Strolling on the seafront, caressed by a cool Mediterranean breeze, MILIKA HARIANI allows herself to be seduced by the first-ever Cannes Shopping Festival.

I arrived at Nice, en route for Cannes, at the Nice-Côte d’Azur International Airport on the sort of sparkling day that gives the Côte d’Azur its name. A frisson of excitement stirred in me because there is something so curiously seductive and indefinable about the amazing light and strikingly different atmosphere of the regions that border the indescribably blue Mediterranean. I sat contentedly sipping Evian and admiring the serene landscape of this corner of Southern France, on the 27 km drive to Cannes. I was startled out of my reverie when the taxi driver braked at a traffic light.

I turned and saw a shiny black sports car with its hood down driven by a Sharon Stone lookalike, sporting a snowy mink coat and savouring a huge cigar. “That’s the latest Porsche and the cigar is a Montecristo. There are lots of rich people in Cannes. Even the traffic jams here are glamorous,” joked the driver.

We soon reached The Majestic Barrière, one of the four iconic luxury ‘palaces’ on the seafront. The imposing lobby mimicked an Italian palazzo with its abundance of marble, chandeliers, a troupe of classical statues and giant urns of ornamental plants. The leggy blonde receptionist admired my ethnic jewellery and waxed lyrical over my Indian silk scarf. “I expect you are here for the shopping festival,” she said.

In order to liven things up during the slack period at the start of the year (though Cannes is known for its major exhibitions and trade shows and especially the International Film Festival), the Cannes Tourist Office has decided that the city will host a shopping festival every year. Special promotions and super offers are combined with wonderful events and fashion shows, complemented by very special hotel rates.

One of the main attractions of The Majestic is its location at the centre of the prestigious La Croisette, the seafront promenade. Built in the opulent roaring ’20s, I found it ideally placed to soak up the city’s unique atmosphere as well as for all kinds of shopping, wining and dining. To the right was the sprawling Palais des Festivals, the busy harbour and the quaint old city that winds its way up a hill. This crescent shaped avenue, where the beau monde gathers, has earned the moniker ‘The Champs Elysees of the Riviera’ because it has been a star attraction since the 19th century when Cannes first developed as a resort town. Royalty of all sorts, from the throne room, the film studio and the catwalk are spotted here. At first, I was overcome by déjà vu and felt I was in Brighton. Later, I decided that the Croisette was more like the swanky portion of the seafront in Rio de Janeiro because of the extravagant flourishes and exuberant colouring of the buildings which house grand restaurants, luxury residences, casinos and classy boutiques. Cartier, Rolex, Chopard, Boucheron, Fred, Chanel, Dior, Lacroix, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Lancel, Céline, MaxMara, Escada and Lolita Lempicka, stud this prestigious crescent while other upscale stores are concentrated on the Rue d’Antibes making the area between them a sort of rarefied mall selling every luxury item imaginable, including gourmet food. The only department store in Cannes is Galeries Lafayette, a much smaller version of the famous Paris mega store, situated also within this triangle.

Despite the undisputed elegance of the individual stores, they seemed remarkably welcoming probably because of their compact sizes and the relaxed ambience of the area they are in. They share none of the hauteur of their Parisian counterparts but carry a narrower range although their latest offerings were prominently displayed. Chanel for instance, devoted its entire window to their baby pink range of goodies, while Chopard displayed their Happy Spirit range. Some stores had both seasonal and resort ranges. Boots and stone-encrusted sandals shared shelf space as did leather trimmed knitwear and wispy chiffon tops. Many of the stores displayed special stickers that indicated they were taking part in the first ever Cannes Shopping Festival, offering from 30 to 50 per cent discounts. Almost a thousand outlets participated in the festival, including shops, hotels, restaurants and casinos.

Since Cannes has always catered to the glamorous and wealthy it has been known as a shopping destination long before it became a film city. It also now has plenty of affordable shops catering to the young and old. Walking around, I soon realised that even the air in Cannes was perfumed! Many of the souvenir shops carried sachets of lavender, vetiver and other aromatic herbs grown locally. This pleasing fragrance was masked by the pungent smell of sausages, cold meats and cheese, quite suddenly. That’s when I found myself in the atmospheric pedestrian maze near the bustling Forville market, which caters to a different clientele and is more affordable. This is where the locals prefer to shop and it buzzes with activity on Saturdays and in the evenings. Traditionally an area occupied by food stores, it now resembles a bazaar retailing a cornucopia of merchandise from garments, jewellery, accessories, shoes and handbags to souvenirs, household requisites and cosmetics. The snazzy knitwear and costume jewellery were good value and so were the designer lookalike shoes and handbags fashioned from synthetic material. Prices of the latter were a fraction of the original but are available in India for less.

Le Suquet, the old city with its narrow, winding cobble stoned alleys leading into sunlit, leafy squares, is just minutes away from the popular shopping area. One of the pleasures here is in wandering around, peeking into tiny alleyways and discovering wonderful little cafes, restaurants, galleries and unusual shops. The Cannes Shopping Festival will undoubtedly prove an additional draw card for the city. It had some great bargains but required a measure of spadework to seek them out. A Singaporean I met was ecstatic because she had found a pair of high heeled boots in printed leather and a burgundy horse bit bag she had apparently lusted after for months. Since tourists get the added bonus of tax free shopping, it was a steal at half price. I discovered that jewellery and watches in particular were heavily discounted at some stores. Even classic styles by Fred, Chopard, Cartier and other heavyweights were reduced.

So, if you simply cannot stand the thought of braving the crowds at Harrods or bumping into your neighbour at Harvey Nicks, yet again, here’s the answer. Go to Cannes to shop. You won’t regret it. That’s a promise.

[Regular Verve contributor, Sri Lankan born Milika Hariani wears many hats – global wanderer, wildlife watcher and avid shopper.]