The last hour of the last day of fashion week, the fantastic Maria Luisa – a woman I just love and need to talk about again soon on here – put together a luncheon in honor of Alexander Wang. It was absolutely amazing.

I swear, I was so tired I didn’t even have the strength to lift my camera. I was just so content to listen to Maria Luisa, Virginie Mouzat and Alexander Wang talk about the shows and have a good laugh with my friends Gaia and Tine while enjoying a few bites of truffled risotto.

The only thing I couldn’t help but getting a shot of is Tine’s outfit which just matched the private room at the Rotonde at Printemps Haussmann so perfectly it seemed like she did it on purpose.

Next time you’re in Paris, don’t forget to take a peek in the big department stores. They really are architectural treasures. How about I promise you that next time, I’ll put together a little photo tour for you? Big hugs!

Translation : Tim Sullivan

It took me about two minutes to understand what kind of UFO was walking in front of me at the YSL show, but as soon as I ended up realizing well, this a shoe, I almost immediately started really liking it.

You would say, it’s very editorial. Meaning, unwearable.

But then I also showed them to the girls at the studio, and they also really liked them ! They would wear them. So what do you think ? Would you wear them ?

Life is strikingly ironic, I said to myself on the morning of the 5th of october.

That was the day I told you I had spent fashion week wearing flats and t-shirts because of a crazy hot Parisian indian summer. And I was not happy about it.

And at the very same moment… who was on the Sartorialist, wearing all colorful clothes, Gucci hat and Fendi heels ? Yeah.

Don’t go thinking I didn’t see the contradiction, or haven’t read your comments : “Uuuuuh, those are not flats I see you wearing on your boyfriend’s website… Or is there something I am not getting ?”

Ok, ok. So here is the true story of what happened on that Tuesday, the 4th of October.

It all started with the weather. Suddenly, we lost 10 degrees celsius. At last ! I could wear some of the things I had planned for fashion week. Aaaaaaaah !

Carried away by my joy, I chose my vintage Mugler dress that works so well with my Fendi heels that I decided to let the fairy of fashion take away my reason and that I went to Chanel wearing heels. Yeah I know. So crazy.

The outfit was nice but pretty simple, and I got stopped by a few photographers on my way to the show, nothing that would have led me to imagine what would happen later…

Because right after that, it was time to find a dress to go to Carine’s party. I jumped on my magic bike (that thing works so well with heels !) and went to the Gucci showroom, where I had an appointment to try on a few dresses.

Interlude : The Showroom. Sometimes, when you work in fashion and you have nothing to wear for a party, a brand can lend you a dress. Often it’s a lot of frustration to try to get your body (even more if you happen to like croissants) in a sample size dress (sample size = model size = less than zero) and it makes for funny moments (=tears) (I have to tell you all about that – but let’s save it for another post) well anyway, sometimes, you get lucky, and a dress magically just fits you like a glove.

Well, all right, a pretty tight glove… But two hours away from from a “long gown” party (where everybody arrives wearing short dresses except you, but this is a whole other post) you are ready to do anything to close a zipper. Even have four people help you. End of the interlude. Oh no, I almost forgot. Yes, of course, the day after, YOU GIVE EVERYTHING BACK. You Cinderella.

Once there at Gucci, not only did I find a beautiful dress, but on the huge marble fireplace of the showroom I saw, like a set of Ladurée macarons, the wonderful colored hats I’d been dreaming about since the autumn/winter show.

Of course, I immediately shouted out and had to try one. And then, bam : The colors worked so perfectly with what I was wearing that my nice outfit suddenly transformed into a… Vogue fashion spread. Not really exactly me, or maybe a Vogue version of me. But it was irresistible. I decided to borrow the hat.

Envogue-ified, I jumped on my bike, totally unaware that I was riding straight into my fashion icon destiny.

It’s when I got to the Tuileries that I started to feel something was happening. People were staring at me on the street. I was hearing clicks from cameras each time I made a step. People started asking to take my picture. People wanted to have their picture taken with me. Weird. It happened once, twice, three times…

15 minutes later, I had been able to walk like… 20 meters.

I felt strange, neither myself nor another, as if by some spell I was given celebrity or the science of style… Or simply, a hat.

It really was quite funny. But at the same time I wanted to run away from it. And at the same time I felt proud. But at the same time I wanted to tell the photographers : “Seriously ? It’s me!!! Don’t worry I am not going anywhere !!!”

Totally schizophrenic. Oh, and talking about identity crisis, just listen :

A photographer that had just stopped me asked me to hide my camera :
“It’s not really working that way : you look like a blogger !”
It made me laugh so hard. I told him I was a blogger. And I was keeping my camera.

Another one came to ask me who I was. I told him my name, and he told me :
“Yeah, all right. But are you famous ?”

Another came to me to ask me for an autograph. When he understood I was french, he seemed a little bit disappointed.

At some point I ran into Alexandra Golovanoff, who is a celebrity and is used to all that. We started chatting, and when I raised my eyes (you don’t see a lot with those big hats !) I realized we were surrounded by photographers and cameras. Suddenly it was too much.

I don’t know how I did it, but I ran away.
And while escaping, I took off my hat.
And there, in one second, all my envoguement disappeared.

Suddenly, my life went back to normal.

And this is what I was telling Elisa, sitting on a bench at the Tuileries, a few hours after the Valentino show. I don’t know why, but it really made her laugh.

Photo by Scott Schuman

PS : If you want this sort of thing to happen to you (it makes for funny story to tell) remember my post from a few months ago… Already I had told you a hat was making heads turn…

I really like Natalia’s “beauty” style. She’s always extra cute without looking overdone – she changes her hair and make up style often, but still looks really herself. Click on the arrows to see what I mean…

Oh, also, she is such a happy person. A real ray of sunshine !

I am the kind to have the same hair and make up everyday (I was telling you about my daily bun yesterday)… What about you?

I am going to take this image of Marina and put is as a screen saver on my Iphone for the days I am complaining I have nothing to wear.

The simplest outfits are always the ones that inspire me the most… But the thing is that to be really well done, simplicity calls for a lot of subtlety… The perfect asymmetric skirt (this is an Alexander Wang and tell me where I can get it, I want it !), the perfectly loose T-shirt, the perfect-size clutch and the perfectly sexy pumps to add edge… Pffff…

So easy.

Saturday morning, girls’ brunch at the Ritz, hosted by Gaia Repossi and Vogue.

I left my bike to the doorman who took it with a grin. It made everybody laugh. Then we went to the Jardins Du Salon d’Été, a tiny and adorable patio, hidden at the end of the corridors of the gigantic hotel.

Some of the guests were coming back from the Haider Ackermann show and trying to describe the movement of the clothes with funny gestures. Jen (4th picture) had spent the night at the Silencio and was exhausted, and Lauren (2nd picture, seating with a white shirt) was answering all the questions we were asking about her e-shop, Moda Operandi.

I have no idea what secret Anya was telling Gaia (3rd picture) but just a second before, she was showing her her jewelry. I was sitting with Alexandra (so I was so close to her I couldn’t take her picture) and we were talking about Sophie who we don’t see enough at fashion week this year, because she is so busy with her new bestseller. We were saying how we miss her and how happy we are for her.

Then Stephanie and Julia (last picture) said goodbye because they had to go to the Viktor and Rolf show. I had to rush too because I had an appointment. In front of the elevator I saw Shala, who had stolen a piece of cheese before heading to her room to get ready for the Viktor and Rolf show.

What, of course she kept her pajamas on.

I went back to the doorman and between a Porsche and a Ferrari they gave me my bike back.

Oh I almost forgot : the crab spring rolls were delicious.

———–

Yours Truly, Garance, your favorite social chronicler.

Very fast post right now, cause we just arrived in Paris with a train that was 10 hours late (I am soooo exhausted. 10 hours !!!) and that right now I am super excited to go to Dries Van Noten, my first Paris show.

Paaaaaaaris !

So, let me introduce you to my Miu Miu shoes, that I chose in black cause I want to wear them as often as possible I love them so much. See ? I followed your advice !!!

… And I give you the little story that goes along with it :

Last time, I was chatting with Marina from Style.com, and she tells me with a slight brasilian accent :

“I love your shoe !”

As Marina has a great sense of humor, I tell her :

“Wait, which one ?”

She didn’t understand right away. Talking about a pair of shoes using the singular is so much a part of the fashion language that you don’t even realize anymore it actually sounds weird.

It’s like saying : “I love your coat ! Who is it ?”

Anyway, look at the picture. On my desk, close to my shoe (cause that’s how you’re supposed to say it)(Ahah)(Yeah no, don’t ask me why I put my shoe on my desk, I don’t have an answer to that Big Fashion Question) and to my girl who never travels without candles Diptyque candle (no, I actually would love to be that girl but no, if that candle is here it’s just another story)(that said, I am the kind of girl who brought her organic oatmeal to Paris, isn’t that kind of parfaita a little bit ?)

Oh my god, I have to stop telling you every single thing that goes through my crazy brain !

Sorry. Tired, train, all that.

Well close to my shoe and my candle is a letter printed with the CR initials.

Tadaaaaaa ! It’s an invite for Carine Roitfeld‘s “Bal des Vampires” that will happen during that fashion week to celebrate the launch of her book.

I am superexcited, but also superstressed !!!

Why ? Oh, come on, you know me. I am sure you know why I am stressed.

So… ?

Why, do you think ?