Fashion Experience Tours
Paris tailored just for you
Hi! I’m Leah Van Loon, and I’ve been obsessed with Paris since my first visit in 2008. I founded Fashion Experience Tours in 2015 to provide a unique perspective on fashion and craftsmanship through special experiences available to me through my deep industry contacts. My tours showcase Parisian artisans, designers, and exhibitions, offering fresh learning opportunities. I’m passionate about the creation process and the artistry behind fashion, and I aim to share that insider knowledge with you.
I'm particularly fascinated by the world of haute couture and the exceptional craftsmanship of local artisans. Renowned luxury brands like Dior, Valentino, and Chanel rely on their skills and creativity to deliver the fantasies you see on the runway. Other fields, such as architecture, interior design, and fine art, inspire fashion designers and influence fashion, and I love highlighting those connections. Craftsmanship is the common thread that links my travel experiences and the desire to inspire my clients in their own creative pursuits.
Traveling with a small group offers unique opportunities for exclusive experiences. With my insider knowledge of the fashion industry, I provide private tours and artisan workshops tailored for my guests. Join me for an extraordinary week of French culture, sightseeing, and world-class museums with a wonderful group of like-minded people.Let’s go to Paris!
I am a semi-retired, Canadian fashion and commercial stylist with over 25 years of experience in fashion, advertising, film and television. My writing and styling work have been published in international magazines, and I have appeared on radio and television with fashion commentary. I am a regular contributor to Elle magazine, writing about Paris and Parisian ateliers, and I appear as a fashion expert on CBC radio in Canada. I also provide styling and consultation services to brands, production companies, and my personal shopping clients in my home in Calgary and Paris.
FAQs
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The hotel provides either double or twin beds (where available) so no one is sharing a bed unless they have agreed to (couples etc). Travel is always better with friends so we suggest you try to find a travel buddy who also loves fashion and Paris.
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In order to keep costs down flights are not included with this tour which gives guests the flexibility to use points to travel or extend their trip (which I highly recommend!). I am happy to help where I can or will connect you with a travel advisor if preferred.
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Paris is a beautiful walking city with a wonderful Metro system and we will take full advantage of it. We can hit that 10000 step mark on some days! More importantly there are many stairs in the metro and we are standing during our museum tours. if you need accommodations please email us and we’ll do our best but it is an active walking tour at it’s heart.
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The experience is only open to adults aged 18+. However, I can help you plan a trip for your family with kid-friendly opportunities and great self-guided opportunities for you as well when I am not in Paris.
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You can arrive anytime before or on the first day of the tour and I am happy to assist with adding days to your hotel stay. I have private guided tours, shopping experiences or just great advice on what to do when you are not with the group. If you are arriving in Paris the first day of the tour, you should plan to arrive at the hotel by 3 pm in order to get checked in before the evening activities begin.
Testimonials
“What I liked about the tour:
-a perfect balance between organized activities and free time.
-a wonderful variety of things planned. Even though they were ‘fashion oriented’ (which i liked), they were multifaceted enough to have wide appeal.
-the tour you organized was far from the typical fare one might find out there. Way more interesting.
-activities weren’t just galleries and museums. Really enjoyed the, private club, flea market and picnic.
-your general knowledge of not only the history of the area but local culture and customs.
-your taking care of venue tickets, subway passes at the start, but allowing us to do it ourselves also.
-cost of tour was well worth the experience provided.
What I didn’t like about the tour:
-nothing!
I will continue to sing your praises to any of my contacts who may be looking for recommendations for a Paris trip. ”
“Leah had a well planned itinerary for each day and while it was like herding cats with us (taking photos and stopping to gaze into the shops windows) she kept us on time for appointments and tours. She took us thru hidden streets and passages, museums and exhibitions and we were treated to private appointments with fashion and design studios not accessible to the public.
Thru Leah’s expertise and careful planning we all saw Paris in a new light and had many exciting new experiences and memories to take home with us.
I have no reservations whatsoever in recommending Leah. If you are looking for a great new travel experience, her Fashion and Design tours will not disappoint you or your friends. All you have to do is book your spot, bring comfortable walking shoes and be
prepared to enjoy!
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“Leah is a true professional and puts the needs of her clients first. She understood my needs immediately and organized the most relevant and insightful tour in Paris. Her knowledge of and relationships in fashion and haute couture run deep. A hard worker, she worked on my custom itinerary for weeks and managed to surprise me in the most spectacular way.”
“I have never put anything on as high of a pedestal in my life as I have Paris. This trip exceeded all of my expectations. As someone who really appreciates fashion, being able to see the city from the perspective of someone who also feels the same way was the most ideal way for me to see Paris for the first time. The days were filled with lots of sight-seeing, fabric and notion shopping, markets, museum exhibitions, and private tours of some well-known ateliers. The itinerary was never too strict that if we needed more time somewhere that it wasn’t possible. And we needed it! The fabric and notion shops were like nothing I had experienced before, and I found some priceless items that I can’t wait to use. It’s really a city like no other and I am so happy that I chose to do this tour. ”
“What makes FXT different is the unique contacts Leah sourced. Meeting the artisans and touring inside their ateliers would only be possible with her contacts. Other tours put people on busses and rush them around missing all the nuances and the fun of the side streets, markets, museums, and restaurants. Leah is able to share the real Paris. The hotel was amazing and also in a real Paris Neighbourhood. I highly recommend the FXT tour to anyone. It truly was an extraordinary once in a lifetime experience. Merci Beaucoup Leah!”
“Leah Van Loon’s Paris tour was informative, valuable, insightful, and engaging. We visited historical sites, museums, gardens, popular shopping areas and markets, small local workshops and craftsman. Leah’s connections in the industry provided us with special access to locations. She was very knowledgeable with facts and information regarding people or places vital to each stop and always had a fantastic French cafe to recommend near by! ”
“Leah generously shared her expertise and contacts to provide a variety of experiences for our students. From “behind the scenes” museum tours, to meeting designers and artisans in their creative environments, our students were exposed to fashion insider experiences, they otherwise would not have been able to have. I highly recommend Leah as a very knowledgeable and engaging tour guide!”
