Fashion Week Comes to an End

After a week submerged deep into the world of fashion, I am not sure how to begin to describe such an experience.  My eyes have been feasting for ten days and I completely stuffed.  From gowns fit for the Oscars to shoes dreams are made of, this adventure is undoubtedly one I will never forget.

Of course I was not sitting in first class during this tour of the fashion world, believe me when I say it certainly had its Devil Wears Prada moments, but all in all it was one incredible ride.  The buyer I am working for, we will call her the Boss, is a seasoned veteran in the fashion world and has a lot of wisdom to share.  I must say my favorite part of the whole experience was getting to see the fashion houses (at least 25).  From huge tented showrooms of up-and-coming designers in the Tuileries Garden and underground passage ways in the Louvre, to industrial spaces creatively turned into beautiful closets, the space rivaled the clothes themselves. 

Name of the wing of the Louvre turned into a fashion hall

Here are a few noteworthy stops from the week.

The Best of the Best. 

In my eyes, Chloe is the epitome of elegance, sophistication and presentation.  Just look at the perfume bottle.  The beautiful ribbon tied perfectly onto the glass bottle with the silver engraved label.  Now multiple the beauty of that image times one hundred and you will begin to get an idea of what the showroom is like.  Absolutely captivating.

Housed in a typical Parisian building just off the Champs-Elysees, every inch of the place exudes perfection.  As for the clothes, expect lots of khaki next Fall. Loose fits mixed in with exaggerated edges and lots of reptile print.

Now, let me take a minute to talk about the food.  In most of the big fashion houses we were served lunch.  Sometimes by a waiter while working and sometimes in an in house restaurant of sorts.  Let me just say, the food at Chloe put my wedding, and any wedding I've ever been to as a matter of fact, to shame.  Prosciutto wrapped figs held together with tiny cloths pins, every kind of cheese you can imagine, scallops, tuna, varieties of desserts and on and on.  It was truly an experience I will never forget!

The Legend.

Everything I hoped for and expected out of the Lanvin showroom was delivered flawlessly.  Situated in one of the few modern architectural buildings given a spot on the banks of the Seine, the showroom spans across a floor of the Cite de la Mode et du Design.  Picture lots of white lined with racks of clothes that look too delicate to touch with models roaming back and forth like graceful gazelles (giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "Don't feed the models.")  I am hoping for a piece from the accessories collection. Shoes. Clutch. Bag. I don't discriminate.

New Favorite. 

The new darling French designer certainly did not disappoint.  The showroom was in an industrial spaces turned into an exquisite fashion set.  I can't wait to find that perfect piece.  Tres fab!

The Underground Designer.

23 Rue Rivoli.  This was the address the Boss gave me for the meeting point.  Iphone in hand, I found the address quite easily....except when I peered into the window of 23 Rue Rivoli, I saw a store full of ceramics.  Confused, I walked up and down the street a few times thinking maybe I jotted down the wrong address number.  Stumped, I decided to walk in and ask the ceramics store people if they knew where the elusive 23 Rue Rivoli could be found.  I showed them the name of the designer I was looking for and they acted clueless.  After further exchange of broken English/Japanese/French, always a great combination, I dropped the Bosses name and suddenly they motioned for me to follow them to the back of the store.  The salesman knocked on a door, said something in Japanese to the person on the other side and pointed for me to to follow him down the stairs.  Hesitantly I followed.  As we reached the bottom I saw racks of clothes.  Shew.  I wasn't being sold into slavery.

A few minutes later, the Boss arrived and the buying began.  Afterward, she filled me in on "underground designers" (quite literally in this instance).  No label.  No advertising.  Invite only.  Tres chic.  (Kind of like the Smith Point of fashion).

And now it comes to an end.  Of course all of theses exciting new experiences came with a lot of work, but I am counting down the days to Spring/Summer Fashion week to start it all over again! Now... time to learn French.