The Eiffel tower is of course what makes Paris stand out. There is not a single person that comes to Paris and does not want to see the Eiffel tower, which is understandable because it is a massive structure. Describing it in words cannot even begin to give it justice. Despite its grandiosity it looks fragile, as if it could be pushed over. It is so tall, and becomes thinner towards the top but knowing it is made from metal is comforting. The Eiffel tower can be seen from all over the city, but from a far it looks like a doll house tower. When standing in front of it, it is impossible to capture the whole structure without standing back a distance. Taking a picture of the entire tower is a challenge in itself. A camera cannot capture the beauty of this structure. Every hour on the hour the tower lights up, and there is nothing more exciting than buying a crepe across from the tower and standing on the bridge when the tower lights up. When the tower lights up the city slows down, and everybody is in a trance because of its beauty. The sparkle of the Eiffel tower never gets old, and is a way for people that live here to begin to appreciate how lucky they are to have the Eiffel Tower. Visiting the Eiffel Tower is the most cliché part of touring Paris, but there is no question as to why people continue to do it. It is impossible to believe that a tower could be so tall until it is seen in person.
Versailles is an incredible town, but it is also a learning experience. The palace is something France takes pride in because of how historical the castle is. Three Kings lived in the Palace; King Louis 14, 15, and 16. The famous Marie Antoinette also lived in the castle. The hall of mirrors is a well known room in the palace and this is because mirrors were expensive during this time period, it was rare to even own one mirror. The King was able to have a hallway covered in mirrors. Today there is a superstition that if a mirror is broken whoever broke it will have seven years bad luck. This is related back to the expense of mirrors during this time period, and if one broke it was unlucky because of how much it cost. The palace has two drawing rooms for the King one is the war drawing room and of course it would only make sense for the second to be called the peace drawing room. The rooms were set up so that during that time period the public could walk in and watch births or simply watch the King dress. Also the beds are quite short so that the people could sleep sitting up to avoid pneumonia. The overall architecture of the building is breathtaking because all of the ceilings are painted with intricate details and every room has a different scene. The palace is covered in gold on the outside and the inside. The hall of mirrors was covered in gold, and it had been restored. The landscaping outside the palace is covered in elaborate fountains with scenes depicted by metal structures in the fountains. The flowers, trees, and bushes are landscaped to perfection creating a peaceful environment to walk around in. The land around the palace was substantial; perfect for hosting royal parties. The Austrian village is only a short walk from the castle. The village was built for the lovely Marie Antoinette because she missed her home and King Louis only wanted his queen to be happy, which is why he requested the village be constructed. It is as one would imagine, small little village homes with rolling green fields and flowers. Honestly, it is like entering another world, and it is extremely peaceful. The houses look as if they could be children’s play houses.
Giverny is potentially one of the most inspirational places to visit while in France. Monet depicted stunning scenes in his pictures and one quick walk around the property explains why he was able to paint so flawlessly. Fashion majors should easily be able to find inspiration at Monet’s garden. The rows of flowers can make anybody feel artistic, and inspired. It is easy to think and get lost in thoughts in such a peaceful place. The area is filled with history, and being in a place where one of the world’s greatest artists found the inspiration for all his work is simply amazing in itself. During the summer and beginning of the fall there are so many colors to be seen, and sometimes it is good to stop and sit on a bench just to take all of it in. The famous water lily lake and the green bridge over the lake are famous from the paintings. Throughout one’s education Monet is talked about on several occasions; being in his garden is like walking through one of his paintings. They both portray a sense of peace and well being.
Fashion week is hyped up for months before it finally happens, and Paris is ready for it when it does. Paris being the fashion capital of the world takes the fashion shows very seriously. It would make sense that something so important would be highly advertised, but the truth is only the exclusive guests are invited into the show; many times this will include celebrities. Working shows can be very stressful because the show has to go exactly as planned. Designers have been putting the collections together all year and want the public along with fashion critics to accept their designs for the upcoming seasons. Models can be difficult to work with at times because they are getting paid and feel they can do what they please. Sometimes attitudes are evident and there is tension between the models and the dressers. The high stress environment getting model dressed in time between there entrances gets the adrenaline flowing, but it almost always goes as planned. All designers have very different perspectives as to what they feel is in style and what people will like; all of them are clearly catering to a different client base.
Ricks Owens and Gareth Pugh have the most interesting clothing, in a darker sense. The clothing from both of them has a gothic appeal. Gareth Pugh started working at Rick Owens, which is why his inspirations have become so dark as well. The clothing from Gareth Pugh was the type of clothing Lady Gaga could probably be seen wearing. He had a major emphasis on stripes, but many of his dresses and tops were set up as a cage effect. Many of the pieces on the runway would not be worn for everyday. There was a dress that inflated; it gave an amazing effect on the runway but would never be worn by a client. The show was well organized and had music and slideshow to keep the audience excited and interested. Rick Owens used black and white as did Gareth Pugh for all the pieces in the show. Rick Owens did not focus on stripes, but he just used solid colors. All the clothing was draped over the models; there were baggy pants, very tall shoes and everything was oversized. The music matched the clothing and gave the audience a feeling of darkness. Ana Burke was in charge of running the show and she hired enough dressers so that each dresser only had a few looks for their models. The process was less stressful and the overall chaos in the room decreased significantly compared to other shows. Rick Owens has been doing fashion shows for a while so his business knows exactly how to handle the situation.
Alexis Mabille and Manish Arora are two designers that are completely different from Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh, although some of the designs were still farfetched. Manish Arora used all bright colors, sequins, and loud prints. One of his pieces was a bird cage worn as a shirt. Many of the inspirations he used for his collection were taken from birds. This show was unfortunately highly disorganized and it was complete chaos until the very end. Each model had about three or four looks and there not many dressers to help out. Alexis Mabille is known for his signature “bow”. Needless to say his styles are “girly” compared to Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh. He put a lot of emphasis on the boyfriend look that is popular for women. He used men’s dress shirts to create dresses and for summer, and he continued to use the pin stripe dress shirt theme for the rest of his pieces. Alexis Mabille kept a very elegant look throughout the show. The Alexis Mabille show was ready to wear, which is why all his pieces could be worn on a daily basis.
Paris has an intense outlook on fashion and it can be stressful at times, but they offer some of the best fashion in the world. For lack of better words, Paris is the “snob” of fashion but they have earned their right to be. France in general is full of inspiration whether it is fashion week, Monet’s garden or the remarkable Eiffel Tower. The city can bring inspiration to anyone that is looking for it.
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