Hello from Paris! As I write this in the first week of October I am on my way back from Turkiye, where I spent eleven beautiful days in Cappadocia in the heart of the country, as well as Bodrum on the Southwestern Mediterranean coast. On my way back I found a way to visit the Air France 90 Year Anniversary exhibition at the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in the heart of Paris France.
I had an incredible journey – with over 25 reviews, experiences, and travel hacks now in a publishing queue – and managed to snag an incredible route through Frankfurt Germany to accomplish the side expedition to Paris.
On 27 September 2023, Air France unveiled a preview of the twelve window displays and two pop up stores at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann, to celebrate 90 years of elegance. From 28 September to 10 October 2023, the airline exhibited at the Paris department stores’ to mark its anniversary.
Throughout the anniversary period, Air France also offered visitors the chance to attend a series of fashion shows retracing 90 years of French elegance, in collaboration with Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann.
The display coincided with Paris Fashion Week, already a vibrant time to be in Paris. The event ended on October 10th, unfortunately.
I paid a visit on the Galeries on October 1st, surveying the Twelve Window Displays and both Pop-Up Stores. My friend and guest writer on Oscape, Nik M., paid a visit to the last ticket available for the exclusive Fashion Show on October 6th.
Air France 90 Year Anniversary Window Displays
The Air France 90 Year Anniversary included 12 window displays, all on the exterior of the building along the main pedestrian concourse – publicly accessible and free.
The displays were unveiled to the public on September 27, 2023 to “Celebrate 90 Years of Elegance.” I saw these on my visit on October 1st, hyped and very excited in the moment!
Also on display were Air France’s exclusive collection of unique dresses “embodying 90 years of elegance,” created by French costume designer Xavier Ronze, head of the costume workshops for the Paris Opera Ballet.
Each of the dresses presented in the showcases interprets Air France’s different strengths as an airline:
- Aircraft and Technology
- Design and Architecture
- Gastronomy and Tableware
- Emblematic posters promoting its vast network
Some displays matched the same items as on sale on the inside – model planes for sale, suitcases, and even tableware. Let’s dive into each display!
Air France Aircraft and Technology
My favorite display is also the first shown. Captioned “The latest in innovation, comfort, and elegance for 90 years. The Air France Fleet has been at the cutting edge of technological progress.”
A closely associated display compares seat types across generations of flight.
Air France Design and Architecture
One of the coolest displays highlighted modern Architecture and Innovative Design… thru a Runway Model! And I mean that in the literal sense – haha!
This includes designer uniforms and a pristine focus on Architectural product design.
It was fun to view the evolution of designer uniforms over the years – highlighted in the fashion show.
Air France Gastronomy and Tableware
This was a tough one to capture, as there was a huge group of people sitting in front of this display on the ledge. It was one of the most spectacular, and included tableware for sale that I procured.
It certainly made for one of the most interesting and beautiful presentations on the windowfronts!
Air France Emblematic Posters Promoting It’s Vast Network
Air France has 1,500 Emblematic Posters!
This is a collection reflecting 90 years of legendary destinations and various artistic trends. There were two separate displays here – one with fixed airplane window displays, and then a very cool rotating posters display.
There were some cool ones covering New York
And also Japan…
Some places I’ve been to in North America…
And even some in Europe!
As someone who greatly appreciates Art and Design (my other business is in Architecture and Construction) this display really struck a chord for ten minutes.
Air France 90 Year Anniversary Sales Displays
There were a couple of displays with items purely for sale.
This is where we’ll go next – to the Second Floor and Third Floor inside the store!
Air France 90 Year Anniversary Pop Up Store Displays
There were three Air France 90 Year Anniversary pop-up displays located on three different floors of the Galeries Haussmann.
We first visited the display on the second floor, followed by the third floor. I didn’t get a chance to view the Business Class seat exhibit on the ground floor in time before closing.
Shamlessly, I also dressed in Air France colors for the occasion!
Second Floor Display
The second level display was the first one we came across. Umbrellas adorned the ceiling, which were also for sale, and a cool “90 Amis” logo on the column for the pop up store.
Special luggage was displayed for sale in the Air France branding, in multiple colors, black, blue and white.
These are made by Delsey Paris.
These displays included 1960s era La Premiere First Class Air France ceramicware for sale – hand painted ceramic ware used exclusively on previous Air France flights with beautiful pieces of bowls, plates, and flatware.
The main plates were adorned with the older style Air France Pegasus.
There were Vanessa Bruno’s designer bags.
There’s also a very nice blanket in different layers of blue and gray. My friend bought this for his wife, and she loved it!
The umbrellas also seemed very high quality, and included the Air France Pegasus.
Third Floor Display
After thoroughly exploring the second floor, we took the escalator up one level to the third floor display, which included a different kind of collectors item array for sale for the anniversary.
Once again, the Air France 90 Ans D’Elegance logo brought you right into the world of the airline.
There were collectible amenity kits, model planes, and 90 Ans tote bags available.
Some tags with the Air France logo, New York to Paris and more. The luggage tags were most popular and sold out daily.
I’m here thinking – am I Eight Years Old again? Some of these are perfect for school, too!
Little notebooks with Air France art displays.
There was also a pen, mug, and postcard collection.
Tons of model planes for sale, the same ones we saw outside on display.
And extensive vintage poster collection.
The one I wanted badly, Tokyo, was sold out when I was visiting. Nik picked one up later in the week.
Over the course of the evening, we saw tons of people taking interest in the products, and the point of sale was nearly always occupied. Clearly everyone is a plane nerd on some level – but Air France also holds a cultural legacy in France.
Air France Business Class Seats
Alas, I left the building to capture all displays in detail during my visit – and didn’t get a chance to see this display on the ground floor!
However, my friend Nik paid a visit to this display prior to the fashion show.
I hope to have a chance to fly this product soon, as Air France is actually one of my favorite airlines (of many, let’s be honest). I’ve flown them often. This product is now available on a couple of flights between New York JFK and Paris CDG.
Air France 90 Year Anniversary Fashion Show
Along with the Anniversary display are three fashion shows assembled by Air France – which were for sale online, and initially sold out in minutes after being released! Unfortunately all were also mistimed for my trip, so I was only able to see the exhibition gallery and not the fashion show.
As officially described on the event website, “Models dressed in the uniforms of pilots, cabin crew, airport staff and mechanics will be parading in a dedicated area of the department stores’ to retrace the company’s entire clothing heritage, from yesterday to today. From the very first “barman” outfits to couture pieces signed by the greatest designers such as Christian Dior, Cristóbal Balenciaga and Christian Lacroix, the fashion show is designed as a unique immersion in the styles of the different founding eras of Air France.”
Although I personally couldn’t visit, my friend Nik M snagged the last ticket available for the last day, and managed to visit on Friday October 6 for the 3:00pm show. We randomly checked on October 1st during my visit, and found ONE ticket that someone had luckily returned and made available. Thank you, wherever you are!
The show was thirty minutes long, and took place at the Galeries Haussmann on the sixth floor. He queued up half an hour early on Friday, to find at least 20 people already in line, and was then escorted to the “fashion show/model runway room”.
Seats were scattered and up close through the fashion room and walkway, with full size historic posters adorning the walls. One of my favorites is the close up of New York and Paris.
A program was found at each seat, which also gave an introduction to the fashion show, and a fun guide to each uniform presented, by the decade.
The Program
Immerser yourself in the history of the airline renowned for its chic and elegant uniforms since 1933!
For 90 years, the Air France uniform has evolved in line with major fashion trends, reflecting French creativity and elegance.
Christian Lacroix used to say: “An Air France crew is instantly recognizable and stands out at any airport in the world.”
The Show
Here are some scenes from the Air France fashion show.
The show moved thru five different periods of design and fashion.
I am beyond jealous my friend was able to attend this event, and we’re lucky to feature it here.
Final Thoughts
I deliberately made a visit to Paris France on my way back from Turkiye to see the Air France 90 Year Anniversary Exhibition and Fashion Show, coinciding with Paris Fashion Week 2023.
Airlines, like railroads, are amazingly fascinating businesses – bringing together a culture of values, style, presence and the soul of a destination and the home origin. I feel fortunate born and living in the age of air travel, where continents can be crossed over a span of hours in comfort and style. It is quite a privilege, to say the least – I am beyond grateful!
#AirFrance90 is one of the best marketing campaigns I’ve ever seen executed by an airline and the department store in conjunction.
The Fashion Show was sold out for the duration of fashion week, and it’s only by pure luck that Nik snagged a final ticket from someone who cancelled on Monday that week.
There were many beautifully executed displays, and some interesting collectors items for sale. I planned only to visit to see the exhibits, and left with beautiful items I didn’t yet know about – with no regrets.
Even very expensive items were selling beautifully, as talks with the staff unveiled. Posters were sold out daily, including the beloved Tokyo and Mount Fuji poster on display, which I only secured thru my friend.
Luggage tags were refreshed daily and sold out daily.
Even the plateware sets were selling out really fast! I bought a set of used plates for 150 Euro – from the 1960s. Used plates!! And you know what – they’re one of a kind pieces selling like hot cakes.
I did meet the manager of the store while there – we hope to work together to host products on Oscape!
The experience was beautifully put together, perfectly timed for fashion week, with tons of fun displays that creatively marketed the airline brand.
Kudos to the Air France 90 Year Anniversary and One Bird team – celebrating the history of aviation elegance, I’ve never been so excited about Air France and flying after seeing Air France 90 Ans D’Elegance!
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