NICE, Jul 13, 2005/ FW/ --- Nice, the seventh largest city in France and a town of over 1 million residents might be 1000 kilometers away from Paris but fashion and shopping is very much alive.

So, it is not surprising that the store windows seen in the shopping malls are as intricate and as interesting as the ones we see in big cities.

And for those of us who follow the use of realistic mannequins in shop windows, it is good to report that they are alive and well at the French Riviera.

At the Galeries Lafayette in Saint Laurent du Var, a suburb of Nice, most of the store windows announce ‘Soldes’ or ‘Sale.’

As it is in Paris and the whole of France, July is “sale” season, as the country gets ready for the summer and of course Bastille Day. Celebrated on July 14, Bastille Day or National Feast Day marks the triumph of the French revolution and the birth of the French Republic.

So, like the in the United States wherein the 4th of July weekend means people traveling and spending their vacation out of town, the French go to the coast to enjoy the water and celebrate Bastille Day while they are on their holidays.

Retailers in the south of France, understanding this temporary migration dress up their store windows to attract the influx of consumers in their area.

Mango, a popular chain specializing in affordable trendy clothes used bigger than life shopping bags wherein three full-size mannequins fitted perfectly well.

Showing only the faces of the mannequins while covering the rest of their bodies from the shoulders down, and a huge sign that says “70% off,” the impact is so dramatic that one cannot help but stop and look.

At the Galeries Lafayette itself, the anchor of the shopping mall, the windows announced the launch of the Galeries Lafayette co-branded credit card with Visa.

Mounded on the glass pane, the sign covers ¾ of the store window wherein you only get a glimpse of the display.

Interestingly enough, the passerby after reading the credit card announcement “peep” behind the ‘billboard’ to see what was on display.

Nice, France

Nice, France

Nice, France

Nice, France