion. With a stunning, life-size reproduction of the original Chanel Rue Cambon boutique behind the runway, and Madness' "Our House" on the soundtrack, Lagerfeld played up the brand's heritage for all it was worth, presenting one of the most strikingly beautiful collections of this challenging season.

I've come to the Paris Red Light District to kiss the Green Fairy full on the mouth, to sample the city's absinthe houses, where the notorious and powerful liquor is still cloaked in mystery. Absinthe's supposed hallucinogenic properties once caused people to equate it with a sinister Tinker Bell, and it is this legacy that permeates Parisians' view of the drink. Many I spoke with still think it's illegal.

At Maison & Objet, the Paris furnishings-as-fashion show that closed Tuesday, more than 2,500 home decor companies showcased their latest looks for a crowd estimated at 75,000 from around the world. To identify standout products and emerging trends, we recruited three design pros with a keen sense of Southern California style: Tim Clarke, an interior designer with a storefront in Santa Monica; and Rose Apodaca and Andy Griffith, owners of the Silver Lake boutique A+R.