Just a couple of days away from the start of the highly anticipated Paris Haute Couture fashion week (July 1-5), designers and their teams are already in the process of transforming the places that will host their runway shows and set the tone for the new Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 collections. While officially scheduled New York shows are always held in the heart of Manhattan in the famous tents, Paris's Haute Couture fashion week turns into a cultural marathon through Paris. From the Lycée Henri-IV to the Pavillon Cambon and various luxury hotels, here is a selection of where the international fashion crowd will be taking in the shows.
Paris Fashion Week is not only a chance for journalists and celebrities from around the world to get a first look at the new Haute Couture collections but also the chance for lucky attendees to set foot inside some of Paris's most unique, prestigious and historical buildings. Whether the existing decor forms the backdrop or the space is completely transformed, these sites become a part of the fashion drama.
Designers and couture houses don't hide the fact that they choose the setting for their shows largely based on the light and capacity offered by a space. Another criterion often cited is the historic aspect of the location, and its association with Haute Couture.Historical settings
From the Lycée Henri-IV -- a secondary school in Paris's Left Bank Latin Quarter that dates back to the 18th century -- to the Grand Palais -- a largely glass building erected for the World Fair of 1900 and now used for exhibitions and cultural events -- some designers demonstrate a preference for the capital's historic sites.
The Lycée Henri-IV, which includes several buildings that have been labeled historic monuments, will be the site of the Fall/Winter 2012-2013 Haute Couture collection of Christophe Josse. The couturier has specifically chosen the Génovéfains room to show his new designs.
"This room, suggested by our producer Christophe Carrère, brings together many of the criteria that are in line with the global vision of Christophe Josse. It's a prestigious and authentically historic place, which corresponds to the approach of Haute Couture Christophe Josse. The spaces, in height or length of the runway, allow viewers to appreciate the silhouettes, while they remain close enough to the garments to take note of the haute couture details," reveals the designer.
Another building that is classified as a historical monument, the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, a mansion in Paris's elegant eighth arrondissement on the Right Bank, will host the Haute Couture show of Valentino. The spot was chosen in accordance with the luxury Italian brand's style identity and the setting's prestigious history.
"We chose the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, because its beautiful interconnecting salons evoke our salons at Place Vendôme. It's also perfect for couture, intimate and exclusive," explains the Valentino house.
Among the city's other historical sites, the Grand Palais will host, as is custom, the new collection of French house Chanel. The monumental proportions of this site are likely to once again inspire Karl Lagerfeld, who is known for using grand and sumptuous backdrops.
From museum to luxury hotel: sites with global recognition
One of the biggest fashion events on the global scale, Paris Fashion Week attracts celebrities, models and fashion industry insiders from across the world -- which is one reason couture houses choose iconic settings that bring an added level of prestige.
Alexis Mabille will unveil his new Fall/Winter collection at the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris's tony 16th arrondissement, a space that offers a magnificent view on the Seine and the Eiffel Tower.
"I chose this setting because I like the elegance and dimensions of this historic site which has been brilliantly restored. An optimal showcase for haute couture," outlines the French designer.
Today a luxury hotel, the building was, originally, the home of Prince Roland Bonaparte, the grand-nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte.
Elie Saab, Stéphane Rolland and Alexandre Vauthier have also chosen to set up their runways in iconic spaces, known around the world. Saab will send models down the runway in the Pavillon Cambon just steps away from the Opéra Garnier and the famous Place Vendôme, while Rolland has chosen the castings gallery at Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine, a museum in the Chaillot palace erected in 1878 for the World's Fair in the 16th arrondissement, while Vauthier will set up his runway in the Natural History Museum's Galerie de Minéralogie on the Left Bank.
Meanwhile, Italian fashion house Versace will make a return to the couture stage with a show July 1 at the iconic Ritz Paris -- host to the late Gianni Versace's last collection in July 1997.
"It is with tremendous emotion that I return to the Ritz where I shared so many special moments with my brother," explained Donatella Versace.
Simple spaces totally transformed
Some couture houses select Parisian settings that, on first glance, don't have the cachet of luxury hotels or historic sites, but that lend themselves to radical transformation. That's the case, for example, of designer Gustavo Lins, who will install his runway within the embassy of Brazil, his country of origin.
According to the program published by the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter, des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode, Jean Paul Gaultier and Maison Rabih Kayrouz will present their new collections in their own Paris-based headquarters, situated respectively in the capital's third arrondissement and on the city's Left Bank.
Maison Martin Margiela, meanwhile, has chosen the Espace Commines, a site designed for special events. Fitted with a glass canopy, the space is a favorite for its natural lighting. "We chose this space because we wanted a purely white space, with attractive natural lighting," outlined the house.