It's no secret that Paris will always be one of the biggest fashion capitals of the world, french culture and history is one of the largest influences in fashion - especially since some of the most famous design houses originated in Paris themselves. So when I was given the opportunity to return there earlier this year, I was more than excited to go. The trip was everything that I'd hoped for, my first trip to the beautiful city had me obsessed with Parisian life, and my second visit was certainly no disappointment. There is not a thing about Paris that I do not love, even the constant downpour had no chance of flattening my mood. From the stunningly beautiful architecture to the irresistible delicatessen, my time there was far from dull. I spent two nights in the beautiful city, and the second day was by far, the best day of my entire life. Our hotel room overlooked the streets of Paris, and waking up, we saw armed guards patrolling the streets below. Despite the previous tragic occurrences, and still being in the 3-month state of emergency, Paris was as beautiful as ever. For breakfast, we tasted traditional french pastries before leaving for a very busy day. By coach, we drove for what felt like forever - the traffic is insane! I would not recommend driving through the city. We eventually arrived at the Grand Palais in Paris - which is incredibly beautiful by the way, in which we would view the Louis Vuitton Luggage Exhibition. The exhibit showed the making and development of the company and it's world renowned designer logo and print. We also got to view the making of Louis Vuitton luggage, and how you would go about personalising your very own. The exhibition was incredible and it was a privilege to witness the original work of one of the biggest fashion houses in the industry. Afterwards, we strolled down the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, tasting macaroons in the famous Laduree, window shopping in Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Versace, and buying as much makeup as possible in Sephora. The shopping in Paris is quite possibly the best I've ever encountered, especially when the whole way along you are viewing the Arc de Triomphe. After a day of too much spending (if there is such a thing), we set off for some sightseeing, walking along the River Seine before reaching the Eiffel Tower. It's a long walk, but it's worth it as you see more of the city by foot. During my last trip to Paris, I went to the Louvre and the Musee de l'Orangerie - a huge must-see if you're a huge art fanatic like myself. After a long day, we were exhausted but the best was yet to come. The Yves Saint Laurent Exhibition at the original fashion house headquarters in Paris. The exhibition that was open to the public was a view of all of his Haute Couture garments and accessories over the years. The exhibition that was exclusively for our eyes only was the best experience of my life. As we entered up through the red-carpeted stairs, a huge glass chandelier hung from above us and we were met with our french tour guide. We were shown to the fitting rooms that would have been used by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge's exclusive clientele. The women would change behind a very old and very beautiful changing screen, into the unique dresses designed for them, as two women wearing the same dress at the same event was to be incredibly embarrassing for both of the women and they would not return to the designer again, along with her contacts. The next part of the exhibition was truly breathtaking. We were taken through to Yves Saint Laurent's office. The office in which he spent many of his years illustrating, designing and discussing his Haute Couture garments and collections. No photography was allowed, and I am left with the mental image that was his office. YSL was very inspired and influenced by artists, that is why the back wall of his office was full of books, mostly about art. His desk was well organised, on which lay a tape measure gifted to him by Christian Dior and a lucky charm from Karl Lagerfeld. In the far right corner, was his Toile's - mock up's of every garment before creating it in it's desired fabric. And next to that stood tall clear drawers of accessories. Behind his desk, on his noticeboard, was a drawing of him, a picture of his supposed muse, and a photograph of his french bulldog. Then, in front of it all stood five manikins which wore five of his haute couture garments. One being a Mondrian-inspired suit and the other being a woman's suit - one that he is famous for creating, empowering women to wear male considered clothing. The tour guide then showed us his original illustrations from his 2002 collection, picking out one particular design that she then showed us a video of a model wearing in his office, while he watched her walk and consider fabric choices. It was incredible to witness this, knowing that I stood in the place in which Yves Saint Laurent once did. Walking back to the hotel we couldn't stop talking about how incredible it was, and how lucky we were to see it. It was truly the most amazing experience and I feel very privileged to have seen it, and the fact that we could not take pictures made it all the more treasurable.
