Art, Fashion and the Louvre!

Today we spent hours at the greatest museum on earth, The Louvre. We were highly entertained by the “paparazzi” from around the world that pushed and shoved to see the Mona Lisa.  Andrea was excited to take advantage of a teachable moment at the foot of Winged Victory of Samothrace.  We saw works from master artists throughout history including Vermeer, Di Vinci, and Rembrandt all of which are known for their use of contemporary clothing within their paintings. We learned from each other today. We discussed the history of the art works and the artists and how it related to fashion.  While looking at one of DiVinci’s paintings, we discovered that we both use this same piece of artwork in our classrooms.  Andrea taught me about his mastery of scientific perspective and light and shade to create form and I taught her about the significance of the clothing in the piece. This exciting discovery will enable us to collaborate in the classroom and provide higher learning for our students. 

We then made our way to the Louvre’s Musée de la Mode et du Textile.  Here we were enlightened by the history of fashion through visual display.  Heather even had fun trying several historic garments in the “dressing room” that is open for museum-goers.  It was here that Heather was moved emotionally by the work of Alexander McQueen who truly embodied the perfect mix of art and fashion in his work. It was Michelangelo that moved Andrea to tears earlier at the Louvre.

A train, a pick pocketer, and Versailles

Day 2 of our Paris adventure . . . . and what an adventure it was! With a café in hand, we began our day on the Metro.  Unfortunately, when changing trains, a friend of ours was pick pocketed. The smooth criminals got away with her money, credit cards and ID. The Paris Police were very kind and courteous and we were thankful for the blessing of our safety. We then continued our journey to the Versailles Chateau, home to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. We were overwhelmed by the aesthetics of this grand Chateau. We also were amazed by the way the King and Queen combined art and fashion throughout the estate. The most amazing experience was the Petit Trianon and the Queens Hamlet - all apart of Marie Antoinette Estate. We found the environmental beauty and attention to detail in architectural design to be a moving and peaceful experience.

Our evening ended with an authentic meal at a local restaurant near the Eiffel Tower.  The sparkling Tower, coupled with roses from a charming French monsieur, made for a beautiful end to our day.

Wednesday July 10 - PARIS

Bonjour! Although we were going on 24 hours of no sleep we accomplished much today! We toured the Arc de Triumph and discovered the importance of this monument to Parisian history. Then strolled down the Champs de Elysees.  It was there that we journeyed into the Channel Haute Couture Fashion House and met the manager, Sophia. We learned more about Coco Channel and the history of the fashion house and how Channel currently provides exceptional relationship marketing. Sophia also provided us with a FREE Channel gift. We snapped a quick picture with Sophia in front of CoCo's legendary white staircase.  Because this is Heather's favorite designer, she was a little emotional about this dream that became a reality.

This evening we enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Seine River viewing many of the Paris landmarks we will soon visit while enjoying an authentic Parisian meal.  But, the highlight of our day may have been mastering the Paris Metro with NO mistakes or backtracking.  

Today is the BIG day!

We are sitting in the Chattanooga airport waiting for our journey to begin!

21 days until we arrive in Paris!  Our Paris itinerary is complete and today we planned for Rome.  Our anticipation is building with every passing second.