Paris Textiles Trip

The Paris trip, organised for the Year 13 A-level textiles students proved to be one of the best learning experiences for them: the places visited and the enrichment activities have truly inspired and motivated the designing stage of their coursework. The current Year 12 and 10 students have a treat to look forward to.

It was the cultural influence of being in Paris that will stay with the students for a lifetime. Visiting places like Montmartre, Sacre Coeur, Eiffel Tower and Champs Elysees. The students visited churches, museums and high fashion shops to look at the work of well-known fashion designers. A highlight was an exhibition of the work of Christian Dior; the students were privileged to have been there at a time to see the full exhibition.

In the very heart of Paris, the gothic, Notre Dame Cathedral, was amazing to visit. The size and structure of the building is awesome, more so because it was the inspiration for works such as Victor Hugo’s ‘Hunchback of Notre-Dame’. GMS students were fascinated to learn that every road distance in France is calculated from the point marked “zero kilometre” on the front square of the cathedral.

The Tuileries Gardens, near the Louvre designed by Le Notre in 1664, showed the students how design is an important feature in every element of life, not just textiles.

In the Latin Quarter, the cafes, restaurants, cinemas and theatres, the students felt the influence that this hub for intellectuals and artists had on innovating design.

Another popular place for the Year 13s to see was Montmartre, with its cobbled streets and quaint cafes. It had been the bohemian area where artists and musicians gathered.

As with other places, the applied and decorative art, (ranging from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the XX century, found in The Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Museum of the Decorative Arts and Design) was fabulous to see: tapestries and art have had an influential impact on fashion design.

Of course, a trip to Paris would not be complete without a visit to The Basilique du Sacre Coeur. BuiIt in the 19th Century, it is situated high on a hill. From the steps outside the church the students had a fabulous view over the whole city.

Towards the end of the trip, the students went to Disneyland Paris where they collected further ideas for their coursework.

Needless to say, the student reviews are full of praise:
‘The best part about going to Disneyland was seeing the costumes in real life. … They looked different to the internet version.’

‘We met the characters we were designing for and some of us actually spoke to them’

‘I really enjoyed the Christian Dior exhibition as it showed me the work of a famous designer, how he had worked on small scale project, before turning to it into a large scale production line: the small scale projectis essentially what we do in our projects’

Great Marlow School are grateful to Miss Agbozo for organising this successful trip that will bring a wider dimension to the way the students respond to the demands of the A-level syllabus.