Exhaustion would probably be the word to use for the past four days. Two new interns (lovely Exeter girls) arrived smack bang in the middle of Paris Fashion Week, which is already a stressful enough time regardless. They have now settled in and Fashion Month is over, ending on the sad note of me not having been to a Ready-To-Wear Runway Show – oh how upset I am!
Despite this past month being a busy one, there were of course upsides. First there were the couture shows, of which I got to go to two; Julien Fournié and LOH (a new brand). Julien Fournié was brilliant, I was sat right on the runway and I found the clothes to be at times unwearable but extremely beautiful and well created. The intricacy of the embroidery was incredible. LOH on the other hand was disappointing; it started over an hour late, was far too overdone, with owls and wolf-like huskies on stage and to make it worse, the clothes resembled a nightclub ensemble. The only redeeming features were getting the morning off work, sipping on champagne, and eating yummy canapés.
Julien Fournié
Menswear was somewhere around this point also, but the main dates were New York Fashion Week (February 6 – 13), London (14 – 18), Milan (18 – 23) and then Paris (25 – March 5). The last one affected me the most, meaning that everyone flocking to Paris wanted a meeting – it has been a very hectic period!
So what are my favourite things about the Fashion Month?
– Number 1: LES CARTES POSTALES DE FASHION WEEK. They are a blessing, a five minute break from a busy day at work, where you can look at some beautiful photography, listen to some great music, and catch up on the latest shows. Some brands are focused on more than others and for some you get a great explanation for the hair and make-up that they have decided to go with. I would recommend them to anyone with an interest in fashion.
– Number 2: the discussions, the talent, and the amazing people you get to meet. The office is buzzing!
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Which shows did I love?I would say my top five (off the top of my head) were Mary Katrantzou, Valentino, Dolce & Gabana, Chloé, and Elie Saab. Some at the bottom would be Chanel (I just really think Coco would not be happy) and Irish van Herpen (my colleague was there and returned to the office feeling very ill as some of the models were trapped in vacuum bags!)
Mary Katrantzou was just beautiful. She managed to reinvent herself whilst staying true to the image she has created for her brand. Valentino’s dresses were absolutely sublime, the kind you really want to wear but just simply could not afford. D&G wowed me with their fairy tale and folklore inspirations, such as Knights in shining armour and Little Red Riding hood. Chloé is Chloé… Whilst Keller did not take huge risks, she certainly put on an absolutely stunning show. Finally, which girl would not want Elie Saab to make their wedding dress?! He never disappoints!
I suppose I must pass a comment on the new Creative Direction of Louis Vuitton after Marc Jacob’s reign of 16 years has ended. I personally feel Ghesquière did a wonderfully simple job and triumphed for his first collection.
So there we have it, I have five months left at Agent Secret and I am sure I will learn a lot more on the ins and outs of the fashion industry!
Photo credits: lagirlfrancies.com, theempressofdress.com, neverundressed.com, vogue.fr