French Republican Guard on Bastille Day

Paris is a global hub of fashion and has been referred to as the "international capital of style".[212] It ranks alongside New York, Milan and London as a major centre for the fashion industry. Paris is noted for its haute couture tailoring, usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. The twice-yearly Paris Fashion Week, an apparel trade show, is one of the most important events on the fashion calendar and attracts fashion aficionados from all around the world. Established in 1976, the Paris Fashion Institute offers courses in design, manufacturing, marketing, merchandising, and retailing.[213] International Fashion Academy Paris is an international fashion school, established in 1982 and headquartered in Paris, with branches in Shanghai and Istanbul.[214]


French Republican Guard on Bastille Day
Paris has a large number of high-end fashion boutiques, and many top designers have their flagship stores in the city, such as Louis Vuitton's store, Christian Dior's 1200 square foot store and Sephora's 1500 square foot store.[215] Printemps has the largest shoe and beauty departments in Europe.[215] Sonia Rykiel is considered to the "grand dame of French fashion" and "synonymous with Parisian fashion"[citation needed], with clothes which are embraced by "left bank fashionistas".[215] Petit Bateau is cited as one of the most popular high street stores in the city[citation needed], the Azzedine Alaïa store on the Rue de Moussy has been cited as a "shoe lover's haven",[215] and Colette is noted for its "brick-and-click" clothing and fashion accessories. The jeweller Cartier, with its flagship boutique near Paris' place Vendôme, has a long history of sales to royalty and celebrities:[216] King Edward VII of England once referred to Cartier as "the jeweller of kings and the king of jewellers."[217] Guerlain, one of the world's oldest existing perfumeries, has its headquarters in the north-western suburb of Levallois-Perret