The most famous Fashion Weeks take place in Paris, Milan, London and New York. But they exist all over the world, with African and Asian cities experiencing a boom. Despite this diversity, Paris - which hosts events both in the spring and the autumn, is the place to be. But where does this laudatory name come from? Paris, City of Light, love… and fashion? This is what makes other capitals jealous. Paris fashion week is certainly the party that everyone wants a ticket for, but where exactly did it start? What is the history of it? What makes this such a great city for fashion?
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It was during the reign of King Louis XIV, the Sun King, that Paris began to influence its neighbors. For Louis XIV, nothing was more important than appearance to impress his enemies. At Versailles, everything was luxury and pleasure, and the clothes of the king and his court were no exception to the rule. He thus used to bring in the best tailors to dress the nobles of his court. The first haute couture house was established decades later, in 1858, by Charles Frederick Worth. This man, considered a pioneer in the fashion world, was also the first to innovate in terms of commercial techniques. He established the principle of fashion shows and collections, in order to create expectations among his customers.
Paris then experienced a flamboyant rise and already had 300,000 couturiers in 1910. The City of Light then placed itself in a position of strength against the competition in this area, as buyers from all over the world came for their shopping sessions. Even in a weakened post-war France, fashion represented 15% of French exports in 1920. The continued success of Paris in the 20th century is due in large part to its creators, who knew how to innovate and revolutionize trends. Thus, Coco Chanel democratized suits for women but is also known for her tweed jacket; Yves Saint Laurent provoked with his pantsuit for women and the invention of the miniskirt; Jean Paul Gaultier launched a trend that has not ended to this day, the striped sweater. Many others can still be cited and, in the 1990s, a fascination developed around these stylists that the press began to consider as "people".
Paris has never ceased to exert its influence but today shares its status with London, Milan, New York and even Tokyo. Some criticize the omnipresence of these haute couture houses in the catwalks because, erected to a status of indestructible, they leave little room for new designers, often forced to affiliate with a house. But today, with globalization, brands no longer really have nationalities. Haute couture, under the influence of finance, no longer makes it possible to identify a house with a capital. However, Paris remains the city of fashion. Handbags handmade in France, and handmade shoes will remain a favourite. They exude a quality like no other and will always be seen as a fashionable place to be.
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