Paris Fashion Week: a sneak peek at the show venues

On Tuesday, February 26, Paris Fashion Week kicks off and the venues where the Autumn/ Winter 2013-2014 shows will be held are already being transformed to showcase the new pieces created by the world's fashion giants. As well as being a week about fashion, this week is also very much about Parisian culture. It's time to discover Fashion Week in another way.

Paris Fashion Week is an opportunity for journalists and celebrities from all over the world to discover upcoming new prêt-à-porter collections in quirky, prestigious and historical venues. Whether these venues are used as they are or are completely transformed for the event, they become ideal spots for designer pieces to be seen in all their glory.

Designers and fashion houses make it very clear: light and dimensions are key when it comes to choosing a venue. However, the venue's history, which is often linked to some form of cachet within the fashion world elite, is also very important.

Historical venues
From the Oratoire du Louvre to the Grand Palais: some designers prefer to showcase their new ready-to-wear collections in historically rich venues. This season, designers such as Guy Laroche, Vanessa Bruno and Akris as well as Chanel will be showing at the Grand Palais on Paris's Right Bank.

The Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild in the city's 8th arrondissement, which is also a listed historical building, will play host to prêt-à-porter shows by Anthony Vaccarello, Aganovich and Gareth Pugh.

From museums to luxury hotels: world-renowned venues
Models and fashion professionals from all over the world flock to the French capital for Paris Fashion Week. This explains why luxury houses choose to stage their shows in prestigious renowned venues.

Designer Steffie Christiaens will show her new Autumn/ Winter 2013-2014 at the Hôtel Shangri-La with views of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower. This luxury hotel used to be the residence of Napoleon Bonaparte's grand-nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte. The atmosphere of such a renowned refined venue is sure to bring something unique to the show.

Spanish luxury fashion house Loewe has also chosen to showcase its new designs in a prestigious venue known all over the world: the Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie du Musée d'Histoire naturelle (Paris's mineral and geology gallery at the Left Bank's Natural History Museum).

Transforming seemingly simple venues
Some couture houses have chosen to completely transform less prestigious Parisian venues. Spanish designer Amaya Arzuaga's show, for example, will be held at the Spanish embassy.

Designer Jacquemus has also chosen another highly unusual venue, the Cour des Lions pool.

Meanwhile Nina Ricci, Issey Miyake, Viktor & Rolf, Chloé and Elie Saab will show their collections in ephemeral spaces that will be set up along the Jardin des Tuileries during Fashion Week.