Day Eight: Notre Dame and Arc de Triomphe were the destination of this day. Notre Dame was gorgeous. The stained glass windows, the high ceilings, and the whole atmosphere was awe inspiring. Next was the Arc along with the Champs-Elysees which was glitzy and touristy. Those aren’t really words, but I’m going with it. The Arc was beautiful and we went at night so it was all lit up. Overall I had a great time seeing these two attractions. Oh! and I also tried Foie Gras today. That’s goose liver for all you wondering. Its was a cool consistency, but a little bit too strange a flavor for me to have it again.
Day Nine: The next day I went to two department stores. Galleries Lafayette and Printemps. These were high end department stores with designer brands. If you want to get some shop on I would say go the the Galleries because they have some brands we are familiar with such as Urban Outfitters and Topshop. Both shops are elegant, but Printemps has more modern decor where as Galleries looks more opulent. Also, you can go to the top of the Galleries get a picturesque view of Paris. These two stores were like malls in themselves and I think if you go to Paris you have to stop in even if it’s just to window shop.
Day Ten: Today I had a class where I got to make hats! I made more of a headband first with a material called sisal that created a lot of volume, then I made a felt hat that came out so cute. The first one was made by sewing the pieces together to create interesting shapes. The felted hat was made by taking a piece of felt and stretching it over and over again using steam to get the desired shape. My next step is to buy a ribbon or something to put around it before I start wearing it. It wasn’t a very adventurous day, but I had a ton of fun.
Day Eleven: Today was rainy, so naturally the group I was with planned to go to Versailles. Versailles is a palace, but a big part of it is also the gardens and you’re supposed to walk through. However, like I said it was rainy and windy and all around horrible outside which made today stink. The inside of Versailles was gorgeous, but the outdoors was just muddy and cold. Another thing that has been bothering me about Paris is that if you are anywhere near a tourist attraction the prices of food at restaurants skyrockets. It is just ridiculous, but also to be expected.
Day Twelve: Today was my first time working a runway show! I was a dresser so not very glamorous (basically I help models get dressed and change during the show and move the clothes around before and after). Though not very glamorous it was still amazing. The whole experience was fast paced and exciting and the whole show was only about ten minutes. Seeing all the stuff that happens back stage is crazy! People running around doing hair and make up, photographers, models oh my! It was too fun for words. It’s moments like this that I know I want to do work in fashion.
Day Thirteen: Jewels and paintings was the theme of today! I went to the Cartier exhibit and Musee d’Orsay. The Cartier exhibit was AMAZING! Jewels everywhere! There were tiaras and pendents and so much more! My pictures didn’t even do anything justice to how beautiful it was. The Musee d’Orsay was also very cool because I got to see paintings I had only seen photos of in my art history class. Van Gogh, Manet, and Monet just to name a few.
Day Fourteen: My final day of the week was probably one of the most interesting. I had my first day working for a Haute Couture design house! We are getting ready for the Fall/Winter show and it has been so surreal! Every piece is gorgeous and I will tell you more about it later in the week!
This experience has been going by so fast and I’m only two weeks in! I love Paris Fashion Week!
