Fashion destinations in Paris

Hi everyone

im just new to trip advisor and im so glad i found it. I%26#39;m going to Paris during the first week of April for the first time. Ive already had a read through some books and will visit the usual tourist hotspots, the eiffel tower, louvre etc. I%26#39;m really into fashion and was wondering where the best places are to go to appreciate parisian chic to the best ie shopping streets/malls, museums, exhibitions etc? Thanks

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Some of the best shopping streets (window shopping only..) Avenue Montaigne, Rue du Faubourg St Honore, Place des Victoires, Rue du Bac. Best department stores: Le Bon Marche (an oxymoron if there is one!!), the Galeries Lafayette designers row AND Colette, a not so big place but at the cutting edge of fashion. Try to Google also the stores of famous designers as they are all over the place.

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thanks for your help. I%26#39;ll definitely pay a visit to them, especially galaries lafayette and colette!

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There is a fashion show (runway) at G. Lafayette on Friday, at 3:00. You need reservations. You can send them an email and request a seat. I will be there on the first row :) April 3.

Good luck

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Musee des Arts Decoratif + Bijoux is a wonderful museum next to the Louvre on Rue de Rivoli. Check out their website to see what the temporary exhibit will be when you are there. I have seen two fabulous temporary exhibits here. The first was an entire exhibit on the Spanish haute coulture designer Balenciaga. The second was an entire exhibit on ballet costumes by Gaultier/Chopinot. Both were fantastic. When I return in Sept. %26#39;09 I will hopefully get to see another great temporary exhibit.

The other fashion museum is Le Musee Galliera; Musee de la Mode et du Costume at 10 ave. Pierre 1er de Serbie in the 16th arrondissement. This particular museum is only open when they have a temporary exhibit 3-4 times per year. Go on line to find out if they will have an exhibit when you are there.

I don%26#39;t know what type of fashion you are into. In the process of looking up the address for the previously-listed museum, I found this website.

http://ana-lee.livejournal.com/94187.html

I loved it. I hope you like it.

There is also a fan museum: Musee de l%26#39;Eventail, 2 blvd. de Strasbourg. It is now well marked when you arrive. You need to walk up to the second or third floor of an innocuous looking building. It is only open Mon-Weds 2-8pm. www.annehoguet.fr/musee.htm

There is a high-tea fashion show at Le Bristol Hotel where they do haute coulture fashion shows on Saturday a couple of times a month. Check the hotel website to see the details.

As mentioned, Galleries Lafayette has a 30 minute fashion show on Fridays at 3pm. Also mentioned is the fact that you must have reservations in advance. You just bring the reservation with you that you printed off on your printer.

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thanks so much everyone, I will without a doubt make reservations for the galaries lafayette fashion show, it sounds really good. Is it collections from the store that is in the show?

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Yes Matt. It is clothes from the store. The models are around 20 years old--both boys and girls.

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thats good does it cost to go to the fashion show?

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matt369, wander around the Marais to all the little boutiques. There are so many; you will definitely find lots of fashion to appreciate!

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it doesn%26#39;t cost anything to go to the Galleries Lafayette fashion show. You just need to bring the piece of paper which says you have a reservation. They have your name on a list and that determines where they seat you.

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For the newest, up and coming designers, with lots of financial backing, head to the Palais Royal, the eastern wing and stroll under the arcades. A handful of discoveries there, one or two which will become household names in the years to come.

To appreciate chic on people, head to the cafe L%26#39;Avenue on the avenue Montaigne, between meals and get a drink on the terrasse.

For the chicest of the chic in boutiques, ave Montaigne and Fbrg St Honore are the streets to hit.

Bon Marche is owned by the Louis Vuitton group, so the clothing and the people watching are spectacular.

GL is more mainstream as far as the crowds go, but they have more selection and some more affordable options.

Colette is THE place to seeing which trends are coming this way.

The current exhibition at the Galliera museum is very popular.