Fashionable Prague – or is it?
12-02-2006
Often known as the jewel in the crown of central Europe, Paris of the East or the city with a hundred towers the Czech Republic capital Praque has captured the minds and hearts of many tourists (particularly for stag weekends!) . But what’s it like for fashion?
It takes just 1 hour and 40 minutes to fly from London to Praque and the wonders of outstanding architecture will astound you! When I went over recently it was freezing cold but, unthwarted, I was on a mission to discover whether Prague also had fashion to live up to its reputation.
It’s relatively a small city and you don’t need to do the numerous guided tours with a brisk man holding a cane high above his head barking salient points of history. You can walk down to the Old Town Square where you can be inspired by some of the most stunning architecture Europe has to offer. You can marvel at the Old Town Hall and the 13th Century Astronomical Clock. The clock is actually a masterpiece when on the hour it comes alive with a procession of apostles.
You also have to visit the world renowned Charles Bridge built in the early 15th Century overlooking the Vltava river. And of course there is Prague Castle which is located in the heart of Mala Stana high above the Old Town.
As you can see by the picture there are some hunky looking guards around the Prague Castle where they change at the palace everyday at noon. Well worth a wait!
The in place to be spotted is at Kampa Park restaurant where its a celebrity hot spot. The restaurant is in an ideal location on the castle side of the Charles Bridge along the riverbank. You can dine on the heated winter terrace and take in the breathtaking views of the bridge and the city.
Alas fashion it does not have. I wanted to also marvel at eclectic boutiques with a unique handwriting but I was sorely disappointed. I saw M&S, Hennes, C&A, Zara and a host of other big store names. I could have been working walking down Oxford Street which certainly is not inspiring at the best of times besides Selfridges creative window displays.
So anyone from Prague reading this article please tell me I am wrong! There must be designer streets that have niche markets that cater for all the celbs that visit the wonderful Prague? There must be structured suits and tailoring that mirror the magical towers and spires of the old city; flowing silk chiffons that capture the magic of the Vltava river….?
Jenny Holloway
Industry Advisor
