Latest news with #LesInvalides
Local France
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Local France
How did July 14th become France's national day?
July 14th is France's national day - in which the country celebrates its history and its national identity and also enjoys a good party. READ ALSO : July 14th: What's happening during France's Fête nationale this year✎ The event is known in English as Bastille Day, even though this term is not used in France where the day is known as La fête nationale or simply le quatorze juillet . But, as the English title suggests, the date itself commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 - the day when a mob of freedom-loving Parisians stormed the hated symbol of monarchical tyranny and freed the political prisoners the king had locked up there, thus starting the French Revolution. Well, sort of . . It's true that the Bastille was stormed on July 14th 1789, but although the prison had in the past been used to hold political prisoners - including large numbers of protestants - by 1789 it was mostly empty. Advertisement According to contemporary records , on the date it was stormed it held just seven prisoners - four counterfeiters, two 'madmen' and a nobleman accused of sexual perversion. The early Revolutionaries may have had more practical matters in mind, as the Bastille was also a royal arsenal. They managed to seize cannons and gunpowder for the weapons that they had recently taken from Les Invalides. The following year, the anniversary of the event was marked with the Fête de la Federation - this contained some elements that we would recognise, including a military parade on the Champ de Mars (nowadays the site of the Eiffel Tower) and some that we definitely wouldn't including swearing an oath of allegiance to the King. Yes, the King and Queen were both there - a Mass was celebrated and then those assembled took an oath to the Crown, the Nation and the Law. The threefold oath indicates the power shift that had taken place within the previously absolutist monarchy of France but revolutions can be slow-moving things and it was not until three years later that Louis XVI was executed, followed by his queen Marie Antoinette. The July 14th event of 1790 proved to be a one-off, the Fête de la Federation was never celebrated again - perhaps because the revolutionaries were embarrassed at the royal oath-swearing, perhaps they simply had other things on their mind as the Revolution moved into its final and bloody form during the Terror. The idea of July 14th as a 'start date' for the Revolution is something that came about more gradually as people looked back to the event itself and what came after. But it was a nice symbol and a suitably dramatic event that soon began being immortalised in paintings, poems, songs and novels. Arguably the opening of the États généraux - the parliament that represented ordinary Frenchmen as well as nobles - in 1789 was a more significant event, but a bunch of men having a meeting is quite a boring subject for artworks. A protester clutching a copy of a painting depicting the 1789 storming of the Bastille, at a demo in France in 2021. Photo by Sebastien SALOM-GOMIS / AFP Advertisement It took almost 100 years before July 14th came back as a special day - it was finally enshrined as France's national day, and a public holiday, in 1880, after several years of discussion. During the debates on the subject in parliament several other dates were suggested including May 5th (the anniversary of the opening of the Etats généreaux) and August 4th (anniversary of the abolition of hereditary privileges) - in the event July 14th was chosen but the law formalising it does not specify whether it is intended to mark the storming of the Bastille, the Fête de la federation or both. Advertisement Since the storming of the Bastille, France had been a monarchy, a republic, a restored monarchy, an empire (under self-proclaimed emperor Napoleon) and a republic again but by 1880 it was settled into the form that it - mostly - has been in ever since; a republic with a parliamentary democracy. A military parade took place on the first event in 1880 and has been involved in most July 14th celebrations since, although it only started being held on the Champs-Elysées in 1919, when it featured World War I veterans alongside the serving soldiers. A more recent tradition was started by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in 1978 - the presidential TV interview. This doesn't happen every year, and some presidents prefer to do a speech rather than an interview, but in most years the French president speaks to their people via the TV. The Bastille prison is no more, but the place where it once stood is in more or less the same place as Place de la Bastille. This large open space is used for various events, but it's often the site of protests or demonstrations, thus retaining its revolutionary edge.
Kuwait Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Capes, tailcoats and cravats: Dior gets its teeth into Dracula chic
For the last few days Dior's new creative director Jonathan Anderson has been dropping clues on social media about the contents of his first collection for the fabled French house. And the most eagerly awaited show of Paris Men's Fashion Week Friday certainly didn't disappoint, with a galaxy of stars descending on Les Invalides including 'Bond' star Daniel Craig, Robert Pattinson, singer Sabrina Carpenter, tennis legend Roger Federer and K pop stars Mingyu and Beomgyu. A heavily pregnant Rihanna -- for whom Anderson has made several stage costumes -- also arrived fashionably late with her husband ASAP Rocky. Anderson had led fashion fans on a virtual version of Hansel and Gretel in the run up to the show, expertly teasing them with little peeks of what was in store for them when he finally lifted the curtain. They included a Dior Book Tote emblazoned with 'Dracula' in blood-red letters in a nod to Dublin writer Bram Stoker. The gothic 19th-century inspiration was clear in the show, with capes, tailcoats and tweeds, waistcoats and Victorian high collars and cravats. 'Obsessed' 'I've always been obsessed by Dracula,' the designer told reporters. 'I never realized when I was young that Bram Stoker was Irish and I used to walk past his house without knowing.' The show opened with a male take on one of Christian Dior's most iconic dresses, La Cigale from 1952, which was in turn inspired by the decadence of the 18th-century French royal court at the Palace of Versailles. Anderson kept the aristocratic dandy theme going throughout the show, taking in Irish rakes and dashing English dukes, their dickie bows slightly askew after a long night on the tiles. He had posted two rather endearing videos of French football star Killian Mbappe before the show putting on a tie and trying -- and laughingly failing -- to knot a dickie bow. The designer said he saw some of the spirit of Christian Dior in the striker. British actor Robert Pattinson. British actor Daniel Craig. Emirati twins, Mohammed and Humaid Habdan from Dubai. Models present creations by Dior Homme for the Menswear Ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 2026 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week in Paris.--AFP photos Mbappe's 'amazing smile' 'Mbappe has this amazing smile and a kindness to him,' Anderson said. 'Coming out of the war, the greatest attribute Dior had was empathy. That is quite rare in a couturier... (and yet) after the war he changed everything for everyone and for France.' Anderson told reporters before the show that he did not want to throw out the baby with the bathwater after being given unprecedented free rein over the brand. 'Some of my heroes, the greatest designers in history, have done Dior, and I don't want to be chopping it all down,' he said. Rather he wanted to 'decode and recode Dior without discarding all the great designers' who had worked for the label. Indeed, his 'Dracula' and 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' Book Totes were a continuation of the 'amazing bag' his predecessor Italian Maria Grazia Chiuri had done, he said. The mixing up of clothing codes also had something of the Haitian-American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whom the designer had called an 'epitome of style' in an Instagram post in the run-up to the show. Anderson's arrival at Dior had been flagged for months after he turned around the rather fusty Spanish label Loewe, which is also owned by the French luxury giant LVMH. Just weeks after he was named to head Dior Homme, he was also appointed creative director of the Dior's women's collections and its haute couture. Changing of the guard With the luxury sector's once bumper profits plummeting, Anderson's appointment is an attempt to renew the fashion house after nine years under Chiuri. It also comes amid a major changing of the guard, with Belgian Matthieu Blazy, 41, taking over French rivals Chanel and iconic fashion editor Anna Wintour saying Thursday that she was stepping away from American Vogue to move upstairs in its parent group Conde Nast. Anderson, the son of former Irish rugby captain Willie Anderson, said that change was maybe no bad thing. 'The fashion industry is like a bonsai that might have gotten too big. We need to purify, to go back to what we like about it, which is making clothes,' he told the French daily Le Figaro. Trained at the London School of Fashion, his first big break was landing a job in Prada's marketing department before launching his own brand, JW Anderson, in 2008. 'I think he is one of the most gifted talents of his generation,' said Alice Feillard, men's buyer at Galeries Lafayette, Europe's biggest department store group. 'We saw what he achieved at Loewe -- a really remarkable and brilliant body of work.' 'There is something childlike yet very intellectual' about his collections, Adrien Communier, fashion editor for GQ France, told AFP. They are 'very cheeky, very bold... and really intriguing', he added.— AFP
Fashion Network
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Jonathan Anderson debuts at Dior: Welcome to the New Era
Jonathan Anderson presented his debut collection for Dior behind a famed French monument to its military, Les Invalides, and at the finale it felt very much like a designer marching to glory. See catwalk Think of it as the New Era, rather than the New Look, as the Irishman riffed on Dior's DNA, and many women's wear designs of Monsieur Dior himself, to create a powerful pathbreaking fashion statement. Take Monsieur's autumn 1948 multi-fold Delft dress made in silk faille which Anderson then morphed into multi-leaf white denim cargo shorts that opened the show. Or a superb check wool coat, nipped at the waist but scalloped below the hips, a look Monsieur named Caprice from spring 1948, which led to a great series elephantine men's pants with wraparound features. The Stakhanovite Anderson has clearly been putting in long shifts at Dior, mastering the codes, delving into the archives. Playing on another Dior classic, Christian's Autumn 1952 dimpled moiré coat, La Cigale. But taking it forward into the 21st century with some great undulating coats. Plus, his Donegal tweed style versions of the house's signature Bar jacket were pretty sensational. Throughout, there was a whole Edwardian feel – with high collars, stocks and knotted bows, albeit worn without shirts, and paired with great Dior grey fracks, albeit paired with faded jeans. Plus, Anderson will surely ignite huge demand for the trim linen summer gilet - in pink or finished with flowers. While his Jacobean rogue coats will be huge hits. Many looks anchored by a new suede boxing-meets-trail bootie. He dreamed up one striking new mop bag, but otherwise played with Dior's hit fabric tote, but creating many versions printed with classic novels – from Françoise Sagan's "Bonjour Tristesse" to Bram Stroker's "Dracula". If occasionally erratic – one or two chino and striped shirts looks reminded one that Anderson has made several capsule collections for Uniqlo – it still all felt like a major menswear statement and huge hit. Without question it was the most anticipated debut by a designer at a major house this century. If there was any doubt; look at the fellow designers who showed up: Donatella Versace (for whom he briefly designed Versus), Stefano Pilati, Courrèges ' Nicolas Di Felice, Glenn Martens, Silvia Fendi, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Daniel Roseberry, Christian Louboutin, Chitose Abe, Michael Rider, Julien Dossena, Chemena Kamali, and LVMH regulars or alumni – from Pharrell Williams to Kris Van Assche. Talk about designer gridlock. See catwalk The 40-year-old Northern Irishman takes over at Dior as an already acclaimed star. Having turned Loewe, LVMH's leading Spanish brand, into the hottest show in Paris this past half decade. Jonathan's choice of location respected tradition, seeing it was the same square where his immediate predecessor Kim Jones had staged his final show for Dior in January. There the similarity ended, with not a hint of Kim's style in sight. Though the set design did recall Anderson's debut show at Loewe, which featured precisely poured concrete blocks as seats. At Dior, the audience sat on precise plywood blocks, on a plywood floor, under a high ceiling entirely made of illuminated squares. Even since he began teasing on social media his new era at Dior, it's been a respectful homage to classicism. Just like this collection, even if he also managed to turn the whole codes upside down. Somewhat eccentrically, a pre-show French speaker recounted - at length - exact cuts, darts, shapes and fabrics of Dior looks, which turned out to be indie director and French heartthrob, Louis Garrel reading from the memoir "Dior and I". Garrel, whose mop-top hair appears to have been the inspiration for all the models' hairstyle, joined Louvre director Laurence Descartes, Roger Federer, Robert Pattinson, Daniel Craig and Rihanna, in the front row. In teases and in the show, Jonathan also played on Monsieur Dior's great affection for British taste with an opening Instagram post of a blue shirt fabric with a pin for Dior. Putting that online in mid-April six weeks before his appointment was official. Posting all manner of hints from a tape measure curled into a thimble to look like a snail on huge leaf, to an embroidered Louis XIV chair, he personally redesigned. Anderson – who will direct menswear, women's wear and couture at Dior - restored the house's dove gray logo, and replaced the all capital Dior, with just the "D" capitalized. Seen at the entrance to the huge show tent, over a giant illustration of Dior's neo-classical salon on Avenue Montaigne, which witnessed the birth of the house, and the legendary New Look on February 12, 1947. Which segued into two works of fine art – oil paintings by J.B.S. Chardin of a vase full of flowers, or a plate of raspberries – that hung inside the show. Both lent for the show by the Louvre, and much admired by LVMH CEO, and Anderson's ultimate boss, French billionaire, Bernard Arnault, who studied them carefully. As did Jonathan's proud parents, his rugby playing father and one-time captain of the Irish national rugby team Willie, and his elegant schoolteacher mum, Heather. See catwalk Post show, when asked his thoughts on the show, Arnault told 'It was, frankly, magnifique!' Though perhaps the most chatter this fashion sea change inspired was thanks to Anderson's idiosyncratic invitation – a ceramic white plate with three ceramic eggs. Like the solid stools, there was a sense of reassurance. Back when Jonathan was a teen growing up in the outskirts of the small town of Magherafelt in County Derry, his first teenage job was gathering eggs from a local farm. 'Next thing you know, we came back home and there was a sign, 'eggs for sale.' He as selling them. Jonathan has always been an incredibly hard worker. He puts his head down and never stops. But he is still the same person we knew when he left Northern Ireland. And we like that,' said his proud dad.
Fashion Network
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Jonathan Anderson debuts at Dior: Welcome to the New Era
Jonathan Anderson presented his debut collection for Dior behind a famed French monument to its military, Les Invalides, and at the finale it felt very much like a designer marching to glory. See catwalk Think of it as the New Era, rather than the New Look, as the Irishman riffed on Dior's DNA, and many women's wear designs of Monsieur Dior himself, to create a powerful pathbreaking fashion statement. Take Monsieur's autumn 1948 multi-fold Delft dress made in silk faille which Anderson then morphed into multi-leaf white denim cargo shorts that opened the show. Or a superb check wool coat, nipped at the waist but scalloped below the hips, a look Monsieur named Caprice from spring 1948, which led to a great series elephantine men's pants with wraparound features. The Stakhanovite Anderson has clearly been putting in long shifts at Dior, mastering the codes, delving into the archives. Playing on another Dior classic, Christian's Autumn 1952 dimpled moiré coat, La Cigale. But taking it forward into the 21st century with some great undulating coats. Plus, his Donegal tweed style versions of the house's signature Bar jacket were pretty sensational. Throughout, there was a whole Edwardian feel – with high collars, stocks and knotted bows, albeit worn without shirts, and paired with great Dior grey fracks, albeit paired with faded jeans. Plus, Anderson will surely ignite huge demand for the trim linen summer gilet - in pink or finished with flowers. While his Jacobean rogue coats will be huge hits. Many looks anchored by a new suede boxing-meets-trail bootie. He dreamed up one striking new mop bag, but otherwise played with Dior's hit fabric tote, but creating many versions printed with classic novels – from Françoise Sagan's "Bonjour Tristesse" to Bram Stroker's "Dracula". If occasionally erratic – one or two chino and striped shirts looks reminded one that Anderson has made several capsule collections for Uniqlo – it still all felt like a major menswear statement and huge hit. Without question it was the most anticipated debut by a designer at a major house this century. If there was any doubt; look at the fellow designers who showed up: Donatella Versace (for whom he briefly designed Versus), Stefano Pilati, Courrèges ' Nicolas Di Felice, Glenn Martens, Silvia Fendi, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Daniel Roseberry, Christian Louboutin, Chitose Abe, Michael Rider, Julien Dossena, Chemena Kamali, and LVMH regulars or alumni – from Pharrell Williams to Kris Van Assche. Talk about designer gridlock. See catwalk The 40-year-old Northern Irishman takes over at Dior as an already acclaimed star. Having turned Loewe, LVMH's leading Spanish brand, into the hottest show in Paris this past half decade. Jonathan's choice of location respected tradition, seeing it was the same square where his immediate predecessor Kim Jones had staged his final show for Dior in January. There the similarity ended, with not a hint of Kim's style in sight. Though the set design did recall Anderson's debut show at Loewe, which featured precisely poured concrete blocks as seats. At Dior, the audience sat on precise plywood blocks, on a plywood floor, under a high ceiling entirely made of illuminated squares. Even since he began teasing on social media his new era at Dior, it's been a respectful homage to classicism. Just like this collection, even if he also managed to turn the whole codes upside down. Somewhat eccentrically, a pre-show French speaker recounted - at length - exact cuts, darts, shapes and fabrics of Dior looks, which turned out to be indie director and French heartthrob, Louis Garrel reading from the memoir "Dior and I". Garrel, whose mop-top hair appears to have been the inspiration for all the models' hairstyle, joined Louvre director Laurence Descartes, Roger Federer, Robert Pattinson, Daniel Craig and Rihanna, in the front row. In teases and in the show, Jonathan also played on Monsieur Dior's great affection for British taste with an opening Instagram post of a blue shirt fabric with a pin for Dior. Putting that online in mid-April six weeks before his appointment was official. Posting all manner of hints from a tape measure curled into a thimble to look like a snail on huge leaf, to an embroidered Louis XIV chair, he personally redesigned. Anderson – who will direct menswear, women's wear and couture at Dior - restored the house's dove gray logo, and replaced the all capital Dior, with just the "D" capitalized. Seen at the entrance to the huge show tent, over a giant illustration of Dior's neo-classical salon on Avenue Montaigne, which witnessed the birth of the house, and the legendary New Look on February 12, 1947. Which segued into two works of fine art – oil paintings by J.B.S. Chardin of a vase full of flowers, or a plate of raspberries – that hung inside the show. Both lent for the show by the Louvre, and much admired by LVMH CEO, and Anderson's ultimate boss, French billionaire, Bernard Arnault, who studied them carefully. As did Jonathan's proud parents, his rugby playing father and one-time captain of the Irish national rugby team Willie, and his elegant schoolteacher mum, Heather. See catwalk Post show, when asked his thoughts on the show, Arnault told 'It was, frankly, magnifique!' Though perhaps the most chatter this fashion sea change inspired was thanks to Anderson's idiosyncratic invitation – a ceramic white plate with three ceramic eggs. Like the solid stools, there was a sense of reassurance. Back when Jonathan was a teen growing up in the outskirts of the small town of Magherafelt in County Derry, his first teenage job was gathering eggs from a local farm. 'Next thing you know, we came back home and there was a sign, 'eggs for sale.' He as selling them. Jonathan has always been an incredibly hard worker. He puts his head down and never stops. But he is still the same person we knew when he left Northern Ireland. And we like that,' said his proud dad.
Fashion Network
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Jonathan Anderson debuts at Dior: Welcome to the New Era
Jonathan Anderson presented his debut collection for Dior behind a famed French monument to its military, Les Invalides, and at the finale it felt very much like a designer marching to glory. See catwalk Think of it as the New Era, rather than the New Look, as the Irishman riffed on Dior's DNA, and many women's wear designs of Monsieur Dior himself, to create a powerful pathbreaking fashion statement. Take Monsieur's autumn 1948 multi-fold Delft dress made in silk faille which Anderson then morphed into multi-leaf white denim cargo shorts that opened the show. Or a superb check wool coat, nipped at the waits but scalloped below the hips, a look Monsieur named Caprice from spring 1948, which led to a great series elephantine men's pants with wraparound features. The Stakhanovite Anderson has clearly been putting long shifts at Dior, mastering the codes, delving into the archives. Playing on another Dior classic, Christian's Autumn 1952 dimpled moiré coat, La Cigale. But taking it forward into the 21st century with some great coats. Plus, his herringbone versions of the house's signature Bar jacket were pretty sensational. Throughout, there was a whole Edwardian feel – with high collars, stocks and knotted bows, albeit worn without shirts, and paired with great Dior grey fracks, albeit paired with faded jeans. Plus, Anderson will surely ignite huge demand for the trim linen summer gilet - in pink or finished with flowers. Many looks anchored by a new suede boxing-meets-trail bootie. He dreamed up one striking new mop bag, but otherwise played with Dior's hit fabric tote, by creating many versions printed with classic novels – from Françoise Sagan's "Bonjour Tristesse" to Bram Stroker's "Dracula". If occasionally erratic – one or two chino and striped shirts looks reminded one that Anderson has made several capsule collections for Uniqlo – it still all felt like a major menswear statement and huge hit. Without question it was the most anticipated debut by a designer at a major house this century. If there was any doubt; look at the fellow designers who showed up: Donatella Versace (for whom he briefly designed Versus), Stefano Pilati, Courrèges ' Nicolas Di Felice, Glenn Martens, Silvia Fendi, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Daniel Roseberry, Christian Louboutin, Chitose Abe, Michael Rider, Julien Dossena, Chemena Kamali, and LVMH regulars or alumni – from Pharrell Williams to Kris Van Assche. Talk about designer gridlock. See catwalk The 40-year-old Northern Irishman takes over at Dior as an already acclaimed star. Having turned Loewe, LVMH's leading Spanish brand, into the hottest show in Paris this past half decade. Jonathan's choice of location respected tradition, seeing it was the same square where his immediate predecessor Kim Jones had staged his final show for Dior in January. There the similarity ended, with not a hint of Kim's style in sight. Though the set design did recall Anderson's debut show at Loewe, which featured precisely poured concrete blocks as seats. At Dior, the audience sat on precise plywood blocks, on a plywood floor, under a high ceiling entirely made of illuminated squares. Even since he began teasing on social media his new era at Dior, it's been a respectful homage to classicism. Just like this collection, even if he also managed to turn the whole codes upside down. Somewhat eccentrically, a pre-show French speaker recounted - at length - exact cuts, darts, shapes and fabrics of Dior looks, which turned out to be indie director and French heartthrob, Louis Garrel reading from the memoir "Dior and I". Garrel, whose mop hair appears have been the inspiration for all the models hairstyle, joined Louvre director Laurence Descartes, Roger Federer, Robert Pattinson, Daniel Craig and Rihanna, in the front row. In teases and in the show, Jonathan also played on Monsieur Dior's great affection for British taste with an opening Instagram post of a blue shirt fabric with a pin for Dior. Putting that online in mid-April six weeks before his appointment was official. Posting all manner of hints from a tape measure curled into a thimble to look like a snail on huge leaf, to an embroidered Louis XIV chair, he personally redesigned. Anderson – who will direct menswear, women's wear and couture at Dior - restored the house's dove gray logo, and replaced the all capital Dior, with just the "D" capitalized. Seen at the entrance to the huge show tent, over a giant illustration of Dior's neo-classical salon on Avenue Montaigne, which witnessed the birth of the house, and the legendary New Look on February 12, 1947. Which segued into two works of fine art – oil paintings by J.B.S. Chardin of a vase full of flowers, or a plate of raspberries – that hung inside the show. Both lent for the show by the Louvre, and much admired by LVMH CEO, and Anderson's ultimate boss, French billionaire, Bernard Arnault, who studied them carefully. As did Jonathan's proud parents, his rugby playing father and one-time captain of the Irish national rugby team Willie, and his elegant schoolteacher mum, Heather. See catwalk Post show, when asked his thoughts on the show, Arnault told 'It was, frankly, magnifique!' Though perhaps the most chatter this fashion sea change inspired by Anderson's idiosyncratic invitation – a ceramic white plate with three ceramic eggs. Like the solid stools, there was a sense of reassurance. Back when Jonathan was a teen growing up in the outskirts of the small town of Magherafelt in County Derry, his first teenage job was gathering eggs from a local farm. 'Next thing you know, we came back home and there was a sign, 'eggs for sale.' Jonathan has always been an incredibly hard worker. He puts his head down and never stops. But he is still the same person we knew when he left Northern Ireland. And we like that,' said his proud dad.
