The Parisian Public
The people of Paris
While exploring Paris I couldn't help but people-watch. All these photos were taken by me on the 9th of November, therefore most people are more covered up or wearing more layers due to the cold weather. By looking back at these photographs, as well as what I personally noticed when I visited Paris, the majority of outfits were casual and often included a pop of colour such as an orange hat, a yellow jacket, and a red coat. Additionally, there was a great quantity of beige, brown and white tones which gave a sense of simplicity and comfort.
With what I have observed in the streets of London, street style in Paris seems to involve brighter colours, especially 'pop' colours in outfits. In London I see the shade black a lot more, and the shade white a lot less, than I did in Paris. White clothing and shoes in Paris replaced the black clothing and shoes seen in London. I found this really interesting as it gave me the assumption of Paris being a brighter and lighter city than London simply due to how these shades are used in street style fashion.
The fashion style I witnessed in Paris gave me the impression that these are individuals who are mostly creative, free-flowing and progressive.
The Fashion Spaces
Fashion Stores
There were many fashion stores and shopping centres in Paris. Most stores had their product quite spread out from each other. The windows were either merchandised in a simple and casual way, or in a quite unique and bold manner.
While in Paris I noticed that luxury brands were cheaper in Paris than in London! This is more true for French brands like Louis Vuitton, Jacquemus and Chanel.
While some fashion stores were very similar to the ones in London, some went above and beyond any kind of expectation I had, like Jacquemus. There was a queue outside of the Jacquemus store; when people came out of the store, a couple people from the queue would be allowed in. Just like many other luxury stores, Jacquemus had a beautiful and spacious layout. It was a unusually small store but on its second floor it has a popcorn machine. The public, with assistance from an employee at the store, were encouraged to use a claw machine (like those seen at arcades) to obtain free popcorn. It was very a engaging and unique experience - everyone was smiling and had a positive experience at Jacquemus.
Below is a video of me attempting to use the popcorn claw machine!
The Parisian Hospitality Touch
Restaurants, coffee shops and sitting areas
Parisian food is iconic, and therefore very different to the food you would usually find the London. However, the biggest difference is the hospitality space itself - almost every restaurant and coffee shop had an outdoor sitting area.
I had a lettuce and smoked salmon baguette for lunch in Paris and I still think about it every day. It was extremely good. I'm not sure if it was just the Parisian air, or if it was Paris itself, but that was the best baguette I have ever had.
Most restaurants had bright signs and lights which lit up the city, and it made the streets feel unique. London is quite similar in this aspect. Unlike London, however, is that there is an outdoor seating area outside almost every restaurant and cafe. Bakeries that specialise in pastries and sweets, also known as patisseries, are very common and popular in France. Patisseries are not a frequent establishment found in London, although I wish it were!
The Beautiful and Iconic Architecture
Paris and its Architecture
Paris is widely known and adored for its recognisable monuments and classic architecture. My trip to Paris showed me exactly why, I found it very appealing aesthetically wise. Due to Paris having a style of architecture that stays consistent throughout the city, it looks very put together and structured. London has more of a mix of old and new architecture; there's a combination of traditional and contemporary construction.
Taking a walk through Paris gives a sensation of olden times due to its architecture, while in London it feels more modern due to the diversity of the buildings.
What Makes Paris Iconic
Five unexpected reasons that make Paris iconic
The five things that I found that, in my opinion, make Paris the iconic place it is are: Vogue Magazine stands all over the city, frequent and unique ashtrays, people riding bikes all the time, the cream off-white buildings, and outdoor seating areas of hospitality settings.
1. While walking through Paris, you could find Vogue Magazines Stands or shops selling the magazine everywhere. This was one of the first things I noticed when I entered the city; it enhanced the feeling of art, culture and creativity in the air.
2. Smoking in Paris was significantly more popular and recurrent than in London. Because of this more frequent habit, the city has adapted and installed ashtrays outside some businesses. I saw quite a big and bright ashtray by the door of a restaurant while in Paris, so that cigarettes would not end up on the floor. Although I do not support smoking, I admire the effort to decrease the number of cigarettes on the ground left my people wanting to put out their cigarette before entering an establishment.
3. People riding bikes across the city is a customary activity; it is very popular. It's hard to go to Paris and not see at least a couple people riding bikes. This reinforces the sense of olden times in Paris due to so many people's transportation means being bikes. Additionally, there was less traffic in Paris than in London, and the traffic was notably quieter too.
4. Although I was aware that the buildings in Paris were of a classical style, I had no idea that it was most, if not all, that had that style. The lack of architecture variance actually made Paris look more beautiful; ethereal in a way.
5. I lost count of the number of outdoor seating areas I saw outside of restaurants, cafes, and patisseries. I see this as a nice touch to French hospitality; I certainly will not be able to ever pass by an outdoor sitting area without thinking of Paris again!
Shocking! Les mondes surréalistes d'Elsa Schiaparelli
Elsa Schiaparelli Exhibition
I went to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and attended Schiaparelli's Exhibition: Shocking! Les mondes surréalistes d'Elsa Schiaparelli. These were my favourite five pieces. Picking my favourite five pieces was more difficult than originally anticipated because of how much I admired and adore each and every piece.
I loved how Schiaparelli used gold, as can be seen by my favourite five pieces containing the colour gold. When I first saw these pieces I was in awe; they are truly incredibly created and magical to look at in person.
The last and biggest image is my number one favourite. I cannot get my head around how glamorous yet seductive it is. At the exhibition I spent the most time admiring this piece from as many angles as I could; this was definitely a highlight of my trip to Paris.
In comparison to the V&A Exhibition I attended of Fashioning Masculinities, both exhibitions led the public on a path that created a story, which I found enjoyable. Both exhibitions also grouped together key themes which made it easier to understand the concepts they were putting forward, such as 'The Signs of the Zodiac' in Schiaparelli's Exhibition and 'Street Style' in V&A's Fashioning Masculinities Exhibition.
Années 80 - Mode, design et graphisme en France
80's Exhibition
I went to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and attended the 80's Exhibition: Années 80 - Mode, design et graphisme en France. These were my favourite five pieces of the exhibition.
A lot of this exhibition's pieces reminisced on the French 1980s being a political, economic, social and artistic turning point. Fashion became a language to express this new-found freedom.
I chose these pieces because I believe they resonated with me with most. Entering the 1980s, men's wardrobe was launched into the fashion arena. I am greatly interested in menswear, and the fluidity and freedom it can one day truly reach, so seeing a piece from the turning point in menswear in France was enriching.
References of the ancient world in womenswear in a fantasized manner also really appealed to me as I had never seen anything quite like it.
Another feature of this exhibition that I enjoyed were the posters. From the poster that was created to encourage change, to the poster promoting a library where individuals can read books for free on all subjects in the world, it was inspiring to walk around admiring all these activist and creative works of art produced 40 years ago.
In comparison to the V&A Exhibition I attended of Fashioning Masculinities, this exhibition was more spacious and had less of an implied path to follow. This different approach meant that the public could form their own story, it did not have to be chronological or a 'set' sequence of events. This exhibition also involved more film and video than the V&A exhibition which created a clearer image of what this exhibition wanted to show: the turning point.
