On the way to the Gare du Nord yesterday, we went by Tati, the big department store at the foot of Montmartre. Tati is famous for its low prices, and even though most of what it sells is pretty low-rent, when you do find something you like, it's at the best possible price. It's usually full of the North African and African women of the Goutte d'Or neighborhood nearby, and also attracts bargain-hunters from around the city and further. The Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaïa said in an interview once that his aunt, who lived in Paris, used to bring home presents in her Tati bag from the métropole, and that Parisian glamor seemed to seep from the bags, for him, at least. He later worked for Tati as a designer.
Tati's distinctive pink tartan is instantly recognizable in France. N reminded me of the time we had encountered one of my neighbors in the building carrying a Tati bag... hidden inside a Bon Marché one!