More Paris in November and Dior

The main focus of our trip to Paris was to see the fantastic Dior exhibit celebrating 70 years of the design house. We had tickets for the Tuesday morning and it was amazing!
This was the line for those who had prepaid tickets. From the red flags straight ahead and down around the corner was the line for those waiting to buy a tickets!

Pamela is waiting in line with my cane. We loved looking at all the interesting outfits the Frenchwomen around us were wearing.

This was among the first in the exhibit...you first saw the black and white photo in front then the light came on behind and slowly the dress emerged from behind until the photo was gone! Superb!

The curators created a really magnificent exhibit. Every room was set up in a different way and you had the feeling of going to a new exhibit each time. One of the themes was collections by color. I found this green dress so gorgeous. It was surrounded by everything in shades of green from every decade of the design house. Jewelry, perfume, clothes, sketches.

The gray collection was very elegant...there is Miss Dior, the first perfume made in 1947. It was in a beautiful Lalique, crystal bottle. There was lots of houndstooth print which was something Christian Dior loved.

 The reds were wonderful too. I think in order to show everything I would have to publish a book!

One of the rooms had beautiful cut paper flowers drifting down around the gowns...it was like being in a fairy garden. Dior loved to garden and one of his favorite blooms was lily of the valley(muguet). This gown was exquisitely beaded and embroidered. In other parts of the exhibit we could see sprigs of muguet tucked into suit pockets and tied to dress waistlines. So pretty.

 This white shirtwaist was one of my favorites. I love the way the collar goes up and the shape of the neckline and sleeves.

At the end of the exhibit there was a room of muslins on all sides with designer notes on them and we were able to get up very close to see the designs. It was such a clever way to display and make the simple fabric look beautiful.

We followed this young woman around. She was at the exhibit with what looked like a group of design students and this pose and her outfit was just so attractive. I'm glad I got the shot before others closed in around her. Looked a little bit like a Degas dancer. Maybe she was posing now that I think of it!

 We left the exhibit with our heads just spinning with beautiful impressions. I think I could have gone back several more times but it was late and we strolled past the Louvre, across the river to look in at Sennelier the art supply store and then to have a quick lunch.

We could feel a little bit of jet lag so we went back to the studio for a quick nap before we went to a concert of Vivaldi and Ave Maria at the Madeleine Church. I could not believe it but I hadn't been back there in nearly twenty years! It was a wonderful concert...the perfect spot.

More adventures to come but for now....bonne nuit!

Paris in November part 2

The new year is here but I am still in my heart and mind in Paris in November. Actually this is a good place to be!

On Sunday November 19th we decided to go over to the incredible Saint Eustache church near the Forum des Halles. I think the church was a glimpsed feature in the old Shirley Mac Lain movie "Irma la Douce" which took place in Les Halles (the huge food market) which has since moved out to Rungis closer to the airport. The church has one of the most famous organs in Paris and that Sunday there was to be a special organ and choir concert during mass. It seemed like the perfect way to begin our stay!

When we arrived near Saint Eustache there was an outdoor market going on in the neighboring street. Oh my!!! a market...I was in heaven as you know!! You can see part of the church in the background.

 Everything looked just gorgeous and so artistically presented...

The sky was blue but it was really cold!

You could even get freshly made crèpes from Bretagne!! 

 The flowers at this stand were so beautiful...lots of people were buying them...maybe for Sunday dinner chez grandmere?? We stopped off for a café au lait across from the market before church.

Saint Eustace is really huge...

 ...here is a view of the organ...the choir of the church was having a meet and greet gathering following mass but Pamela and I were pretty cold by the time the service ended so we went off in search of someplace warmer. The music, however, was amazing!

Nearby there is the very huge shopping center Le Forum which is basically built underground so we rode the escalator down into the general open area which had just been given a Christmas decoration.

We strolled the area for a bit and looked at shop windows and other interesting things.

We both thought the chenille little jacket was so cute!

 This bee handbag really caught my eye...

 ...then later, down the street, I spied this hive on the corner of a building. I was very curious about this and I wonder did it mean that once upon a time, in the very ancient days of the neighborhood,  this building was the site of a beehive or honey business?

Some more nicely styled window displays. I am never disappointed when I walk around in France because there is so much inspiration and there are creative ideas everywhere. I would wear any of these outfits.

 I love the gold tennis shoes in this window!!

Speaking of Christmas decorating...there was quite a lot of it throughout the city. 

Some windows in the Marais.

Fragonard always has such a nice window display in any season

These little animals in felt were just delicious!! I would love to find the little fox in my stocking (and maybe one or two of his friends!).

 These ornaments are actually glass bugs! Ladybugs and beetles actually... aren't they pretty!?

 This cafe/restaurant just looked so festive.

 This whole shop was filled with these cute little soft creatures...all sizes made in fleece and chenille.

People were out everywhere and we were serenaded by a group of musicians in the middle of the street.

After a perfect, sunny day we turned back towards our neighborhood, passing by the lovely florist shop on rue Saint Antoine.

And the giant Protestant church on the corner of rue Castex.

It didn't feel to us like we had any jet lag...it was just so great to be strolling in Paris! I'll write some more about this perfect trip later this week. A bientôt!