A surprising carousel for young and old is set up at Place Vendôme at Christmas

We can bet that the photos of young people side-saddle on the giraffe or the snail of the Louis Vuitton carousel, just installed in front of its Vendôme boutique in Paris, will soon make the rounds on social networks. For those who are more attentive, this attraction is the same as the carousel at the center of the trunk maker’s end-of-year advertising campaign (which also ends with fireworks at Place Vendôme). It is inspired by the round stand draped in velvet, designed for the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900 by Georges Vuitton to display trunks and travel accessories. It also recalls the one, spectacular but in more pastel shades, used on the podium of the last Marc Jacobs show for the brand in 2011 (“It’s a metaphor for fashion: it recycles and recycles, fortunately it’s endless!», he joked backstage, a few days before his departure). The carousel for this Christmas 2024 is also impressive, topped with a sparkling marquee displaying the name of the house, under which around fifteen multicolored wooden animals will rotate throughout the month of December, from the four corners of the world (one greyhound, an ostrich, a leopard…). The public will be able to ride it for free, every day.

Place Vendôme is used to being talked about, and not only thanks to the large carats that its jewelers display in their windows. Particularly at the end of the year since it has become a must for all fans of illuminations and passing tourists who cannot resist taking photos in front of the giant fir trees and magical decorations. Last year, the Ritz hotel also installed a small carousel and a few chalets selling hot chocolate. The year before, Chaumet had personalized a food truck offering coffee and sweets in its colors. “Since 2020, we have received more and more requests from our members for festive events», confirms Elisabeth Tarantino, general delegate of the Vendôme Committee which coordinates the coherence of these projects also validated by the Paris City Hall and the Prefecture. This year, the Committee also piloted new decorations shining brightly around all the window arcades of the square, aiming to highlight the architecture of the place.

Also read
Jewelry: hunt for “little” treasures Place Vendôme

This Christmas carousel is added to the long list of events which punctuate the life of this Parisian landmark built at the end of the 17th century all year round.^e century, in the middle of the fields. In addition to the architectural and historical upheavals which saw the original statue of Louis XIV replaced by the Napoleonic column, itself unbolted several times, these 20,000 m² have seen all the colors. Between the crowds of fans in front of the Ritz every Fashion Week if Kate Moss or Kendall Jenner are staying in the palace, the departures or arrivals of more or less old car rallies (Pekin-Paris, Rallye des Princesses…), or even the open-air Vogue show that divided fashion fans last spring, it is often the artistic installations, particularly during Art Basel Paris, that make the most noise. We thus remember the controversy sparked by Paul McCarthy’s Tree in 2014, an inflatable green fir tree which had nothing of Advent, the monumental work of Bernar Venet (2023), the golden wheat fields of the artist Gad Weil with the support of Chanel (2016)… There is nothing subversive about the enchanted Christmas carousel!

Louis Vuitton carousel, from Saturday November 30, 2024 from 3 p.m., to Wednesday January 1, 2025. Free access from Monday to Friday and public holidays, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Weekends, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.