Parisian buylines The orange, cow-print, ponyskin coat in the window of Didier Ludot's Jardin du Palais Royale shop (20, Galerie Montpensier) is so of this season that it's hard to believe it's actually a 1970s Dior. More collectable couture and accessories, along with Ludot's own line, can be found across the garden at La Robe Noire (125 Galerie Valois), a boutique specialising in that Gallic classic, the little black dress. Antik Batik's (18 rue de Turenne) ethnic accessories are model must-haves. Knitted bags, yak hair slippers, South American hats and shawls are priced the way hippie-chic should be: cheap. Mouton a Cinq Pattes, the so-so sample shop chain whose name translates as 'The Sheep with Five Feet', has an oddball branch of its own. Located at 19 rue Gregoire de Tours (just off Boulevard St Germain), this shop is full of off-season Comme des Garcons, Vivienne Westwood, Martin Margiela and Donna Karan collections. For old-stock Patrick Cox and Prada shoes, in addition to the odd Jil Sander and Yohji Yamamoto piece, check out L'Habilleur (44 rue de Poitou), which is hidden away in the Marais. C. Charron (4 rue du Perche) is so new the shop didn't even have changing rooms or a credit-card machine when we visited. No matter. The beautifully made men's cotton shirts are a sure fit in Liberty floral prints and pastels. Just across from its men's and women's boutiques, at 4 rue de Fleurus, APC has opened an aptly named Magasin General (General Store), which stocks all of the essentials, from camouflage ashtray pendants and CDs to olive oil and over-sized Yoshida weekenders. Scent of a man Long before Calvin Klein capitalised on Big Concepts (Eternity, Obsession, Contradiction and co), there was simply calvin, his first fragrance for men. This musky, masculine scent has been relaunched for its 20th anniversary - original formula and still-sleek packaging exactly as they were in 1980. But don't waste time running to fragrance counters at Seibu, Sogo, Watson's and Wing On: like just about everything nowadays, it's limited-edition. Eau de toilette spray ($260-$370), aftershave ($280), hair and body wash ($140) and deodorant ($110). Jeanius Q: How did hip Hong Kong label *rcb celebrate the first anniversary of its Tsim Sha Tsui shop (46-48 Kimberly Road)? A: It opened another one in Causeway Bay (4 Sharp Street East). A newcomer to the burgeoning block between Times Square and Yue Hwa Street, the simple-but-stylish, two-storey shop is a landmark to the design brief of the label, which is an acronmym for 'real clothing brand'. 'I made it my project to design good quality casual clothing that anybody, man or woman, could wear at an affordable price,' explains designer Vicky Lam. He succeeded: sporty separates in cool colours (orange, knaki, stripes) and comfortable fabrics cost from $200 to $500, with the label's signature selvage denim selling at about $700. Also in stock: fashionably functional accessories (bracelets, rings, necklaces, keychains) made of lightweight aluminium from Japan. *rcb has already been ordered by some of that country's coolest chain stores, including Ships and Journal Standard. Back home, watch out for another opening in Style House (Great George Street, Causeway Bay) by the end of the year. Glow on Attention conspicuous label lovers! Louis Vuitton's coveted, and much-copied, monogram pattern is not only recognisable from a mile away: it now glows in the dark. The new nightclubber's diary ($2,910) and good-luck bracelet ($1,000) contain special pigments which are invisible by day but glow at night ... perfect for finding your way out of dark and dodgy alleyways in the wee hours. While the company claims the novelty items were designed 'twilight zoners' (the notebook contains phosphorescent pages with 24-hour displays and a section devoted to new millennium resolutions), one suspects that blue lights might also come in handy when weeding out counterfeits. Here come the fashion police ...
