Paris Fashion Walk, Part I - Palais Royal

Window shopping only - sorry for the glare!

Just so that I don't misrepresent myself, I'm not a "fashionista".  Comfort is what I usually look for in clothes and shoes, but since I'm always ready to learn something new, I threw on what I thought were some fashionable clothes and joined the "Paris Fashion Walk" tour offered by Paris Walks last Monday.

We started at the Place Colette in front of the Comédie Francaise and passed through the courtyard of the Palais Royale to 24 Galerie de Montpensier to do some window shopping, or as the French say, "window licking", in front of Didier Ludot's vintage, haute couture boutique.

A true fashionista at Didier Ludot's boutique

In addition to the items sold at his boutiques, Ludot has a stock of over 5,000 vintage garments, some of which are on loan to fashion museums.  A visit to Didier Ludot's archive of fashion is part of the curriculum for students of fashion design, who examine the garments, inside and out, to learn how they were made.  

Looking for the perfect little black dress? Ludot's other boutique, the appropriately named "The Little Black Dress", at 125 Galerie de Valois, features black dresses that were inspired by vintage creations and range from 300-5,000 Euros.


Other boutiques lining Designer Row in the Jardin du Palais Royal include, Stella McCartney, Acne, Rick Owens, Serge Lutens, and Maison Fabre.

The "Paris Fashion Walk" is an informative and entertaining introduction to the history of French fashion.  Paris Walks does not offer the Fashion Walk on a regular basis, so it's advisable to check their schedule to see if it's offered while you're in Paris.  They require reservations and payment in advance. 

Update April 21, 2011:  After all of the hype about Didier Ludot's vintage boutique, I wasn't that impressed when I stopped by today.  I did, however, like quite a few of the dresses in "The Little Black Dress" boutique.

PART II of the Paris Fashion Walk.

Comments

  1. I love to go into Didier and have been dropping by periodically, since either the early or mid 80s. I can't remember exactly when I first went in. But, as one who loves vintage, I will spend years looking for the perfect vintage handbag or other vintage item. Didier is vintage heaven. My interest is in handbags first, and then scarves and jewelry.

    Over the decades, I have seen some gorgeous, vintage handbags there. One of these days, I might find just the right Hermes handbag.

    I'm patient, as I spent years searching before, last year, finally finding the perfect vintage, Chanel tote bag, that I happened to find at a pre-owned handbag store here in Beverly Hills. It was in mint condition.

    My vintage Chanel tote bag turned heads as I walked through the Paris Chanel store on the rue Cambon last spring. Salesperson after salesperson turned to look. It also turned heads at CDG when the woman asking the security questions stopped and commented how gorgeous it was. The same happened, at a U.S. airport, on my way home from that same trip , when a couple of flight attendants saw it. I was rushing through the airport changing planes when they called out to me, "Love the bag!". It was worth the searching and waiting for the right one to come along. I also had the tote bag with me last month in Paris.

    Vintage searching takes patience and time. And one can go into a place like Didier, one season or year, and possibly find nothing of interest. But then one can drop by, another season or year, and find lots of desired pieces. It all depends on what items come in. So, I just keep "X" amount of money available in the budget just in case!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for commenting - it looks as if I'll have to visit Dider Ludot's boutique on a more regular basis. I would love to find a vintage Chanel tote bag!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment