Red Carpet, Beaches, Cinema: The American Film Festival in Deauville, Calvados, Normandy

First of all the program is awesome, more than I could expect.  They took us on a "Mystery Tour."

We had to meet them at the train station saturday morning and that was all we knew.  Once all together Helene told us where and what we would be doing, the American Film Festival in Deauville.  AHHH!!!  So cool!

The train ride was comfrotable and pleasant, only about an hour and a half away from Paris.  

With our map in hand myself and my friends made our way to C.I.D, a large auditorium/convention building to watch the "Time Traveler's Wife."  The movie was good/okay.  Not really in the mood to be sad near the beautiful beaches of Deauville, but whatever.  The festival had Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana, Meryl Streep, etc. answering questions for press conferences, but we just missed the sessions.

The town is beautiful, quaint, and caters to the tres riche. 

I find the baby mannequins which are actually dolls, so weird.  I prefer the mannequin hangers that US has for baby ware.  I wonder if at one point we had them? (These are mannequins at a kids clothing shop)

Friday, my Fashion Marketing class had an excursion to the Musée Jean Moulin and to Le Bon Marché.  Le Bon Marche is the oldest department store in the world.  Our assignment was to see how we would be serviced and to observe the environment.  

The Musee Jean Moulin is part of Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque et de la Libération de Paris.  The musee exhibits what it was like to be in the French Resistance during the Nazi occupation of France in WWII.  

Fashion was away to show your allegiance to France and its opposition to the occupation.  The clothes and shoes could definitely be worn today and stylish or as one lady declared, "that is so la mode."

Buttons were made with red, white a blue colors.  Dresses, hats, gloves, and shoes had French flag motifs.  Amidst the occupation they were able to hold on to their dignity and self-expression.   

Scarves that the aviators wore had topographical maps of the regions.  Wooden shoes were produced because leather was scarce.  Women wore culottes and sans culottes (think skorts:) because they rode bikes due to gas shortage.  Some shoes even had lights at the tips, so as the stepped, the light would illuminate and help them during the blackouts.  Platform shoes were really popular as well. 

Some hats wore made with wood shavings utilizing the decorative curls.  Human and animal hair helped in making fabric.  The product was like a tweed. Talk about sustainability;)