THINGS

Curated by: Romain Laprade

From the best roast chicken in Paris to the Andy Warhol works to namedrop, the French photographer shares his top cultural picks…

Inspiration is everywhere, you just need to know where to find it. And luckily for us photographer Romain Laprade knows where to look. Since he started taking pictures aged 15, the Paris-based photographer has been capturing ‘the beauty in the normal’, be it in the form of an unassuming architectural detail in a sleepy French town, or the lapping waves and modernist buildings of the Los Angeles coastline. ‘For me, creating images is a vital necessity’ he says. ‘I try to produce work that inspires others, reminds them of joyful moments and simulates their imagination’. It’s why Romain was chosen to collaborate with COS on their spring 2021 window displays, which feature his sun-soaked images as a backdrop to the clean lines and airy fabrics of the new collection.

From his travel bucket list to the wonderful world of 1980s interiors, Romain shares the things that are inspiring him right now.

EXPLORE
‘Paris has made me who I am today. There’s history on every corner, accessible art for every taste and style everywhere. It doesn’t take much for me to be inspired, I find it comes naturally when I’m on the move, so I often go for long walks in the city with my camera for company.

I love shooting in the south of France. Marseille is only three hours by train from Paris and yet the vibe and the weather are totally different. The light is beautiful, even in winter.’

VISIT
‘My favourite piece of architecture is Goldstein House by John Launtner in Los Angeles. I had the chance to visit in 2018. Egypt, Arizona, and Colorado are next on my list of places to explore.’

EAT
‘In Paris, there is this little café restaurant called Le Bar Fleuri in the 19th arrondissement, it has totally kept the vibe it had 30 years ago. Nothing has changed, not even the prices! You can get a classic French roast chicken and homemade fries for less than 8 euros.’

DISCOVER
‘I’m currently obsessed with Andy Warhol’s polaroids, but not the portraits. We all know the famous polaroids he made of celebrities, but he also shot thousands of polaroids of objects, landscapes, cities and unknown people.’

READ
‘I buy a lot of photo books, about photographers, architecture and interiors. Try Vie de David Hockey by Catherine Cusset to enter into Hockney’s fascinating life between Los Angeles and the UK.’

WATCH
‘Watch L’amour l’après-midi (Love in the afternoon) to see Paris in the 1970s through the eyes of Eric Rohmer, my favourite director. It tells the story of a secret relationship between two people, meeting each other every afternoon.’

FOLLOW
‘I recommend @the_80s_interior on Instagram for inspiring architecture and archival interior pictures from the 1980s. It’s always surprising.’

See Romain Laprade’s photographs in COS’ Spring 2021 windows from March. Romain (@romainlaprade) has also created a set of postcards featuring his works, available in selected stores.