Village Green: Paris
- Words by Peppermint
It’s easy to be swept up in the romance of the city of light, love and haute couture when it comes to Paris. But look beyond the croissants and common clichés, la vie écolo is burgeoning on the Right Bank. Consider this your sustainable travel guide to bookmark for days when we can finally wander again.
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CENTRE COMMERCIAL
The founders of Veja sneakers opened this boutique near Canal Saint-Martin in 2010, creating a platform to launch emerging brands that value transparency and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration with an environmental bent. Along with an extensive selection of Vejas, Centre Commercial stocks heritage French artisans like Paraboot and Saint James (the inventor of Breton-striped tees); small-footprint, high-quality pieces designed for longevity from the likes of Bleu de Paname, Suzie Winkle, and Base Range; and one-off jewellery and accessories by young local makers.
MARCHÉ AUX PUCES DE ST-OUEN
A short stroll over the périph, this 17-acre flea market peddles everything from well-preserved antiques and paintings that look like they belong in the Louvre to vintage fashion, African textiles, Modernist furniture and charming bric-a-brac.
NOUS
Slow living and a penchant for provenance are at the heart of this serene boutique. Find contemporary ceramics by French artisans, like the colourful works of Héloïse Bariol (Rouen) and curvaceous vases of Lucile Boudier (Paris), alongside pieces from makers further afield.
THE NAKED SHOP
Forget your toiletries (on purpose) and beeline for this bulk store dedicated to refillable body products and solid cosmetics – all made in France.
KILO SHOP
A friperie (thrift shop) espousing vintage threads with a by-the-kilo price model.
AUJOURD’HUI DEMAIN
Vegan clothing and accessories by European brands and those across the Channel.
Eat
GRAMME
Marine Gora and Romain Tellier create cuisine parisienne at this pocket-sized cafe in the Marais. They source from local producers in and around Paris, with specialty coffee from Lomi (18ème), bread from Le Petit Grain (20ème), and ricotta from fromage wizards Nanina (11ème). The menu always features a salad or toast du jour composed of seasonal vegetables. For the sweet tooth, ‘lost’ brioche is transformed into pain perdu (French toast), and the counter always brims with irresistible house-made tarts and cakes.
FERMENTATION GÉNÉRALE
This hole-in-the-wall boulangerie champions all things fermentation. Valentin Orgeas makes sourdough loaves and (heavenly) focaccia from organic ancient grains and water pumped from artesian wells. Add house-made kimchi, local kombucha (in consignment bottles) and natural wine and you’re set for a picnic along the Canal.
>> 37 rue de la Folie Méricourt, 11ème
YUMI CAFE
In the city of steak-frites, this cafe is defying tradition with its raw, cold-pressed juices and organic vegetarian fare.
>> 27 rue du Château d’Eau, 10ème
YARD RESTAURANT
The young team at this bistro plates up contemporary French fare with ingredients sourced from local farms.
LA LAITERIE DE PARIS
Raw milk and yoghurt (sheep, goat and cow) in returnable jars, plus fresh and aged cheeses made on-site.
BACK IN BLACK
Responsibly sourced, seasonal specialty coffee roasted in-house. Pouring espresso, filter and cold brew.
Visit
GARDENS
Seek respite from the concrete jungle in Paris’s leafy sanctuaries. Soak up some greenery at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont – a sprawling 61 acres of undulating grassy hills and gardens constructed over old quarries. Next, stroll over to nearby Parc de Belleville, where the Belvédère pavilion offers an impressive view come sunset. Finally, Coulée verte René-Dumont, also known as Promenade Plantée, is a five-kilometre verdant passage atop a mid-19th-century viaduct. All city parks are pesticide-free.
LA RECYCLERIE
This community space and micro-farm is dedicated to sharing éco-responsable knowledge. The restored train station houses a no-waste canteen, makers market and DIY repair workshop, while outside you’ll find chickens, ducks, bees and gardens along the old tracks.
MIRZ YOGA
Keep your practice flowing (in French!) at this light-filled studio where the extensive variety of classes include vinyasa, hatha, yin, meditation and moon circles.
MARCHÉ BIOLOGIQUE DES BATIGNOLLES
Fill your wicker basket with jams, honey, soaps and flowers at this all-organic market held every Saturday.
LE CENTQUATRE
An experimental arts precinct melding world music, dance and exhibitions with tech and innovation.
HÉLOU
An écoworking space with a room dedicated to napping, plus vegetarian food.
words and photos LINSEY RENDELL
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
