Paris Stylé

… The women who made Haute Couture

What comes to mind when you think of a “Parisienne”? How does she look? What does she wear? How does she hold herself? Paris is synonymous with fashion, style and elegance and so too are the city’s women. Since the dawn of the 20th century the world has looked to Paris to dictate style trends thanks to household names like Channel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Whilst she often pops up first in any list of important Parisian designers, Channel was by no means the only influential woman in the Paris fashion scene however.

This tour recounts the stories of five different female designers, as well as spotlighting a number of up and coming créatrices from the African diaspora to keep an eye on. Schiaparelli, Lanvin, Reboux, Paquin and Channel all shared these things: daring, creativity and a sense of what the modern woman needed. But as the stories unfold, we learn how everything from their backgrounds to their values differed enormously. This tour will guide you through the so-called “triangle d’or” (golden triangle) of Parisian Haute Couture and you’ll come away inspired by these women who continue to shape and colour our lives today.