Among the highlights on The Paris Tour with Susan Khalje were several visits to fashion exhibitions, shopping excursions to three fabric stores, and one to a fabulous scarf store.
The first exhibit we visited was at the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation.
In addition to the selections on display in the current “Sheer: the diaphanous creations of Yves Saint Laurent,” we had the opportunity to see his studio where he worked.
Later that same day, we went to the Musee des Arts Decoratifs where the current exhibit of the works of Iris Van Herpen were on display. Some of the members of our group were quite taken with her designs. I was not one of them. I much preferred our visit to the Alaia Foundation to see the newly-opened exhibit featuring works by Azzedine Alaia and Madame Gres. I have long been a fan of the design aesthetic of Madame Gres. Her works served as a point of great inspiration for Alaia. To see so many of her designs on display, many alongside the more contemporary works of Alaia, was captivating.
The crème de la crème was our visit to La Galerie Dior, newly reopened and quite spectacular. Having seen the Dior Exhibit when it was at the Denver Museum of Art five years ago, I wondered how similar the two presentations might be. There were obviously some repeats of the iconic dresses and ensembles of Christian Dior before his untimely death in 1957, but somehow everything seemed fresh and newly considered. The building is beautiful, masterfully lit, with a logical, but innovative floorplan. Entrance to the Galerie is by timed tickets, and at no time did the galleries seem crowded or uncomfortable.
I could have spent hours studying the walls and walls of accessories and miniature clothing which lined the stairwell.
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After all this inspiration, it was fun to go to three fabric stores. The first one on the agenda was Tissus Edre.
This store sells end cuts from the couture houses, and there is a lot to see. There is not much order to the “presentation” which meant we had to dig our way through the piles of offerings. I admit to having some problems with this type of fabric store.
It was only after a fellow member of our group found this silk charmeuse shown below, that I noticed it.
The second fabric store we visited was the world renowned Janssens + Janssens.
This store was the antithesis of the prior one in its ordered rows of bolts of fabrics both upstairs and downstairs. I spent much of my time with the silk charmeuses and twills although this store is probably known best for its exquisite laces.
Finally, we went to a fabric store in the garment district by the name of General Diff. It, too, features end cuts from the couture houses among other selections. Again, it was a jumble, with fabric piled high on large tables. They had some lovely lightweight wool, but I declined to be tempted, as my suitcases were reaching capacity at this point.
Finally, here are some photos from Wolffe et Descourtis, the wonderful scarf store which captivated us all. This business has remained in the same family for many decades , and indeed the proprietress is Victoria Wolffe, of the original founding family.
What fun to come home with my beautiful scarf!
This ends my monologue on the Paris Tour, despite there having been additional places we visited, people we met and things we did. Summer sewing has already cranked up, with my attention back here in the States. Happy Sewing June to all of you!
fiftydresses 