A Major Fashion Moment

Last night was Vogue’s Fashion Night Out in Paris, which is basically a huge shopping event where designer stores throw amazing, super exclusive parties on Le Triangle d’Or (a very accurate label for three intersecting streets packed with every fashion house you could dream of).

Obviously its something I wanted to check out, but I really had no intention of participating in any way - mostly considering you needed an invitation to get in anywhere. So I got ready, changed into heels as soon as we walked there, and was prepared for some serious people watching.

The streets were packed with style-worshippers of all types, and it was so interesting to see them in one place. A crowd of unnaturally skinny, Balmain-inspired young men would be walking next to a wealthy older woman wearing Chanel and having her companion carry her Hermes. The younger girls (probably half the crowd) seemed to stick to the typical Parisian fashion look - weirdly cut pants or shorts with opaque tights, loose top preferably of silk, a leather or fur cover up, designer bag, and the highest possible heels. The most interesting type (at least to me) were the middle aged women, usually with little make up, statement glasses, sometimes ill-fitting clothes, but still unquestionably cool - they seemed to not try as hard but still have more impact than their younger counterparts.

After a good dose of checking everyone out (while they were doing the same to us, no doubt) we came across a gap in the crowd at the Diane von Furstenberg store. We walked up the steps and were almost immediately stopped by security asking for an invitation, but we managed to charm our way in! I’m pretty sure its because the guy noticed my Alexander McQueen bag, which means very little in most other circumstances but meant everything in this case.

It was the coolest event I’ve ever been to - probably the coolest I will ever go to! There were a ton of interesting-looking people, beautifully displayed clothes everywhere, amazing house music, and free food and champagne! After having my share of mini pastries, we browsed the clothes. I loved seeing all the vintage wrap dresses and the fall collection, but I fell in love with the accessories. I could only justify buying a wallet because I’ve actually been looking for one and its super pretty. The salesperson helping me was really nice and ended up giving me a gift bag too, which included a white, ribbon-embellished shirt that I’ll actually wear! So, basically, it was an unforgettable party and DVF can count me as a new super fan.

We walked off some of the excitement, only to stop at the Pucci store to take a picture because I had worn my Pucci dress. Their party extended almost all the way to the street and seemed to be the place to be, judged by the line ups and flashbulbs. As soon as Matt was done with our camera, two guys with cameras came up to me, pointed at my dress, asked “Pucci?”, I answered “Yes”, and then they took my picture like fifteen times (I was blinded by the end!) This is funny for two reasons: 1) I don’t know how to pose, so just stood there awkwardly and slapped a smile on my face (so un-fashion) and 2) the Pucci I was wearing came from a Winners in Vancouver and was seriously more than 95% on sale (also very un-fashion). The chances of these pictures getting published are pretty slim, but it was my first (and likely last) brush with the fashion paparazzi.

Anyway, it was seriously an amazing night. It was kind of surreal and so much frivolous fun, although its definitely made me think about what a weird place the fashion world is. The common facial expression resembles a cross between indifference and disdain, people judge you from a distance but hardly make eye contact, and it seems everyone is desperate to be cooler than the next (with a small exception of the wealthy and powerful). I’ve thought about pursuing some kind of work within fashion before, but this glimpse into what its actually like has definitely turned me off. Despite loving design, I know I would not have the patience to endure the pretentiousness. Its much better as a hobby, where it can be enjoyed but left at any time (like getting unfashionably excited about attending a DVF party!)

On the walk over...





Caught, once again, dreaming of Chanel...




Some stealthy photography that captures unbelievable (and dangerous!) shoulders on a jacket


Outside DVF...


Outside Pucci...


A Pierre Herme creation that I ate earlier in the day - It was the best thing I've ever tasted (Mom, you can look forward to one on your birthday!)

Worst... Meal... Ever!

Generally the food has been amazing here. We mostly eat from the grocery store, and when we’ve gone out its been delicious - with a major exception of Sunday night dinner.

Around 6ish after a long day of walking around, we were hungry and realized the Monoprix was closed. My apartment is right in the middle of a tourist haven, surrounded by pedestrian streets lined with restaurants - So we decided to just go downstairs and eat. Most guidebooks I’ve read advise against this, saying that these places are overpriced and have bad food, but I’ve been to a few already and it was totally fine.

We looked at a couple menus and chose the one that looked best. We sat down, ordered, and waited... and waited... until about an hour later our appetizers came - Matt got a ham crepe that tasted like it had been preserved for about thirty years. I ordered mussels that were the only edible part of the meal, but it was the first time I’d had them so maybe they were gross too. By this time, we both just wanted to leave and tried to cancel our main order, but the server said it was too late (...he didn’t say it very nicely). Matt’s steak came out covered in something that tasted like sour milk - It was unquestionably the worst thing I’ve ever tasted! Mine was not much better. The chicken was covered in a congealed, lukewarm gravy-type sauce. Both came with salad and fries, but we were too disgusted to have any of it. After paying (it was still 30 euro!) we walked down the street to McDonald’s - it has never tasted better.

So, lesson learned: Prepare for the Monoprix being closed on Sundays, and know you’re taking a chance when going out to the restaurants around this area.

In other news - I’m now a card carrying member of the Louvre! I got my membership yesterday and I’m really, really excited about it. I can now go anytime to any exhibit without waiting in line, and I got a card with my picture on it!

We spent the afternoon there yesterday and it was unexpectedly entertaining. Its so nice to go without having the pressure to see the entire thing at once, and Matt’s a really good museum companion because he keeps a quick pace and doesn’t take it too seriously. We saw some incredible art (obviously) and covered all three wings but had fun doing it.






At the Louvre with my membership!








At the Church of Saint Germain des Pres

Mattress Mission to My Louboutins

In the last 24 hours we’ve gone from an Ikea in the suburbs to a cool bar behind the Louvre (wearing my most favorite pair of shoes!)

I’m generally not orthopedically picky, but the mattress that came with my apartment was unbearable - so much so that Matt nicknamed it ‘The Plank.’ We obviously managed for the first few weeks, but could never sleep through the night and had serious body aches. My landlady tried to be really helpful and brought over some mattress cover thing, but it was pretty ineffective. So we decided to make the trek to the nearest Ikea - which turned out to be way south of the city in total sketch-ville. We managed to make it there (a feat in itself) and then had to sort through aisles of different mattresses. Thankfully Matt was there, otherwise I think I’d still be passed out on one of the tester beds. And he managed to haul the mattress home on the train! I was pretty impressed... So now the bed is super comfy, my bones feel really happy, and the experience wasn’t all that bad - its always good to see how diverse Parisian life can be.

From there we took a total 180 and decided to dress up and go for a drink. We went to La Fumoir, a bar that’s apparently legend for fashion celebrity sightings (...I’ll be back during Fashion Week!) Its right across the street from the back of the Louvre and was packed. We managed to get a seat and had an amazing cocktail. There were no famous people last night (at least that I could recognize) but it was fun just eavesdropping into the conversations around us.

Definitely my favorite moment of the night happened before the bar... I bought a pair of crystal embellished, red, strappy Louboutins last summer (on sale and when I was working, obviously) that I had never worn, and I decided to finally take them out last night. We were drinking some wine on the Pont Neuf on the way to La Fumoir, and an older Parisian women stopped as she walked by, pointed at my shoes, basically yelled “Magnifique!” and then just kept going - it was hilarious! At least I have the older Parisians on my side style wise.


A falafel picture that was left out from the last post


Matt and the Mattress



Random ones from walking around





From our lunch... so good


All dressed up!

Busy Touristy Days!

Sorry for the long pause in updates - its seriously been so hard to take the time to write because we’ve been doing so much! The last few days we’ve been the ultimate tourists - although as I sit down to write this, I’m having total memory loss as to what we’ve actually done! Luckily we took a gagillion pictures...

Le Marais was awesome. Its such a great place to shop, people watch and eat - I had the best falafel ever! I’ve read about L’as Du Falafel on David Leibowitz’s blog (http://www.davidlebovitz.com/) and was really excited to try it. It definitely lived up to expectations. I’m still not sure what was in it, just some delicious combination of pita, fried chickpeas (maybe), cabbage, eggplant, spices, and sauce. I already can’t wait to go back. After we went to a really cool store called COS. I don’t entirely know its story but I think its like a higher end H&M. I definitely love it and got some dresses, but Matt left empty handed (maybe because he skipped the falafel high).

That same night we took a bottle of champagne to the Pont Neuf, but it was freezing and so windy outside! I had to buy a scarf to tie around my ears (not such a great look but so essential) and then we went window shopping by the Louvre - only to get caught in a flash rain storm. We were waiting to cross the street and it started to pour, so ducked under an awning and tried to wait it out, but eventually had to run to the nearest Metro and took it home.

The next day was a lot nicer, and we walked from the Grand Palais down the Champs Elysees and to the Eiffel Tower. We stopped for dinner at a cafe I had read about close to the Eiffel Tower called Le Cafe du Marche, and it was amazing. It was kind of out of the way and seemed very authentic Parisian, which was a nice break from the super commercial places we had just visited. We weren’t entirely sure what we ordered but it was delicious, and was followed by a trip up the Eiffel Tower! We went at the perfect time just before and during sunset. I even made it up to the top without much fear - I think the elevators helped. The only disappointing part was that our wine was confiscated! It was tucked away in my bag and we weren’t even planning on drinking it, but apparently they don’t allow glass.

In the morning, we went on a little tour organized by Paris Greeter (http://www.parisiendunjour.fr/). Its basically an organization who matches tourists with a local volunteer, with the mission to break the stereotype that Parisians are cold, snobby, etc. We met Laurence, a super nice older woman who showed us around a market and park in the south of the city. She was just so nice and really excited to talk to us. It was definitely worth it, if just for the places she recommended and the experience of being somewhere that we probably would not have gone.

The last couple of days have been filled with walking places and seeing amazing things, including the Jardin du Luxembourg, walking St. Germain des Pres, Notre Dame, and the Musee de L’Orangerie. Obviously everything is worth seeing, but the Orangerie was my favorite. Monet’s Water Lillies are amazing in real life. They are so impressive in a room filled with natural light and the space to appreciate their size. There was also a basement filled with paintings by Degas, Picasso, Modigliani and so many others. I’m excited to spend some more time there - Matt really likes museums too, but I like to linger a little (or a lot) longer, so I’ll be back for sure.

Anyway, hopefully this fulfills the requests I’ve had for a new entry (mostly just my mom!) I’ve put some pictures too. Maybe they’ll help fill in the gaps. We’re going for a night wander and to get some pastries from the bakery downstairs - at least hopefully, they were sold out yesterday!



So Rainy!







Dreaming of a Chanel show at the Grand Palais...






Eiffel Tower...









Walking with Laurence (this is unfortunately the only picture we took)


Jardin du Luxembourg



Matt's new favorite pastime is chasing the pigeons away...


I just realized how many self portraits there are. I generally get really annoyed with them, but what else are you suppose to do? You'll have to endure them for now...




Monet!



Matt brought his Stampede shirt to Paris, naturally


On a boat cruise...