Vanessa Grall
February 2026
MEET THE BOULEVARDIÈRE
Vanessa Grall, better known simply as Nessy, has a way of making you pay attention. You might be mid-conversation when she casually points out a detail. A forgotten object. A strange footnote. A story hiding in plain sight. Suddenly, you are leaning in.
Whether it is stumbling upon Hemingway’s old fishing tackle box or quietly encouraging the revival of a certain 1920s publication that most people assumed belonged to the past, she moves through culture with the same instinctive curiosity. Not chasing relevance. Not forcing meaning. Just following threads because they feel alive. She is generous in that way: with enthusiasm, with encouragement, with her eye. She notices things early and shares them without fuss, as if saying you should look at this too, then steps back to let the story unfold on its own terms. Spending time with Nessy reminds you that curiosity is best when it is shared, and that history does not need to be preserved behind glass to matter. It can be handled, questioned, revived, and carried forward in the little, everyday objects that fascinate us. Below, Nessy opens the door to her world.
THE MODERN DÉFINITION
Arthur Moss defined a boulevardier in 1927 as “a permanent fun seeker. Their life is a perpetual holiday.” What's your definition?
How about: “A hapless Parisian explorer, seeking a good barstool story!”
THE SPARK OF THE CITY
Which street corner, café, bar, or park in Paris constantly sparks your creativity?
Quite honestly, you don’t need to travel very far in this city to be inspired creatively. For me, it’s my own street corner, where I live and work. It offers a view of the Place Maubert market square, with its endless parade of eccentric local characters for people-watching, and a view of Rue de Bièvre, the medieval street where my Cabinet sits alongside several artisanal ateliers, with a lost ancient Parisian river still flowing beneath.
THE ESSENTIAL DEMANDE
The original boulevardiers demanded “wine and a song” to set the scene. What two things (physical or metaphorical) do you “demand” to keep your life feeling like a perpetual holiday?
Those are pretty essential, but at the risk of sounding too studious, I would say books or magazines, and a craft box! Basically, anything that inspires and distracts us from picking up our phones and doom-scrolling our perpetual holiday away.
SILENT MUSE
Describe the single, most elegantly designed object at your desk or in your studio that affects your concentration and creative workflow.
I am surrounded by a panoply of objects from the past that I bring into my Cabinet every day, but I think I’m becoming something of a go-to for my ongoing collection of antique ceramic match strikers. They were once found on every bar and bistro table across the city, used for lighting cigarettes but also for firing up the sugar cube over a glass of absinthe. They are covered in incredible typography and faded colours, doubling as tiny tabletop billboards advertising liquor brands of the day. They vary in form, but are always elegant conversation pieces.
THE SIGNATURE STEP
What is the small, daily ritual that makes you feel instantly well-dressed or put-together and the one thing that completes your look du jour?
I have to say, if I don’t know what to wear, I can just throw on one of the pieces from my collection with Figaret, either a Paris Writers and Readers Club Jacket or an oxford shirt, and I feel pretty put-together.
LEISURE & L'INSPO
How do you integrate aimless wandering or quiet observation into your creative process? Which street, in any city, is your favorite for an aimless stroll or flânerie?
Rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondissement is always eventful. Hemingway lived just off it when he was writing what became A Moveable Feast. But you also can’t go wrong walking along the quays, browsing the bouquinistes, keeping an eye on the city’s watery highway that is the Seine, and zigzagging across the islands in the middle. When you find yourself procrastinating, getting worked up watching the news, or scrolling social media—take a walk.
L’OBJET DU DÉSIR
What have you had your eye on lately?
There are a few rare book titles I’m trying to get my hands on, which I have alerts set for and therefore must keep secret. Beyond that, I’m always on the hunt for pieces of Parisian history, rare curiosities, and artists who speak to my love of miniatures and memory collecting.
L’ART OF JOY
What is happiness to you? Do you find your truest sense of joie de vivre in your work, your relationships, or your passion projects?
The truth is that all of those things can bring us immense joie, fulfillment, and satisfaction, but also disappointment, frustration, and lows. Keeping a healthy balance is the key, I think.
“QUOI DE NEUF ?”
What’s inspiring you lately or something you’re excited about?
The Cabinet’s shop space is about to expand by roughly three times this year, so for the first time I’m under a bit of pressure to source and collect far more than I’ve typically allowed myself to, without becoming a hoarder. We’ll see how I do under pressure. I’m hoping it won’t affect my eye, and I’m certainly excited to jump into another unknown.
LAST CALL
In the spirit of The Boulevardier tradition, leave us with a drink and a song.
Give me Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Be Seeing You” and a Boulevardier any day of the week.
As told to Patrick Dooley
