Premier mannequin de Paris

Before Naomi, Linda, Iman, Gisele were tagged as supermodels, there was one Parisian who took the world by storm— a century earlier to be exact, at the time when Coco Chanel was six years old and learning how to sew in the orphanage she was in. As first assignment, what this French supermodel had to do was stand tall (and hold the record of being the tallest for 41 years) and let the world gape in awe at her statuesque splendor.

The original French supermodel that became the republic’s icon. The tallest of her kind when she was unveiled & she held the title for 41 years.

Launched at a very important Paris event, the Exposition Universelle or the World’s Fair, this lady was at the forefront of the exposition, the first face to meet and greet everyone who came.

Tall & statuesque, this lady was at the forefront of the 1889 World's Fair, her debut.

And she still does today, more than a century after her launching. At present, she is adored, receiving millions of visitors annually. She greeted her 250-millionth guest in 2010. Never aging, she became the icon of the French capital, even of the republic. When you say France, it’s her image that pops to mind.

Never aging & forever adored. She continues to receive visitors today from across the globe. Her 250-millionth guest was received in 2010.

Named after her “couturier”, a talented engineer named Gustave Eiffel, she would be modeling Paris’ most impressive haute couture piece, an impressive latticework made by hand, by thousands of skilled workers that took two years to put together countless components.

Haute couture engineering. Made by hand, by thousands of workers, by countless components

She would be on top of anyone’s list on a scheduled trip to Paris. If not (which is crazy), it’s impossible not to spot her form any point in the city. Did you forget she once held the title of world’s tallest at 1,063 feet high? That’s equivalent to an 81-storey building. You can’t miss her while walking the cobblestone streets, or while you’re having a sip of coffee by your favorite sidewalk café, she may even be the first image you see from your window when you wake up in the morning.

Her presence cannot be ignored. It’s impossible not to get a glimpse of her from anywhere around the city.

It’s even more unimaginable to miss her these days, especially with an added feature to her haute couture getup. On the hour of every hour every night, this lady puts on a show and glitters like exploding lights giving birth to new stars. The entire City of Lights is her stage at night!

An added feature to her haute couture getup—thousands of lights bursting like the birth of new stars.

Yes, I always see her whenever I set foot on Paris. I’ve see her from afar and up-close. I’ve climbed her twice, from her foot to her waist, and she took me all the way to her crown and offered me a panoramic tour of her stunning, historically rich city. Each time I see it from her point of view, it always takes my breath away.

A ticket to reach her crown.

Each time I see Paris from this supermodel’s point of view, it always takes my breath away.

A vista so vonga! (read: fabulous)

Through her point of view, she will offer you a magnificent panorama of her historic city & the Sacre Coeur from a distance.

How about you, have you met the premier mannequin de Paris? When you’ve been to Paris, chance are, you have. But have you seen Paris from her perspective?

How far I am from home. No, not Moscow or Lithuania, the first flag.

For more travel & lifestyle stories, visit http://jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com/ and http://apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com/

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on October 09, 2014.