Paris Fashion Week: I Finally Went!

I have always been curious about fashion shows.

You know those glamorous fashion shows you see on TV — models walking down the runway, dramatic music, beautiful clothes, photographers everywhere, people dressed up to the nines? I have watched them many times and always thought, “I wonder what it actually feels like to sit there and watch one live.”

Well… I finally found out.

Few weeks ago I happened to see an advertisement on Instagram for a Paris Fashion Week show by The Bureau Fashion Week. And this time, instead of just liking the post and moving on, I thought, Why not?

So I booked a ticket and decided to experience it with a friend.

And just like that — Paris Fashion Week was on my itinerary!

So, was it the “real” Paris Fashion Week?

Well, yes… but with an important distinction.

The big-name shows that you usually hear about during Paris Fashion Week — Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and the other major fashion houses — are generally invite-only industry events. You can't normally just go online, buy a ticket and walk into one. The audience is largely made up of fashion editors, buyers, celebrities, influencers and people working within the fashion industry.

The show I attended was a different kind of experience.

The Bureau Fashion Week puts on independently produced, publicly ticketed runway shows, which means people like me — who are simply curious about fashion and don't have industry connections — can actually buy a ticket and experience a runway show in Paris. The Bureau's event takes place during Paris Fashion Week season, but it is not part of the official Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (FHCM) calendar.

And for me, that was perfect.

I even booked the Premium ticket with a reserved seat, so I wasn't standing somewhere at the back trying to see between people's heads. I had an actual seat and could sit back and enjoy the show.

And then came the runway…

The Grand Finale was held at Espace Cléry, right in the heart of Paris.

We saw five designers/brands:

Color Your Mood Design
Just Delonte
FoxFire Designs
Fransiva The Brand
Anthony Alonzi

and one more 6th designer who was a surprise and also opened the show "Kenneth Barlis"

Watching a runway show live is very different from watching one on the TV.

There is something about sitting in the audience, waiting for the lights to change, the music to start and the first model to walk onto the runway.

Suddenly you are not just looking at clothes.

You are watching the movement of the fabric, the styling, the attitude, the music, the lights and the whole choreography of the show.

And then there is the audience itself.

Everyone seems to have made an effort. People are dressed up, taking pictures, checking out each other's outfits and generally enjoying the whole fashion-week atmosphere. Of course, I had dressed up too.

I went with my red dress, black blazer, black boots and gold accessories —(suggested by ChatGPT 😊) because if you are going to your first fashion show in Paris, you might as well play along!

Honestly, it wasn't about becoming a fashion expert overnight.

It was about finally experiencing something I had been curious about for years.

I travel a lot, and I have learned that some of the best experiences happen when you stop overthinking things and simply say:

“Why not?”

I could have said, “Maybe one day I'll attend a fashion show.”

Instead, I saw an Instagram advertisement, bought a ticket, called a friend and went.

And now I can officially say:

I've been to a fashion show in Paris during Fashion Week.

Was it an exclusive invite-only show by one of the major fashion houses? No.

Was it the traditional fashion-industry experience? No.

But did I get to sit in a beautiful Paris venue, watch designers present their collections on a real runway and experience that fashion-week atmosphere for myself? Absolutely.

And sometimes, that's exactly what travelling is about — not ticking off the most prestigious version of an experience, but finding your own way to experience something you've always been curious about.

This experience has made me even more curious.

Who knows, maybe next time I will attend one of those invitation-only Paris fashion shows.

Why not dream big? There is absolutely no harm in dreaming big. After all, some of the things we once thought were impossible somehow find their way onto our reality.

You never know when the universe might decide to grant one of your wishes.

For now, I am happy to say:

Paris Fashion Week — ✔️

One more first.
One more story.
One more bucket-list item checked off the list.

And, as always…

What's next?

You can see few highlights of different designers of fashion show and me and my friend getting excited before the show here on my YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/shorts/qEbpoNSWnLI?si=xMM7MJUMJgswHAjT

https://youtube.com/shorts/8QeLPBctnIM?si=Rzk3WsNE3tDaO9Nz

https://youtube.com/shorts/KDsVCtUqmAw?si=ef-9FJaXowoK_93g

https://youtube.com/shorts/YukLcjlmi9w?si=Z7UsRk8xJhHBpQmS


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