Culotte (translation: knickers!) was not quite the boutique I had expected, in that there was a provocative lack of knickers on sale. However the Bastille bar ‘Les Sans-Culottes’, also contradicted my preconceptions (sans = ‘without’), since its name actually refers to a sort of lower-class revolutionary who wore a certain style of knee-breeches. Proving that the minute that you begin to think you can understand French, you can be brought back down to earth by a venue name…

Back to ‘Culotte’ – what I was pleased to find was a true Harajuku paradise. Opened in October 2000, Culotte champions both up-and-coming and established Japanese designers. There is a recognisable 70s-80s vibe running through both the wares and décor.

The collections include Poids-net – designed by Yasuyuki Nakazono and Minkako Ito (Culotte is Ito’s creation) – which offers delightful handcrafted designs with tops starting at €60. You can grab a super-stylish Rawk Brune t-shirt for a mere €25 while further up the rail and price range was a handsome collection of Benoa Berger t-shirts at €45 a piece.

The accessory – notably, jewellery – collections are impressive, with a vast mix of new and vintage pieces. One of Culotte’s specialities is without doubt its phenomenal pendant-necklace collection. There was a different pendant for at least each day of the year (ranging from €20-€30): some notable ones included the pistol-style pendant as sported controversially by Lily Allen (in the context of her being an anti-gun crime ambassador), as well as spanners, scissors and all manner of animals. There is also a collection from uber-cool Chic-Sick-Chic, along with an array of earrings, bracelets, sunglasses, hair clips, purses, badges and bags galore.

Other highlights are the enchanting collection of Tremplapin greetings cards, while I was in awe of Vava Dudu’s necklaces, whose metro-ticket-price-tags (see picture right) are a fabulous finishing touch.If you’re a fan of all things kitsch, be warned that you could literally while away hours in here.

Culotte has a regular programme of soirées at the store, often coinciding with the release of new collections, so do check the website for details.