At the intersection of Fashion and Macarons: Mardi, Janvier, 8

Today we had an introduction to some of the Paris museums. We started out for the bus at about 9:15a.m. and headed towards the Musee D’Orsay. The Musee D’Orsay is in what used to be an old train station. The interior of the building was beautiful. I wish I could have taken pictures but they didn’t allow you to take pictures in either of the museums that we went to. There were many beautiful paintings in the Musee D’Orsay. I saw some by Degas, Van Gogh, Gaugain, Renoir, and Monet. After our tour was over we headed to an area nearby that had several restaurants. On the way over we happened upon a photo shoot with a model in a wedding gown, the model, gown, and scenery were gorgeous. After eating lunch, several of the girls and I headed to the bookstore in Les Art Decoratif Museum. There were some really neat books on fashion on the bookstore. We went through the Fashioning Fashion exhibit from Los Angeles County Museum of Art that is in Paris until April. The clothing in the exhibit was from 1700-1915. I got some great ideas from the clothing in the museum. After our tour, one of the professors suggested that we head over to the fabric district since it was nearby. Two professors and five student all walked over to the fabric district. It was chilly outside and it was probably about a 10-15 minute walk to get there. We walked past so many bakeries on the way there...every time I look in one of those windows my mouth starts watering. Walking through the fabric district was amazing!!! Almost every window you look into has bolts and bolts of fabric stand against the walls or piled on shelves. We went into the Fabric store call General Diff, which had been recommended to us by someone from PAA. The owner of General Diff buys the fabric from the couture houses after they are finished with that season. The shop seemed small when you walked in but it also had a downstairs and next door upstairs. Many of the prices were very reasonable. The owner lead us upstairs where the expensive fabrics were kept. Some of the fabrics that we saw were from Hermes, Lanvin, or Chanel. I loved being able to touch some of the fabrics from the couture shows. There was one fabric that was 200 Euros per meter, but he told us that it wasn’t expensive because to buy it at the regular price it would have been 2000 Euros. At that rate we would be getting a deal! I found a beautiful black mohair for 100 Euros per meter. I might have to go back and buy just half a meter to use for a small part of a garment :) After going into a shop like that I wish that I could just live in a fabric store :D Hopefully on our free weekend some of the girls will be going back there. I did buy some fabric. I came away with 3 meters of a gray wool with stripes of sparkle in it for 12 Euros. Not a bad deal!!! As the owner was cutting my fabric he was telling me that he has clients from all over the world, he started listing several countries. I definitely believe him! Before we left the shop he said that he had a gift for all of us, he went upstairs and came back with pieces of black lace. He told us that the lace was from Lanvin’s 2012 collection. I can’t wait to use my piece :) We headed back to the apartment and had couscous for supper. Tomorrow we get to learn smocking!