Chanel Fashion Week

Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.03.32 PMThere is a charming French film called Fauteuils d’Orchestre, which translates to Orchestra Seats, but came out in English as Avenue Montaigne, which is where all the drama unfolds. Impish Cecile de France, perhaps the best named actress in all of filmdom star in this poetic romcom. The movie begins with Cecile’s grandmother explaining she had to live surrounded by luxury, but as she had no money, she chose to work as the dame de piScreen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.03.05 PMpi, or bathroom monitor at the sumptuous Ritz hotel. I think of Mme Pipi often in my life as a journalist, honored to work in extraordinary circumstances, with a privileged peek into another world.

Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.02.45 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.02.30 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.02.18 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.02.05 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.01.49 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.01.35 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.01.25 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.01.15 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.01.04 PM Screen shot 2014-10-02 at 6.00.52 PMTuesday was a particularly spectacular day. Even the weather conspired to ensure absolute perfection as I headed out the door to shoot the crowds sauntering into the Grand Palais for the Chanel show. So much eye candy! As I shot, I thought of the grandmother and started to look around at my colleagues, the other photographers. A bunch of dandies if I ever saw a bunch of dandies. And I thought of my friend Joseph the Butler, a true Beau Brummel. It seems to me that many of the people who work for the rich and famous end up being the true trend setters, guiding them is what’s hot and what really shouldn’t be. The fashion paparazzi are dedicated to following la mode across the globe, developing an educated eye and indubitable style. After all it’s easy to look like a million when you have a million, but these men and women make fabulous happen with little more than their own inspirational creativity. So this season, I turned around from the stars and socialites to shoot them, the guys and gals who really have it going on.

Because the day had made its promises, I left the crowd to visit the opening of the Hokusai exhibition next door. Which was so fun, it deserves a post of its own. And next week I’ll tell you about meeting the Prince….

Fall-Winter 2014-15

Screen shot 2014-02-28 at 8.20.19 PMHarvey Weinstein is casually chatting away with Rihanna as five Eastern European sirens pose for a photo op. Rumors fly, Jessica Alba is in the house. Is that Emma Roberts? China doll beauties surround us, one wearing a short veil, studded with small blue blossoms, another with a six strand pearl choker that rises up her neck. Italian women looking like princesses, Americans like fashion iconics, Russians like stars. We are in a sea of luxury, from bags to shoes to furs to dresses, each woman looking more stunning than the next; cream colored lace, black silk, blue fox, silver moiré in a rainbow of colors.

The enormous white tent is packed; colorful, geometric lights creating a visual buzz, the heat of our bodies warming the space despite a rain sodden winter sky beyond the thin canvas. The lights dim, casting a blue tone an expectant hush over this unique privileged world, the world of Dior.

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A sudden shock of white light, with a jolt of techno music and the models begin to pour in… the lines are pure, with gentle curves that make even these too-thin, androgynous girls look like women. The first pieces are in muted tones, necklines low, an asymmetrical detail here, a splash of color there. Jackets are tied up in wide laces running up the side, down the back. These are the power suits of the 20 teens. 55 outfits plod past, worn by serious, intent women, their hair slicked back, hanging straight and long down their backs; a series of astrahkan coats one in a grey so lustrous it evoked rich, opulent pearls. And then a burst of powerful color as a bright yellow, vivid blue and dramatic fuschia bring a illicit a twitter, instagram, and vine excitement from the crowd.

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Screen shot 2014-02-28 at 8.23.29 PMAs the last model steps behind the podium, the rest file back out, a fashion parade celebrating Fall-WInter 2014-15 and the talent of Monsieur Raf Simons, a man who understands where women want to be, tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

A special thank you to the stunning Cindy Jones, for inviting me to be her guest and making another of this girl’s dreams  come true.

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Stepping on out…

SInce I was training for the 20km as I ran around from Palais to Musée during Paris Fashion Week, my feet got a tad sore and I developed something of an obsession for footwear… seeing all those torture chamber heels made my feet feel much better, and maybe gave me a bit of shoe envy. There are some gorgeous pieces out there this season.

I love the stappy lace up heels I saw in different variations. There were flowers galore and I think that next season everyone is going to be talking about lucite, because see-thru is definitely back. Saw it on these shoes, but also handbags and even a few dresses (yikes!).

 

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Friday@Flore

Yay! Firday@Flore is back… well kind of, because these photos were not taken at Flore, they’re all about Paris Fashion Week. But its street fashion and it is all about what is in now, THIS fall!!!

First on the dock, plaid! Perhaps inspired by the amazing success of the Kale project, it is time to let out your inner farmer, folks!!!

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In the weeks to come; keep your eyes out for that special shade of… (no, not 50 shades, and it is NOT grey, I promise!), the must have accessory du moment and shoes, ladies, lots o’ shoes!!!

I just can’t get enough…

More of Paris Fashion Week; outside the Chanel show this morning. I’d love to tell you all about everything we saw, but I’m off to raise money to fight breast cancer. When I get back, I have so much to share… like which is this season’s must have hat, what pattern you could bring out from the back of your closet, the effects on Paris fashion Week on training for a semi-marathon, a new magazine I LOVE and the resounding success of the latest FindingNoon Literary Salon… Words&Wine!!!Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.02.44 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.02.31 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.01.59 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.01.29 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.01.17 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.01.01 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.00.40 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 1.00.23 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 12.59.22 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 12.59.02 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 12.58.28 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 12.58.11 PM Screen shot 2013-10-01 at 12.53.54 PM

Paris Fashion Week SS 14

SS 14 is fashion speak for Spring/Summer 2014, and this being fall 2013, its that time of year again… Fashion Week. I’ve got Le Gastro, which is a charming local way of saying a tummy bug, so it wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to drag myself out into the glorious Paris sunshine and start shooting, but I had worked so hard getting the fashion show invites and I really do love seeing all those creative types out there doing their thing, I simply could not stay put. So while all the other girls were out there sporting their ‘it’ bags, I was sporting the bags under my eyes and taking as many clichés as I could get away with. Here is what I saw yesterday;Screen shot 2013-09-25 at 1.42.19 PM Screen shot 2013-09-25 at 1.42.03 PM Screen shot 2013-09-25 at 1.41.40 PM Screen shot 2013-09-25 at 1.40.32 PM Screen shot 2013-09-25 at 1.40.12 PM

Paris Fashion Week: Issey Miyake

And yes, its my favorite season, once again, Paris Fashion Week. It also happens to be winter break for the Paris school district, so I have had to tear myself away from the cocktails, street fashion and buzz of creative energy, tuned so high the sun is threatening to shine and drag the teen to the Alps. But not before I got in one show, and what a show.

On Thursday I received my invitation to the Issey Miyaki show, squealing with delight as I opened the envelope and terrifying my neighbor, who was also in our lobby at his mail box. That’s how it works for fashion week your Friday invitation arrives Thursday am, and you drop everything, changing your plans for the privilege of attending a show.

It was freezing outside, but I donned my bowler hat and headed out the door a bit early to catch the street fashion scene around the tent. Outside, it was bright grey skies, with the imposing white tent. Inside we plunged into a pitch black cavern.

The backdrop was white, cut with a long rectangle of electric blue light. Like fish in a tropical aquarium a team of DJs began spinning and dancing, a tsunami of energy flooded the room as the first model sauntered on out. Smiling. You rarely see models smiling during fashion week. I’d assumed that it was some unwritten code, like being quiet in museums.

But designer, Yoshiyuki Miyamae sees things otherwise and the models looked so happy to be wearing the fashions of this young, dynamic man that it seemed wearing his fashions would make me happy, too. It didn’t hurt that he showed a naïvely refreshing palette, like a kid gone wild with his classic 1958 Crayola coloring crayons; Prussian Blue, Spring Green, Orange Red and Salmon pink.

The cuts were just as generous, with large jackets, mammoth-bell bottom pants (the term is my way of saying, considerably wider than elephant bells) that fanned seductively and wide shift dresses.  The skirts were young and fun, while being long enough to cover my knobbly knees, for fashion so attractive I felt younger just watching the show.

Usually, after a show, the fashion journalists and buyers keep their faces as straight the models on the catwalk, trying to digest what they’d seen and draw a conclusion for themselves, But last Friday the crowd was a buzz with energy, talking about how much they’d loved the show and the explosive energy of what they’d seen. Monsieur Miyake knows that smiles really are contagious.

Chanel Haute Couture

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Paris Fashion Week est de retour, mais c’est trompeur, car il ne s’agit pas d’une semaine, mais de plusieures, enchaînées dans les grandes villes du monde. Tout de suite après une semaine pour les hommes, c’est au tour de la haute couture.

Haute Couture appartient à un tout autre univers que le prêt-à-porter que j’ai suivi en septembre. Même les journalistes arrivent avec un sac Birkin suspendu sur le coude,  les gardes du corps n’ouvrent pas la porte à n’importe qui sans invitation officielle et ceux qui arrivent en retard restent les bienvenus. C’est le monde des VIPs !

N’etant pas une fashionista confirmée, je suis condamnée à rester dehors avec les autres ; journalistes, bloggeurs et designers en germe. À l’intérieur il y a les privilegés, le monde de la mode et des belles. Très, très belles, comme Inès de la Fressange qui tweetait des photos des ensembles richement élégants qui passaient devant ses yeux. Et quelle chance, elle a twitter la robe de mes rêves (1000 mercis Inès !!!)

Dans les tweets j’ai remarqué des plumes. Beaucoup de plumes, ce qui ne m’etonne pas vraiement. Je les ai vu pour les fêtes chez Zara et H&M, sans parler de Brunello Cucinelli qui ornes des simples chemises en plume de boa. Soit j’ai une obsession ornithologique, soit les plumes sont ‘in’ !

 

 

 

 

La fourrure est à la mode aussi. Pas forcement sur scène, mais sur chaqu’une des spectateurs. Chapeaux, manteaux, gants, bottes, tout le monde était à poil !!!

 

Its Paris Fashion Week, yet again. That’s a lie, folks. There isn’t a fashion week. There are several weeks, one blending into the other in all of the major cities across the globe. This week’s fashion week is Haute Couture (last week it was men’s fashion).

Haute Couture serves a different clientele, so it brings in a different crowd. Even the journalists for these shows are toting Birkins, the guards don’t let in wanna bes like me without an invitation just because we look particularly deserving, and late comers are allowed entrance, this is haute couture after all, and everyone is a VIP!

My dream dress...

I stood outside with fashion journalists, bloggers and someday designers while the affluent and influential, the stylish and the gorgeous folk, people like Inès de la Fressange sat inside, tweeting each outfit, including my dream dress(es) and showing us what was coming “in”.

As people came out of the show they were happy and smiling and I even heard one American repeat the word “gorgeous” several times. This is extremely enthousiastic compared to anything I witnessed while stalking the prête à porter scene.

From the tweets, I saw feathers, lots of feathers. Which isn’t exactly a shock. I saw them on dresses at H&M and Zara this holiday season and Brunello Cucinelli has been using them as shirt collars for a year or two now. But this is Karl, so its official, they’re in.

Another ‘in’ is fur. It wasn’t in the show, but it was on pretty much everyone who attended the show. From hats to muffs, trimming coats, shoes and gloves, the fur was flying!!!

 

 

+ d’images….