Many cities are considered fashion capitals. Only one can be the fashion capital of the world. That
city is Paris. Paris is a world leader in style. In the 17th century, the French fashion industry rose to the pinnacle of the international textile trade, cementing itself as a global power in fashion for hundreds of years. During this time it has attracted the world’s foremost designers and imbued its citizens with an
unmatched and innate sense of style.
To this day, France an enduring reputation as a style leader, with fashion holding a significant place
within French cultural life. Luxury labels Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy
and Jean Paul Gaultier have set an impeccably high standard for couture.
The city of Paris is at the centre of the French fashion industry, remaining one of the big four Fashion Week events each season. Parisian couture has a reputation like no other, feeding a public hungry for the latest in stylistic innovation and superior quality. The historic Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a must-see on any visit to Paris and is a fashion-lovers paradise.
So how did Paris become the international beacon of fashion that it is today?
The city’s legacy begins with the “Sun King”, King Louis XIV, whose love of the lavish and luxurious is immediately apparent in the gilded aesthetics of the Palace of Versailles. King Louis secured the
textile industry under the control of his royal court, creating a national dependence on luxury goods.
Even centuries after his reign, fabrics and garments of the greatest quality called France their home.
Haute couture or “high fashion” is a distinctly French invention: a style hand-crafted from
extravagantly expensive and high-quality fabrics. Extreme attention to detail and individually specific tailoring set haute couture apart from the rest and changed the game when it came to the textile industry. Designers and tailors had to base their businesses in the flourishing hub of France, or risk being left behind.
The French hold an enormous sense of reverence for the charms and artistic nuances that fashion
brings into our lives. As the creators of modern luxury fashion, no other culture has brought such
glamour and pure aesthetic allure onto the world stage.
Fashion has always been a deeply rooted facet of Parisian social and cultural life. Despite many new faces on the international fashion scene seeking to steal the Paris’ claim to the crown, none have yet succeeded. It seems that the French school’s claim on style is one that cannot be overcome. As the industry continues to evolve, Paris remains steadfast as the epicentre of style and the city of love and fashion. Parisian fashion will continue to be an inspiration to filmmakers, photographers, actors, artists and lovers for years to come.
WRITTEN BY SUZE MONTGOMERY
NARRATED BY PAUL G ROBERTS
EDITED BY LILY WARLAND