Missing You In Paris from Prete Moi Paris on Vimeo.
As a Paris expat blogger, I am always happy to let you all know about my other fellow expat friends and bloggers. I am thrilled to present you with two fabulous ladies today!
A Paris Fashion Week presentation, in a folklore luxe setting, where models lounge under the spotlights in a carved wood decorated room at the opulent Plaza Athénée luxury hotel on avenue Montaigne…Augustin Teboul.
Photo : Prête-Moi Paris
Photo by : Lauren Cashwell
The calm and quiet zen of spring water, a dreamlike Japanese afternoon, the body is warm and relaxed, unconstrained in the soft draping jersey that clings to it gently.
I was invited to attend the Spring-Summer 2013 couture show in Paris held at the luxurious Shangri-La palace hotel in Paris for Didit Hediprasetyo, one of the designers I have been following now for several seasons. One of the things I appreciate the most about his collections is that they change entirely every season, but still to the trained eye, you can pick out the details that are so typical to his work.
Didit never ceases to inspire me, as every season his collections are completely different. He comes up with an entirely new concept, idea and theme, that he always displays with elegance and craftsmanship. The models all dressed in Didit’s version of Japanese zen-wear, stepped slowly onto the padded platforms where they each took their place in the “tableau” that had been imagined by Didit.
I have a lovely habit of wasting time on one of my favorite websites : ShopStyle. It’s like having the world as a closet and being able to create outfits form millions and millions of articles. It’s addicting. I am warning you now.
I am also a big fan of Dita. You know who I am talking about. She inspires me and well frankly, I wish I had her waredrobe and work-out regime!
I created some looks from pictures of Dita Von Teese found off of Google. It was time-consuming but fun to browse thousands of pieces of clothing and accessories, looking for that one perfect piece to illustrate her outfits.
I almost didn’t go to this show. I was running from one show, to the next (literally) and really didn’t think I would make it. But I surprisingly did! Although I arrive panting and prespiring, just in time for the show to be…delayed. Yay. But it gave me a chance to cool down. Unfortunately my alloted seat was long gone, but I got a spot on the side where I would get good pictures without bothering anyone. Continue reading
Claudine Ivari (center) with her two sisters who model in her shows
I was thrilled to be invited to Claudine Ivari’s Fall/Winter prête-à-porter collection. The invitation itself was telling of the playful creativity of this designer. It was made like a plane ticket with the destination as “Paris Fashion Week”. LOVE it!
I went with my friend, model Kelsey Close, who admitted to me that it was her first time seeing a show from this perspective and not as a model walking in it! What a perfect show for her first one. Not overwhelming but opulent just the same. Claudine’s shows are held in the giant and luxurious space where she also has her show room and holds her private sales. It’s a classified building, and so quintessentialy Parisian! Continue reading
Moon Young Hee’s show was set in a bright white well lit space on the edgeof the Marais in Paris.
Straight lines with some asymetrics going on, black white and play on volumes as well as a few interesting pieces with lace and beading, and organza accents in bright hues mark this collection for next Spring. The models walked slowly, nonchalantly, in derby Repetto like flats (perhaps they were Repettos but no press was handed out with the seats in oder to verify). But honestly, I think many of these pieces would look great paired with heels. Especially since there is a streak of long lines running through this collection.
I love the deep V neck line, and that black lace skirt is just gorgeous. Makeup and hair evoked a lovely and sweet Spring ideal… Hmmm, ideas for my June wedding?!? There were also a few ruffles pieces with enough volume to invite you to dive in, much like a cream pie, and it contrast a bit from much of the collection, but then if you compare it to the billowed hip sillhouette, it’s not so out of place.
Here are some of my photos of my top picks of the show.
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During Haute Couture week at the beginning of July I stopped into the “atelier” or workshop of Valerian Hughes to check out his Fall-Winter 2011-2012 collection. It’s small but lovely.
On the top floor of a building on the Champs Elysées, guests mingled about with each other and the designer sipping champagne under the slanted rooftop walls, while waiting for the models to prepare for a mini défilé in the small space. It was cosy and intimate, and a bit sweltering under the hot tin Parisian roof.
But It’s always a pleasure for me to see the designers in their element at presentations like this. It’s much different than a grand catwalk or giant show room. Here friends, guests, journalists and bloggers all have direct access to the artist.
Eight pieces total were shown. His theme is “Venus, star of the night” and it it looks sometimes like a step back in time, and sometimes completely modern, which is impressive that this kind of variation can be achieved in such a small collection.
Iris : Jacket in python and pencil skirt in satin silk and leather. I like the cinched waist and the skirted jacket with the tight fitting pencil skirt. A classic and classy silhouette. The python makes it feel a bit more modern and edgy :
Diane : With a generous fur collar and satin leather pleated vest in the back and a pencil skirt, this creation looks like it came right off a 1940′s magazine cover. All she’s missing is the cigarette stem and a few giant diamond rings :
Persephone : Satin silk in black with organza and silk flowers with black tulle. A very sultry piece, yet holds onto a more girly-feminine aspect with the silk and tulle flowers. But I bet that must itch on the skin all that tulle :
Luna : A kimono inspired long dress in a iridescent gray satin silk. So, the big bow is back huh? :
Aurore : Silver fox fur collar, with a silk skirt that is embellished with swaroswki crystals. I can image how soft that fur must feel against the bare skin….. This piece seems almost to lean towards racy with is non-existant back and revealing front. It brings the collection to a full circle of variety! :
Venilia : A bustier dress in dark gray silk satin and swaroswki crystals. A wide mermaid cut on the skirt and a slight scrunch just below the waist in front gives this gown a look that is très à la mode :
Venus : Midnight blue for the Venus, star of the night, with a python bustier and an organza bow, it’s sweet and slightly younger than most of the pieces of the collection.
The bride : Ivory silk satin with pleated quills of tulle, and a draped tulle and lace bustier and a veil bordered by crystals and lace… this bride is full of grace.
Set in the sumptuous hotel Palace, le Crillon, Didit served Champagne at the entrance and handed out black boxes with a single red rose in it at the exit. The show also took it’s sweet time before starting. Hey this is luxury people, no one wants to rush you!
Soft classical music floated throughout the two gilded rooms where buyers, journalists, bloggers, friends of the designer and other ticket holders were seated. Plush square white leather stools were lined around the two rooms. The rooms were big enough to seats guests, a group of photographers in one corner and spectators and allow the models to walk, but small enough to allow for an intimate feel and a detailed look at the garments. Continue reading
Le concept : traduire un ancien billet et français, déjà pour pratiquer mon français à l’écrit mais aussi pour faire un geste envers mes lecteurs et lectrices francophones! N’hésitez pas à me corriger mon français.
The concept : translate an old post into French, first in order to practice my written French, but also to be a bit more welcoming to my francophone readers! Don’t hesitate to correct my French.
Read original post in English here
(Original post published the 15th of September 2010 / Billet d’origine publié le 15 septembre 2010 )
éphémère – Ce qui ne dure pas longtemps…
Au centre du quartier Châtelet à Paris, il y a une petite boutique de “trésors”… C’est comme le centre crémeux d’un beignet frais, ou le ganache au centre d’un macaron (mais par les macarons de MacDo, ceci est l’équivalent mode d’un macaron-délicat-fait-maison).
C’est aussi un lieu où il faut retourner souvent, car les choix changent d’une manière constante. Haut Les Arts Boutique des Créateurs est une boutique qui est tenue par une collective, un groupe d’artiste et créateurs. chaque semaine certains enlèvent leurs créations, certains restent un peu plus et de nouveaux arrivent. Et il y a quelque chose pour chaque style et chaque budget.
Vérifier le site pour savoir quels créateurs exposent en ce moment.
Tous les jours: 11h // 20h
1 Rue Ste Opportune,
75001 à Paris
M° Châtelet – RER Les Halles (sortie n°6 Sainte Opportune)
Souvent vous pouvez trouver :
Des slips style garçon, mais pour des filles de Pon Pon, par créatrice Leatitia Guillet.
(photo de Pon Pon’s website)
Aussi de Pon Pon des petit porte-monnaie mignon, et des boucles d’oreilles, faits avec des fermetures éclaire.
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des chapeaux et des accessoires pour son coiff’ son revenus à la mode. La créatrice/modiste Laurence Le Clerc te couvrira la tête.
Voici quelques-unes de ses créations (photos de son siteweb photos de Davoud Ohadi)
Soudain je me trouve mal coiffée!
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Savez-vous que le charbon qui vien du bois a des éléments bénéfiques, et que son utilisation est une vieille tradition japonaise?
Lorène Hayat et Hirohiko Kamiya créent des bijoux à partir de cet élément qui vient des arbres de chêne Holm provenant de la forêt protégée dans la région de Kishu au Japon. La combustion et le traitement du bois est très particulier et doit être fait par des ouvriers très doués. Le substance qui en résulte a un structure poreux. Il absorbe de l’humidité et des odeurs ainsi que d’autres toxicités dans l’air et dans l’eau. C’est un produit naturellement anti-termite quand on le place sous les planches du sol. Et l’on croit aussi qu’il absorbe des ondes électromagnétiques provenant de nos appareils électriques, et il pourrait aussi éliminer du CO2 et contient des propriétés infra-rouge qui améliore la circulation sanguine. Trouver Charcoal Eskimeit dans la boutique ou en-ligne.
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Et le dernier mais pas le moindre : une partie du concept de la mode est la beauté et le bien-être, et Les Secrets de Loly comprend cela d’autant plus qu’elle comprend le besoin pour des produits de qualité, naturels qui sont fait en respect de la nature. (Les photos viennent de son site web où vous pouvez acheter ses produits si vous ne pouvez pas vous déplacer au magasin)/
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Bon shopping chers amis!
Chantal Voisin-Simon is the 3rd generation of Simons to run their boutique on the boulevard Saint Michel, and she’s been doing so since 1958, so she’s seen a few events go down for sure!
Chantal Voisin-Simon with one of her hand-made parasols
Almost 9 years ago I purchased an umbrella there, and have always marveled at the fact that this boutique remains, while everything else around it seems to change.
Her grandfather, Mr. Simon opened up shop over 100 years ago back in 1897. He had the whole corner of the street back then and dedicated it to what we now refer to as “accessesoires de mode” but back then they had a much more delightful term : “frivolités”. But the space proved to be too large and had to be parcelled off and sales space for the “frivolités” was greatly sized down. A café was put in on the corner and there used to be a butcher where there is now a place to get eyewear.
Chantal remembers in 1968 when the student protests were happening, how the windows of the butcher shop were broken and the pyramide of canned peas served as amunition for rebellious youngsters in those famous protests.
The boutique Simon sells “créateurs” umbrellas, some from Chantal Thomass, some from Jean Paul Gaultier, but 95% of their wares come from small altelier-workshops that have small productions. Chantal likes working with these small productions for the care and detailed attention they put into their work, trying to inovate in colors and designs every year. But there are a small amount of Simon-made umbrellas that are made by the house, stunning handmade pieces that are pure luxury.
Hnad-made Simon parapluie
But not only are the umbrellas charming, the shop is also as lovely as a picture, like a giant jewel box of sorts, for umbrellas. The boutique was used as a model in fact for the movie, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort.
The fourth generation of Simons is currently preparing to take of the running of the store, Chantal informed me proudly. Her son. I wish them many generations to come of parasols, parapluies and ombrelle sales to keep us all fashionable and happy in anyweather indeed.
Parapluies Simon
56 boulevard Saint Michel
75006 Paris
Tel : 0143541204
PoshGlam links! http://www.poshglam.com/christophe-decarnin-leaves-balmain-for-good/ #BALMAIN #CHRISTOPHEDECARNIN
Introducing three new bloggers to the Paris fashion scene: Amy Newman, Lauren Trani, and Dina Chipiga. After sharing our obsession with Paris Fashion Week with Melissa, we were lucky enough to be invited to two presentations that she was unable to attend herself! We’ve decided to share our interpretations of the designs with you all, from the perspectives of three wide-eyed fashionistas in Paris.
The first presentation that we got ot go to was a display of Innamorato’s Fall/Winter 2011 line. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but it almost felt like walking into a scene from the Devil Wears Prada! We loved all of the neutral colors accented with royal blues and some gold shimmer.
There also seemed to be a chic 50’s vibe throughout the collection. The use of belts and draping in different pieces really added to the feminine silhouettes emphasized in the collection.
After talking to the PR rep, we learned that Innamorato’s pieces were sold at our next stop – Merci Merci Bijoux!
Merci Merci Bijoux is a hidden treasure for department store lovers. In a private room tucked away in the back of the store, a vast assortment of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and so much more was on display. Small-scale French designers, taking inspiration from all over the world, each showed a few pieces representative of their summer 2011 collections. Merci Bijoux also displayed their own collection where simplicity was an obvious theme. Delicate charms were everywhere! 
Lauren was drawn to the floral fabrics in Merci’s bracelets, while Amy was attracted to Aurélie Bidermann’s statement pieces. The Bidermann line had a lot of bright colors and rope.
The piece that struck us the most was this gorgeous mask necklace:
We could definitely imagine a Parisian girl rocking this look!
We are so grateful for this amazing opportunity, and these experiences are only the beginning of our Paris fashion love affair.
Mal-Aimée is actually a fashion brand, and there’s plenty to love… clothing made in France, attention to detail, young designers, interesting cuts, and a style identity that expresses itself from one season to the next.
This is not your mass-market brand, and thank goodness for that. It’s a youthful brand, and could use a little boosting from the fashion community in Paris for the designers are dedicated to a true search for quality, inspiration and style.
I was glad to see Jean Paul Cauvin at the presentation on March 8th 2011 at the palace hotel Le Crillon, as e was last season. I got up the nerve to approach him and ask him a few questions, and found and affirmation of my assumptions that he is a journalist who prefers to preoccupy himself with fashion designers who are more in the search of quality of design and product than with designers who are out to make a sensation for a few years for profit. He’s my kinda fashion journalist!!!
Concerning the collection, there’s similar cits from last season, but with a lot more “daring”, and a more seasonal approach to material. Although I do find though that the articles tend to be out-of-season (shorts); but this is not the first brand I have seen do this for Fall and Winter collections this year.
Half the fun of fashion week is seeing all the fashionistas and cavaliers strutting around. Some take themselves VERY seriously, some don’t have a serious hair on their head, but 100% of them are fabulous to look at. And fashion week is a sort of oggle yourself silly free-for-all, where anything goes!
Jean Paul CAUVIN
Comment if you have names for me!
BACK TO BASICS
Set to music by Koji Miyakawa, the Commuun show started out with a “white is white” (production) virginal palette and moved progressively towards an almost rainbow status, with a concentration on volumes and shapes displayed by ample ruffling mostly around the bust. The collection also goes from an almost sports-wear style to a fluffy-girlie style, yet retains a seriousness with it’s bold colors and geometric lines. Mixed texture pieces seem to be a common theme for next Fall from more than one designer, as we see in the fabric striping here as well with sheer and fur.
The Commuun garments look, as always, easy and breezy to wear, as if they are as light as air, as if they are almost not there. A little too light for winter-wear perhaps, but the two designers whom I met at their after party at the Fidelity in the 10th, explained to me that they went back to their roots, to the original inspirations for this collection (which differs so much from last winter’s collection that had a more African desert theme).
The short dresses with bust ruffles and the white hooded 3/4 sleeved jacket will be sure to be coveted.
Dior, by Galliano
The nineties and the first decade of the new millennium brought us an entire spectrum of emotions that the Musée des Arts Décoratifs has decided to commemorate in an intimate look at some of the most influential designers, in the second volume of their retrospective exhibition : Histoire idéale de la mode contemporaine. Starting with Maison Martin Margiela and ending with Balençiaga with sandwiched inbetween everyone from Dries Van Noten to Alexander McQueen to John Galliano, Karl Lagerfield with Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Prada, Comme des Garçon, Martine Sitbon….and more.
The expo began with these words (translated by me) : The nineties was the decade of maturity. They were also radical years, completely opposing the preceding decade.” …… “The first decade of the millennium were years marked definitively by the graveness of the events that punctuated them. The euphoric start of the new century was in part stunned by world-wide tragedies. The world of fashion put on a more discreet demeanor.”
Each designer that is displayed has several pieces set in a mise-en scène with lighting, and a video of a défilé or two that helps define the artist’s true nature, or inspiration. Some of the artists reinvent themselves over and over, so it is hard to chose one particular collection, but if it can’t pin them down to one style or inspiration it can at least communicate what drives these designers to create, and display what they bring to their art.
Just some of my personal highlights :
Dries Van Noten, his SS2005 show, set to the musical piece “Boléro” by Ravel, with the models walking the length of a podium turned into very long white linen table and the spectators had glasses of wine they were drinking out of, with dozens of chandeliers hanging in a line over the table. The spectacle was so breathtaking that I forgot to look at the clothes!
photo: style.com
Lanvin
Lanvin, by Claude Montana, with stiff form holding pieces made mostly out of silk. The amount of work it must have taken to find the right composition so that the fabrics held these very striking forms…it’s a science really.Plus the video of his Automn-winter 1990-1991 and Spring-Summer 1992 where a stunning Linda Evangelista walks the podium, and the collection is full of that sheer classy elegance that Lanvin is famed for.
Photo: Guy Marineau, from museum website
Alexander McQueen’s Spring-Summer 2004 collection shown in the form of a 30 minute show that was inspired from the novel “They shoot horses don’t they” (1935) that was turned into a movie by Sydney Pollack, 1969, (which I have actually seen many years ago); a story about a dance marathon during the Great Depression, starring Jane Fonda, that tries to take a look at what desperate people will put themselves through. It’s a study in psychology more than a fashion show, and gives a hint to those emotions that simmered within this incredible artist.
Dior
Dior’s gown, from the 2004-2005 collection, by John Galliano, shows the bottomless source of over-the-top creativity of the designer for this couture house. The gown gives a whole new meaning to the shape of a woman, and although it is different and not common, it is beyond beautiful, and displays the fact that couture is art first and fashion second.
D&G
A Dolce & Gabana bodice made entirely out of gem-like “stones”. from the Autumn-winer ’91-’92 collection at the start of the nineties, that was shown to mixed Madaonna hits, and was composed of mostly whites, contrasting with what most palettes are composed of for winter wear, this blinged-out bodice shows the remnants of the 80′s that influenced fashion is such a dramatic way. (sorry for the poor photo quality, photos are not allowed at this museum, and I was taking clandestine ones with my phone).
The previous collection I mentioned, contrasts so greatly with the Victor and Rolf Autumn-winter 2001-2001 collection where forms were larger-than-life, colors were steel-grays and moody blacks, and the défilé had models with faces painted entirely in a dark soot color. This shows the mood of the start of the new century, and the somber turn fashion took almost as if it were anticipating the mourning to come after the tragedies that were about to unfold…
Photo : Guy Marineau, from the museum website
To end on a happy note, with a theme that is becoming as common in our daily lives as breakfast : recycling. E2, a line created by a couple of designers that uses vintage pieces found in flea-markets, vintage clothing stores and elsewhere, and remakes them completely or reuses the fabrics to create an entirely different piece. I love the eco-friendly aspect of re-using, and the creativity of finding a new soul for an old article of clothing.
Photo: Goran Vejvoda, photo from museum website
Exhibit until May 8, 2011
Les Arts Décoratifs – Mode et textile
107 rue de Rivoli
75001 Paris
Students under 26 get in for FREE!
