Chapter 102: Paris Fashion Week
Although Lyon was the center of France's textile industry, these figures were truly shocking to see.
Aside from silk products, France could still hold its own with high-end apparel, but all other cotton, wool, and linen fabrics were utterly crushed by British products.
This clearly demonstrated the immense damage the Eden Treaty inflicted on French industry.
Joseph continued to pore over the documents, and sure enough, the situation was largely as he had predicted. France's steel, glass, and porcelain industries were also in disarray, seemingly on the verge of total collapse within a year or two.
No wonder France's Industrial Revolution lagged behind Britain's by half a century and could never quite catch up. While the destructive factors of the Great Revolution played a part, the Eden Treaty also undoubtedly had its hand in this decline.
He immediately felt a mountain of pressure.
He had used a few minor tricks to secure a three-year tariff barrier for France, but after those three years, an industrial showdown loomed.
Currently, he had to solve the food problem while also developing industry, supporting every sector himself. How could he not feel stressed?
Moreover, food required money, and industrial development required even more money, yet French banks had invested all their capital in Britain...
Feeling a little agitated, he simply got up and went out, intending to take in the Parisian night scene and give his mind a rest.
The cold wind outside, blowing against his face, indeed made his head feel much clearer. However, Paris's sanitation was far worse than that of Versailles Palace; even the wind carried a faint, unpleasant odor.
Fortunately, unlike other French nobles, he didn't douse himself in large amounts of perfume; otherwise, that potent mix of perfume and foul odors would have been absolute torture for the nose.
Joseph pulled up his collar. Behind him, Eman hurried to catch up, draping a thick, scarlet woolen cloak over his shoulders.
"Oh, thank you very much."
Joseph turned to thank him, suddenly noticing the tall, cold wall to his left.
He then looked up and further out, realizing the wall's incredible length, stretching on until it disappeared into the night, with no end in sight.
Joseph moved more than ten paces to the right, changing his angle, and only then did he see the tall, pointed spires of the building behind the wall.
"What is that place?" He pointed at the spire, turning to ask Eman.
"Your Highness, that is the Tuileries Palace."
Joseph blinked. No wonder the building was so grand; it was the old royal palace.
The Tuileries Palace was King Henry III's royal residence, but Louis XIV, under the threat of the Fronde and seeking to better control the nobility, moved out and built Versailles Palace.
Thus, from the seventeenth century onward, the Tuileries Palace had remained vacant. Historically, after the Great Revolution erupted, Louis XVI was forced by the citizens of Paris to move here and lived for a period.
He suddenly recalled the report he had seen a few days prior, where the Paris City Hall requested funds from the Finance Minister for the autumn/winter fashion show. Glancing back at the Tuileries Palace, an idea gradually formed in his mind.
As the dominant force in European fashion, France, ever since Louis XIV, had held two fashion shows annually—for spring/summer and autumn/winter collections.
And throughout the entire European fashion world, everyone looked to Paris as the leader. Each show invariably sparked new fashion trends that swept across the continent.
From Joseph's understanding, the current "fashion show" simply involved setting up an exhibition hall where famous designers displayed their works on stage. Reporters and fashion industry professionals would then comment and record below.
From a modern perspective, this was an egregious waste of hype and attention.
It was a wasted golden opportunity to make money!
The old royal palaces of France could, after all, be used for other purposes.
For example, the Louvre Palace currently served as the Royal Museum.
Joseph walked quickly around the Tuileries Palace on the icy pavement, nodding inwardly.
'It has scale, grandeur, and selling points.'
If packaged correctly, an "IP" as massive as the Tuileries Palace, combined with Paris's reputation as a fashion hub, could generate an enormous cash flow with just a little promotion.
'To think it's been vacant for over a century—what a reckless waste of resources!'
As he plotted how to maximize the profits from this attraction, he momentarily felt that even the cold night wind wasn't as biting as before.
"The name 'fashion show' has no pizzazz," Joseph murmured, shaking his head slightly. However, as someone terrible at naming things, he ultimately had no choice but to borrow the name from his past life. "Let's call it 'Paris Fashion Week.'"
Of course, despite being called a "Fashion Week," it didn't necessarily have to last only a week. Later, they could add "Experience Seasons," "Promotional Weeks," or "Gala Events," easily stretching it into a month-long affair.
He pointed at the Tuileries Palace and turned to ask Eman, "Count Eman, do you know how many rooms are here?"
"That... Your Highness, I'm afraid I don't know, but it must be at least over 2,000 rooms."
"That many? Excellent!" Joseph's face lit up. "Let's say 700 of the well-located rooms will be rented out to merchants as shops, at a monthly rent of 50 to 150 Livres."
Considering this was a royal palace, that rent was absolutely fair.
Joseph pondered aloud, 'The remaining rooms can be rented out cheaply or used as hotel rooms, easily fetching 3 to 10 Livres per day.
'The main hall spaces will have higher monthly rent, say 1,000 Livres. We'll also build some advertising boards on the palace square and sell them to merchants.
'Hmm, we also need to find a spokesperson. When it comes to the fashion world, I have the whole of Europe's fashion trendsetter right here, the epitome of luxury and elegance.'
He recalled the success of "Angel Water" at Versailles Palace:
'Go and ask the Queen; she should agree to be the Fashion Week's image ambassador. With newspaper publicity and the Queen's portrait, wouldn't nobles from all over Europe flock here?
'And then, find some jewelry, shoe, and hat merchants to discuss endorsements. Things like "Royal Exclusive" or "Queen's Designated"—just the Queen's endorsement fee alone could bring in hundreds of thousands of Livres!'
"Regarding the specific venue arrangements," Joseph then looked at Eman, "where can I find the architectural layout of the Tuileries Palace?"
"Your Highness, you might have to check with the City Hall."
Joseph said with a touch of regret, "It seems we'll have to wait until tomorrow then."
He took a deep breath. If preparations could be made quickly enough, the Fashion Week could be held in February.
Before that, contacting the textile merchants in Lyon and having them bring their excess inventory to Paris to sell would recoup a large portion of the costs.
If successful, orders would surely pour in, likely supporting Lyon's production for half a year.
And here in Paris, Fashion Week would undoubtedly draw in a large number of foreigners. The tourism revenue from accommodation, food, and travel would also be substantial—truly killing two birds with one stone!
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