Catwalks and ice-cream cones

Q: How did fashion shows earn their place at the expo?

A: Fashion shows were introduced at the Paris Expo in 1855 by royal tailor Charles Frederick Worth. Worth's rise as a designer coincided with the establishment of the Second Empire in France, a time when Napoleon III was emperor.

When Napoleon III married Empress Eugnie, her tastes set the style at court and her dresses were easily duplicated by women of the upper classes. Worth's designs were preferred by the empress, whose patronage ensured his success as a popular dressmaker.