The Iron Lady (La Dame de Fer)
THE IRON LADY 🗼
1889 — Paris reaches new heights
It’s impossible to imagine Paris without its iconic silhouette. Yet the monument affectionately known today as the “Iron Lady” was never intended to remain part of the Parisian landscape forever.
Built by Gustave Eiffel and his teams for the 1889 World’s Fair, the Eiffel Tower was created to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution and showcase France’s industrial and engineering expertise. Construction began in 1887 and was completed in just two years, two months, and five days.
On March 31, 1889, Gustave Eiffel officially inaugurated the tower by raising the French flag at its summit. Standing 300 metres tall — not including the antennas added later — it became the tallest structure in the world, a record it would hold for more than 40 years.
Initially fiercely criticized by many Parisian artists and writers, the tower was originally meant to be dismantled after twenty years. Its scientific value, particularly for radio transmissions, ultimately helped save it.
More than a century later, the Iron Lady has become one of the most famous monuments in the world and the ultimate symbol of Paris.
A silhouette designed to impress, destined to become forever Parisian.
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A NOTE FROM THE CREATOR 💌 The Eiffel Tower holds a very special place in my journey. In 2023, I set up my little booth at the Christmas market for the very first time, without really knowing where it would all lead. That’s where a large part of my Paris-inspired collection was born, through encounters with customers from all over the world. I watched their eyes light up at the sight of Paris, and mine probably even more when I realized that my work would be travelling home with them, sometimes thousands of miles away. Ever since, whenever I catch a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, I think back to that first Christmas market, all the people I met, the long days spent in my chalet, and how far I’ve come since then. To me, it represents the beginning of a whole new chapter for Studio Cot Cot.
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