Hi! I’m Leah Van Loon and I’ve been obsessed with Paris since my first visit in 2008. I established Fashion Experience Tours in 2015 to offer a fashion and craftsmanship perspective to my clients and friends who often asked what I would do with a week in Paris. I am obsessed with how things are created and the incredible artistry behind what you see in a fashion museum or on the runway. My tours are always different featuring new opportunities to showcase Parisian artisans, designers, specialty fashion exhibitions and historical archives.
I’m especially interested in the inner workings of the rarified world of haute couture (high dressmaking) and the remarkable craftsmanship of these local artisans and creatives. Major luxury and haute couture fashion houses like Dior, Valentino, Chanel, Hermès, Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and more, rely on the special skills and creativity that these independent artisans offer. Other metiers, like architecture, interior design, fine art and French culture itself, offer inspiration to fashion designers while also being influenced by the world of fashion. Craftsmanship remains the underlying thread that connects the various activities I offer on each group experience.
The best part of travelling with a group is that we have more opportunities to privatize experiences. Haute couture ateliers (like everything else in Paris) can be quite compact so by keeping numbers low I can offer more artisan experiences to my guests. I use my insider knowledge of the fashion industry to bring you private tours and special visits that are exclusive to my groups. I am excited to welcome you on this very special week showcasing French culture, sightseeing, artisan workshops and world class museums along with a wonderful group of like-minded people.
Let’s go to Paris!
My Bio
I am a semi-retired fashion and commercial stylist with over 25 years experience in fashion, advertising, film and television. My writing and styling work have been published in magazines internationally and I appear regularly on radio and television. I am currently a contributor to Elle magazine, writing about Parisian ateliers, and I appear regularly 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 both my home of Calgary and in Paris.
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!
”
“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!”