If nightlife's global gypsies have a leader, it is André Saraiva. The graffiti artist-cum-nightlife entrepreneur has amassed quite an empire: Le Baron clubs in Paris and Tokyo (a Singapore outpost opens in late January); the Hôtel Ermitage in St. Tropez; other Parisian hotspots Hôtel Amour, restaurant Le Fidélité, lounge Le Montana and the shop Black Block; plus, the soon to be reopened Beatrice Inn in New York, of which he was an original partner. André, as everyone calls him -- no last name needed -- clocks more hours on planes and in hotels than he does in one city. When chez Paris, Hôtel Amour is Saraiva's "little hideaway." But Saraiva is rarely hidden. His fabulously huge circle of friends includes Purple magazine's Olivier Zahm (who recently put him on the cover), artists Dan Colen and Nate Lowman, actress Lou Doillon and every fashion designer and writer on the planet who calls Le Baron and the now seven-month-old Montana their favorite spots.
Saraiva approaches nightlife with his own reverse-snobbery. His door people, often painter pals, routinely reject models and moguls, while welcoming scruffy artists who pay for their drinks with art. "All the models and the bottles thing," Saraiva groans in a thick Parisian accent. "They are the worst people. Their lives are all about showing money."
Born in Uppsala, Sweden (birthplace of Ingmar Bergman), Saraiva moved to Paris at age ten. "Sweden is paradise for kids," he states proudly. "Everything is made for kids. You can go around everywhere on your bicycle. They teach you to be proud of yourself. They give you confidence." As a teen in Paris, Saraiva spent time in museums like the Centre Pompidou. "I used to hang out there. It was free. I would bring a girl and kiss in the galleries," he remembers. "It was a playground for us. That's how I learned about art."
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