About this experience
The Minister of Finance of France, Colbert, once wrote: 'Fashion for France is what the gold mines of Peru are for Spain.' The expansion of Parisian taste changed Europe and the appearance of its inhabitants, and with your own eyes you will see the neighborhoods of Paris where 'high fashion' was born. You will learn how fashion evolved into an industry, following epochs, political regimes, social changes in society, ideologies, philosophical reflections, everyday habits, and hygiene.
What to expect
Historical quarters of Paris
You will get acquainted with the ancient streets and squares of Paris, see the places where the fashion industry was born and its first creators worked. We will talk about how the French courtiers set the tone in clothing during the 'Second Rococo' era and where the best jewelry could be purchased. I will tell you where the meter standard is located and show you the street where Coco Chanel and other famous fashion designers opened their first boutiques. You will visit the Grand Opera and the Palais Royal, walk through one of the luxurious covered urban passages, peek inside the Lafayette gallery, and admire the beauty of Parisian architecture.
The evolution of fashion
Clothing and accessories, however exceptional they may be, are attributes of everyday life that often reflect important events in a society. You will understand how women's emancipation affected the wardrobe of Parisian women, why progressive young people suddenly started wearing red ribbons, and where the trend of short haircuts originated. Why courtesans were called 'grand horizontals', how the fashion of the Impressionism era differed, how exceptional personalities overturned long-established notions of proper and good taste with their style and way of wearing clothes, and made real revolutions - all this you will learn when walking the streets of the cradle of high fashion.
Organizational details
Optional visit to a temporary exhibition on fashion history
