Can you imagine a time before shopping? Hard as it is, up until the early 19th century, a person couldn't see or touch merchandise before purchasing it, and instead of fixed prices, the cost of an item was based on the client's appearance.
We can thank the shopping gods for Aristide Boucicaut, who in 1852 invented the shopping experience as we know it, when he founded Le Bon Marché, the first department store in France. His modern vision of retail also allowed people, for the first time, to enter his store with no obligation to buy, and he instituted the ability to make a return!
Now, Le Bon Marché, which translates to "The Good Market," is one of the most well-known luxury department stores, and it carries every major designer label in a building that spans a full city block.
So, when we came to Paris for Fashion Week, we made a point to pay the revolutionary space a visit, marvel at the interior design engineered by Gustave Eiffel, and discover for ourselves what makes this space so unique.
Now, let's shop!
On Kate: Nonoo blazer, Catherine Malandrino for Kohl's dress; On Melissa: BLK DNM jacket, Acne dress