What Is Paris Fashion Known for

5 Paris Luxury Fashion Houses – Haute Couture Shopping Destinations

Christian Dior, Chanel, Lanvin, Hermès, Louis Vuitton — these globally-renowned institutions are uniquely French luxury style houses that all had their beginnings in Paris, and they were all founded past the person whose name they withal bear today.

Have a stroll along Champs-Elysées, Avenue Montaigne, Rue Cambon, or Faubourg Saint-Honoré and y'all skip from haute couture maison to haute couture boutique without breaking a sweat. Let'south take a look at the the Big Five French luxury fashion houses, founded in Paris and known around the globe.

1. Christian Dior

Since simply after World State of war Two, Dior has been a major symbol of French haute couture. And it'due south no wonder, given that Christian Dior's goal in life was to help women look cute and experience happy.

Information technology all started in 1947, when Dior launched his famous New Look with swirling full skirts, tiny waists, and fitted jackets. After the thrift of the state of war years, his fashion silhouette resonated with a generation of women hungry for glamour. When John Galliano took the reins in 1996 his romantic, feminine, theatrical designs harkened back to the original Dior mode. Today Dior produces a pret a porter line as well as an sectional couture collection.

Decorated in the pristine white and Dior grey, and with its famous Louis XVI effects, the Paris Dior showroom showcases the blueprint house'due south offerings in a sophisticated and classic style. The historic location on Avenue Montaigne has been there since 1947; there are other Paris locations devoted to Dior perfume, beauty, and jewelry as well as a large, new (2019) shop on Champs-Elysées near the Arc de Triomphe.

• thirty Avenue Montaigne
• 8th Arrondissement

2. Lanvin

Lanvin, one of the oldest French fashion houses, is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance. The luxury characterization has recently been making headlines for dressing celebrities like Beyoncé, Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, and Meryl Streep. Under the management of artistic manager Alber Elbaz (2001-2015) the company fabricated a profit for the first time in decades. Palais Galliera (the City of Paris Way Museum) has staged an exhibition defended to the founder, Jeanne Lanvin, with over one hundred items from the early 20th century on brandish.

Like Coco Chanel, Jeanne Lanvin began her career every bit a milliner and became famous as a dressmaker. Likewise like Chanel, she was a trailblazer. Lanvin was one of the showtime designers to use gold lamé to accessorize her evening gowns and the first to dress celebrities and actresses such every bit Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich, and Rita Hayworth.

In 1889 she opened her shop, Lanvin Modes, on 22 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and this is however the visitor'south flagship location. She was certainly ahead of her time and by 1920 she had a team of 1,200 employees. Embroiderers, seamstresses and tailors worked at her side to create two hundred new looks each season. In fact, Lanvin was the start designer to introduce a new drove for each flavour.

When her daughter was born Lanvin started designing children's clothing and branched out further, winning success later on success in haute couture, perfume, menswear, and bridal. Madame Lanvin worked until her death in 1946, when her daughter Marguerite took over the label.

Today, Lanvin offers haute couture and pret a porter with refined evening dresses, furs, and accessories. Lanvin has again developed jewelry, shoe, and purse collections. But the maison's biggest success is ultra-feminine cocktail and evening dresses. More than than a century afterward it began Lanvin is one time once again 1 of the world's nigh desirable labels.

• fifteen & 22 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
• 8th Arrondissement

3. Louis Vuitton

In the world of luxury bags Louis Vuitton is the holy grail. There may be dozens of other luxury labels, but Louis Vuitton is in a league of its own. Founded in 1854, immature Louis Vuitton started as the maker of high quality, durable suitcases and chests. His first important client was the wife of Napoleon Iii. In 1896 Louis Vuitton's son Georges introduced the famous interlocking LV monogram. The ornamental four-leaf pattern is now instantly recognizable and is found on their brownish leather bags with the caramel-coloured monogram.

In 1997, Marc Jacobs — so the new designer on the scene — was appointed creative manager at Louis Vuitton. He gave new life to the brand, making the house's former fashioned hatboxes and the new Monogram drove pop among his model friends like Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. Today the famous LV logo is found on dress, shoes, perfumes, watches, jewelry, accessories, sunglasses, and books and Louis Vuitton is the world's most recognized and valuable luxury make.

Over the decades the top names in mode, art, and music have collaborated with Louis Vuitton, from Jeff Koon, Helmut Lang, and Azzedine Alaïa to Manolo Blahnik, Vivienne Westwood, Isaac Mizrahi, and Pharrell Willliams. (Nosotros are still waiting for LV's telephone telephone call.)

When in Paris, no matter your upkeep, make certain to visit LV's flagship shop on Champs-Elysées at the corner of Avenue George V. Different smaller haute couture boutiques where yous might feel out of place, this k Art Deco section store is inviting to browsers, no matter what your liquid assets might be. Listed as an historical monument it still sports the original dome tiptop. This very get-go department store defended to luxury sprawls over five levels connected by a stunning spiral staircase.

• 101 Artery Champs-Elysées
• eighth Arrondissement

iv. Hermès

Hermès of Paris, the famous temple of silk scarves, Kelly bags, the Birkin pocketbook, Hermessence perfumes, and jewelry has had a spectacular journeying from its humble beginnings. Its founder, Thierry Hermès started making harnesses in 1837 with the goal of producing fine saddles, bridles, and leather riding gear for European noblemen. It was his son Charles-Émile Hermès who moved the Hermès shop to 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where it remains to this very day.

Gradually, Hermès expanded its offerings selling saddlery and the Haut à Courroies; a purse exclusively made to bear saddles. In 1918 Hermès introduced the first leather golf game jacket fabricated for the Prince of Wales. Over v generations they expanded with accessories, clothing and leather handbags.

By the 1930s Hermès had introduced the leather sac à dépêches, renamed the Kelly bag afterward Grace Kelly, AKA Princess of Monaco, was seen sporting information technology to embrace her pregnant belly. Following on Grace'south heels were the Hermès scarves (popular with Jacqueline Kennedy), silk ties and the outset perfume Eau d' Hermès. Hermès' iconic duc-railroad vehicle-and-horse logo with signature orange boxes was launched in the 1950s, solidifying their position as a French luxury brand.

The spectacular 6th Arrondissement concept store on Rue de Sèvres is housed in a one-time swimming puddle (the water has been drained) where windows brandish the wonders of the Petit h collection. This concept, launched by Pascale Mussard, artistic managing director and a directly descendant of Monsieur Hermès, was to create unique and quirky homewares; toy sailboats, lamps, teapots, dressers, jewelry, screens and stationary using cast-offs from Hermès workshops.

• Hermès Flagship Store
  24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
  eighth Arrondissement

• Hermès Paris Sèvres
  17 Rue de Sèvres
  6th Arrondissement

5. Chanel

From 1983 until his decease in 2019, Karl Lagerfeld and his distinctive panache kept Chanel a leading French luxury make by retaining all of Coco'due south essentials: — classic suits, contemporary pret a porter, cashmere twin sets, make-up and perfumes, including the legendary Numero 5 perfume.

You might exist familiar with Coco Chanel'south rags to riches tale. She was raised in an orphanage, where she was taught to run up. Her first shop on Rue Cambon sold hats and her first wearable shop opened in Paris in 1910. By the 1920s she had launched her first perfume, the Chanel suit, and the little blackness wearing apparel made from bailiwick of jersey, a apprehensive fabric. Her emphasis was making clothes that were comfortable for women.

In the world of fashion she was a pioneer and a hitmaker. In the 1920s she launched her commencement perfume, Chanel No. v, followed past the legendary Chanel adjust with its collarless jacket and fitted skirt. Her designs were revolutionary in borrowing elements from men's article of clothing and emphasizing comfort over the constraints of corsets and other confining garments. Her uncomplicated all the same sophisticated outfits were paired with over the top accessories, such as her affluence of famous strands of pearls.

Another of her revolutionary designs was the little black dress. At the time, blackness was but associated with mourning. With her trademark suits and little black dresses (LBD), way designer Coco Chanel created timeless designs that are still pop today.

At the age of 70 Chanel made a triumphant return to the fashion world where her feminine and easy-plumbing fixtures designs won over fans from around the world. If you honey Chanel you lot must visit her flagship location on 31 Rue du Cambon in Paris, where she kept an upstairs apartment for work. (She slept at the Ritz, just across the narrow street.) A highlight is seeing the iconic curved staircase where her designs were modeled.

• 31 Rue du Cambon
• 1st Arrondissement

Paris Planning Guides

Share this post