Parisian Christmas trees have style
Every Christmas the French capital gets covered in trees, thousands of them decorate its quarters, official buildings and boulevards. Rosie Khdir has discovered the fusion of fashion and folliage, as Paris shows off some its more high end greenery.
Ever since the 19th century the Ministry of Parks places Christmas trees all around Paris, from the roundabout of the Champs-Elysées and Montmartre to the barges on the Seine.
Parisians are definately fond of their trees and as you all know, are very fond of their fashion and have found a festive way to combine the two. Last week the Cité de l’Architecture hosted an auction of A-list designer Christmas trees, that were anything but natural.
This year auction was stocked with a Louis Vuitton swirled glass creation, Jean Paul Gaultier tree made from white material and some very interesting shapes, as well as a pair of shoes, a tree made from log cuttings, one by Gucci made from gold coloured metal and a wooden crate filled with red baubles by Nathalie Rykiel.
All proceed from the auction will go to Paris’ Sol en Si (Solidarité en SIDA) charity which is dedicated to helping youngsters who are affected by AIDS.
This was not the only designer Christmas event this season. The InterContinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, also held a Fashion Christmas Tree event in its winter garden.
Students from an acclaimed local design school, Ecole supérieure des Arts appliqués Duperré, presented their 30 creations to an expert panel of French designers such as Franck Sorbier, Jean-Claude Jitrois and Gaspard Yukievich and François Lesage.
First prize went to Fusion Glacée, a creation made from plexiglass which emulates snowflakes falling in the shape of a Christmas tree, with a tiny tree embedded in each snowflake.
Second place went to A Livre d’Or, by Sophie Allard and Audrey Speyer which was a tree made from gilt-edged books. Third place went to Recto Verso by Cécile Rolland, a tree made from lino.
Prizes ranged from Eurostar tickets to Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne and all works submitted will be displayed in the hotel’s foyer an in the winter garden until 2nd January 2010.
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Image credit: sociotard