Last year Sue came to me via a recommendation to have an outfit made for her daughter’s wedding, she was lovely and we hit it off immediately. As she came for her fittings, she mentioned how she wished we had met before her daughter’s wedding dress had been ordered from another designer. Then fate stepped in, the wedding dress designer went out of business leaving her daughter without a dress three months before her wedding day! I stepped in and mother and daughter were both wedding-ready in Elizabeth Bessant Couture.

Elizabeth Bennett Bride, Sue Bennett Mother of the Bride wearing Elizabeth Bessant couture

As a thank you from Sue and her husband Jon, tucked inside a bouquet of beautiful flowers was an envelope containing a voucher for Eurostar tickets. Having spent my working life first as a fine artist and then in 1996 becoming a couture designer, it may surprise you to hear I have not been to Paris for 28 years. Life is all encompassing when bringing up a son alone and running a very demanding business and some how I never got there again.

This time I did not want to go to Paris as a tourist, I wanted to feel how some of my favourite artists lived and worked in the 19th and 20th century – Manet, Matisse, Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso and many others. And then there are the great couture designers of the 20th century – Chanel, Dior, Yves St Laurent…. 

Airbnb – Apartment in Paris

Airbnb was the answer, we chose a stylish apartment in a traditional block with tall windows that lit up the open plan space. It was beautifully designed with original art on the walls and a book case full of art books. The balance of modern and traditional furniture worked very well – a 19th century mirror and a bright yellow Smeg fridge. It wasn’t long before we were calling it home and I know we will return.

I had no itinerary other than just to relax and take each day as it comes – something I never do in London.

Artists at Montmartre

Every day was full and started out with the obligatory croissant and fruit followed by coffee.

One of the highlights was a trip to Montmartre to mix with todays artist’s busily painting in the square to earn a living like their predecessors.

Sadly they were having to sketch tourists and the Eiffel Tower… a scribble on a napkin no longer gets you a meal or drink in the local taverna!

Outside the Musee d’Art Moderne

The Musee de’ Orsay was a delight as it houses some of the greatest artworks created during the movements of the 19th and 20th century – Impressionism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Cubism …

The Museum of Modern Art was a must see but the permanent collection was surprisingly small.

Next door was the Palais de Tokyo, with a grand traditional exterior, a warehouse style interior and a creative space for coffee and lunch. It hosts temporary experimental art exhibitions, performances and workshops.

Standing in an art installation at Palais de Tokyo

It also has a library-sized bookshop that appeared to stock every art related book that has ever been written.

I was in seventh heaven and left with two books – one a photo documentary following Alexander McQueen for six months as he created a collection from the seed of an idea to the final extravaganza.

It is very poignant because 10 months later he committed suicide, it bought a tear to my eye – such talent.

The other was a glamorous book of French Haute Couture full of photos of stunning outfits.

Paris is the perfect place for people watching. Parisians have a reputation for stylish dressing and the older generation certainly live up to it. A colour that featured heavily was emerald green but not all over – a green handbag and scarf or a pair of trousers beautifully coordinated with navy, red or mustard or kept simple with neutrals.

Galerie Lafyette

Parisian ladies don’t seem as obsessed with hiding their grey hair as we are but they keep it in very good condition with sharp, contemporary cuts usually pushed behind their ears showing off their strong jawlines. Another thing that stood out were spectacles coordinated with outfits, no particular trend or shape more about making a statement, preferably with colour. On every block was another optician with a window full of amazing spectacles and a stylish hairdressers full of products.

And everyone was very trim, maybe it is all the greengrocers on every street selling beautiful fruit and vegetables, something we have lost. Maybe they have a stronger desire to look good at all times.

The men of that generation are equally stylish with their white shirts, chinos held up with a leather belt and a blazer or linen jacket, unlike the ladies apart from socks they seem to avoid colour. And always polished shoes in oxblood, tan, mustard or black – no trainers unless in the gym or on the tennis court. They also appear to have thicker hair than British men that is stylishly coiffured and then there is the aftershave… Chic design is very apparent but no surprises.

However the younger generation have embraced youth style with designer trainers, ripped jeans and slogan T shirts with style rather than attitude – and a lot of Abercrombie & Fitch and Chanel bags! A trip to Galerie Lafayette confirmed their obsession with designer handbags in particular Chanel and Gucci. Roped queues of young people with pictures of their dream handbag on their iPhones and credit cards at the ready created a buzz of excitement. I guess the older generation go the Golden Triangle (or Triangle D’Or), an area studded with high-end stores and fashion houses to buy their handbags in comfort.

I would like to thank Sue for the chance to submerge myself in so much creativity – something I thought I was too busy to do. I know my trip will influence my designs – and if you see a flash of emerald in my collection you will know where that inspiration comes from…