The Galeries Lafayette Fashion Show in Paris is on many tourists’ to-do lists when they visit. The store on Boulevard Haussmann puts on a free weekly fashion show each Friday. Here’s what you need to know.
The flagship Galeries Lafayatte on Boulevard Haussmann is a grand department store that far exceeds anything I’ve seen in the U.S. in terms of size and beauty. I think everyone should make time to see it whether they go to a fashion show or not.
The fashion show is held every Friday at 3 p.m. on the 7th floor, and you need to make a reservation in advance to attend. Sometimes they take a hiatus, so contact the store a few months in advance if you’ll only have a limited time in Paris and want to be sure there’s a show going on. Otherwise, a week or two in advance is enough notice (unless your potential show date coincides with a holiday or some other major event). You can book either by phone or online, but I would recommend booking online so that you can print out the confirmation email and bring it with you in case of any mix-ups. In my case, I reserved by phone, but somehow, they didn’t have my name on the list at the door. I didn’t have any problems getting in though, since I was just a party of one. The reservation emails are welcome@galerieslafayette.com and broesch@galerieslafayette.com (for Brigitte Roesch, the Fashion Show Manager). If you have any questions, you can call 01 42 82 36 40.
WHAT TO EXPECT
They tell you to be there by 2:45, but I would arrive by 2:30 for the best seats. To get to the fashion show, take the escalators in the Main Store up to the 6th floor, and then follow the signs to “Salon Opera.” You’ll pass a Chinese tea salon, a sushi cafe, and two souvenir shops along the way. Just past the second souvenir shop, and across from the Galeries Restaurant, there’s an escalator on the right. (If you hit the gelato counter, you’ve gone too far). Walk up the escalator to the 7th floor and join the line. Note: There are no restrooms once you go upstairs, so if you need to go before the show, hang a right at the second souvenir shop just before the 7th floor escalators and walk straight ahead to the restroom.
The fashion show room kind of looks like a hotel conference room. The best seats are either in the front row along the runway or the front row at the end of the stage — so that you can get a clear view of the fierce shoes. The next best seats would be at the beginning of the rows closest to the stage, because the models stop and pose there. (It’s a t-shaped runway, and they stop at the far left and right ends of the “T.”) The worst seats are the overflow seats around the perimeter of the room against the wall, but even those aren’t that bad because the models will still walk by. The show lasts about 30 minutes. The program says photos and videos are not allowed, but the staff didn’t really police anyone. The crowd is mostly American tourists who are dressed very casual.
After the show, head up one more floor to the terrace for panoramic views of Paris and a beautiful aerial view of the Paris Opera. (Take some euro coins in case you want to use the telescope.) Have a lunch at the terrace restaurant, which serves salads, pastas, Pierre Herme macarons and ice cream, and Mariage Frere tea. Or, make plans to have lunch before the show, and head downstairs at 2:30 for the show. Either way, enjoy a beautiful afternoon living in Paris.
