Is fashion a valid reason to visit France?

I'm doing a project from school, and I need to have at least three reasons to visit France. The obvious ones are, of coarse, the Eiffel Tower and food, but would fashion be a good reason? They say it's almost the fashion capital of the world, but would that really be a good tourist attraction? I should warn you, my teacher is really really picky. One kids turned in a report where most of the reasons were food, folks, and fun and stuff like that, and he got an F. I don't want to get an F, so please give me an honest opinion. And if the answer is no, could you possibly give me a reason that is valid? Please? This is due Friday the 19th, and I really need help.






Answer :
Frankly if you pick the Eiffel Tower, your teacher will not be particularly impressed because everybody knows about it, it has been copied in other countries etc...and other students will pick it too.

You have to pick elements that are really different and show originality. The food one is a good idea because it is so different and there is a long catalogue of regional foods from which to choose, as well as French specialities that do not exist in America. There are thousands of different cheeses for instance.

Fashion is OK but you would have to elaborate and do a lot of research into couturiers and their individual styles, and that is quite specialised, so if you are pushed for time, it will be hard work .

What makes France so different from America is that it has a long history: it is not a "New World" so there are towns which have the most amazing variety of architecture and styles . There are thousands of castles all over the place which range from bastions to palaces. It has caves where prehistoric man drew the most amazing wall paintings. There are houses in every possible style you could think of from medieval ones to stunning modern architecture. There are cathedrals abbeys and churches built centuries ago, some with stunning medieval glass windows, Romanesque or Gothic, but, also because some were destroyed in the two great wars, some startlingly modern ones. The Loire valley is awesome, with a succession of different castles quite close to one another.

You could pick a major town, which does not need to be Paris , but has a very specific interest like Rouen which is a medieval town where Joan of Arc was burnt at the stake and they make magnificent ceramics, Lourdes where there are pilgrimages to the virgin, Strasbourg with its canals that is the Venice of the north.

Paris has hundreds of monuments, important sites , and Art galleries, and the Louvre, which was the royal palace at one time, is huge and it would take months to see all its treasures.That is where you can see the famous Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The palace at Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris is one of the world wonders. The Musée d'Orsay is housed in what used to be one of those magnificent early rail stations and contains a fantastic range of Impressionist paintings.

You could pick a building of particular interest, for instance the place where queen Marie- Antoinette was kept prisoner before being beheaded, the Conciergerie. Or the Opera Garnier where the national school of ballet is housed and the "petits rats"(young ballet dancers) are trained , and of course you can go and see stunning ballets. The Sainte Chapelle is now a public building but has the most amazing, well preserved and beautiful medieval glass windows in the world.

You could choose something absolutely unique and modern like the Millau Bridge which was only opened fairly recently and is vertiginous.

If you Google some of these things you are bound to find quite a lot of information for your project .
One excellent reason to want to go to France is to learn the language of course.
Other topics include a specific region such as Brittany, Normandy, Alsace, Périgord, Provence or the Loire Valley as already mentioned.
Good luck! I hope you get an A!






Answer :
I think your teacher wants you students to think harder about what the "good" things or reasons represent. If you simply write down "fashion" it does not mean a lot, it could only mean you want more trendy clothes and that is being vain more than being interested in the country of France itself. Maybe you should consider elaborating on how seeing French fashion firsthand could help you understand this industry more, same with other reasons.






Answer :
Yes that's a great reason. It's been known as a major fashion central for a very long time. Don't say the Eiffel Tower though. Say historic monuments or something and mention the Eiffel Tower






Answer :
Yes! I would so love to go to france and go on a shopping spree! It would be so much fun!