Six Lessons from Paris

I really had no expectations about London. To be honest, I never imagined myself visiting the UK because I figured that it would be a lot like Canada, but boy was I wrong. After a week of exploring this massive hub of creativity, I had mixed feelings about my next journey.

I must say, Paris started off a little rough—a foreign country AND a foreign language (yes—I am unfortunately NOT a bilingual Canadian). Come to think of it, traveling alone in London was a walk in the park compared to Paris; locals didn’t like English-speaking tourists, and if you’re a lady traveling through Paris alone… well just brace yourself for some very brash and shameless hommes. However, once I was settled, the cultural and historical beauty that was Paris overrode any feelings of discomfort.

One of the magical things that the dual-city course had to offer was how starkly different the course was in each city—London was purely about creativity and exploration, and our course at the Institut Francais de la Mode (IFM) in Paris focused much more on the historical facets of fashion and luxury. The combination of creative and academic learning was SO stimulating because not only did we engage in things first-hand, but we also had a slew of brilliant speakers who enlightened us on the evolution of the fashion industry.

        

Anyway, enough raving…without further ado here are my top six lessons/insights from Paris:

1) Retail experience is HUGE— A common topic amongst speakers from both London and Paris was this idea of how important a shopper’s retail experience is. More than ever, retailers focus on enhancing the time one spends in the actual retail space just as much as they focus on the garments. I believe this is a trait common to many luxury brands, for instance, think of Holt Renfrew in Toronto—from the moment you step into the vicinity of the Bloor St. store you are greeted by a doorman, not to mention the brilliant façade that changes with every season (or every month). Many retailers have also introduced the feature of having a ‘personal shopper’– a concept that used to be exclusive to luxury lines and department stores can now be found in hip stores like Topshop.

“Nowadays, the boutique becomes a challenge because it must be like an exhibition—to grab its audience. Because of this, many brands are doing exhibitions of their history”—speaker, IFM

2) Branding moves beyond the garment— Parisian fashion is much more about storytelling. Just to name a few, think of Coco Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermès— all three luxury brands are iconic in Paris, but why are they so legendary? Well for one, they tell a story. Think about Chanel’s impoverished upbringing. Think about Louis Vuitton’s call to fame as a French trunk-maker. Think about how Hermès’ history dates back to the early 19^th century. All of these brands carry a fascinating history that adds dimension, and ultimately an aura of luxury that some of today’s fast fashion cannot compare.

 “Savoire-faire and marketing is what makes brands successful. It is the mixing of tradition with fashion and marketing.” –J.M Chauve, IFM

      

3) The little black dress demystified— One of my favourite seminars in Paris was on the topic of the little black dress. I think it was a perfect theme being in the hood of Mademoiselle Chanel. So what’s with all the hype over the little black dress? Well, black is the colour of power. Black brings a sense of ambiguity. Nobody knows who you are in a little black dress. Nobody knows your story, your lifestyle, and your status. The little black dress also played a huge role in liberating women’s fashion—it was accessible for women of ALL social classes, and became a staple in women’s closets everywhere.

4) Set yourself apart— Fashion and photography was a particularly interesting seminar for me because it explored far beyond camera technique and into a much more conceptual realm. Photographers like Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton are just a couple examples of photographers who really defined their craft. Avedon did a fine job of capturing beautiful women who had a joy of living, which brought a sense of dynamism to his photos. The same goes for Newton—risqué photos, though his subjects never failed to evoke some sort of emotion.

Richard Avedon–Dovima with elephants, evening dress by Dior, August 1955

                                                              

“The biggest enemies of fashion are boredom and commonness” –Helmut Newton

5) It’s a blogger’s world— One of our Parisian speakers asked us an interesting question: Do blogs limit creativity or give impulses of freedom? On one hand we can say that fashion blogging is somewhat of a saturated world—everyone these days is a self-proclaimed blogger (hey, even I am). Street style and OOTD (outfit of the day—I had a hard time figuring this one out) are things that everyone’s blogging, Instagramming, tweeting and Tumblr-ing about.

On the other hand, we see much more freedom in areas like photography. We see a new characterization of photography in street style–Much more movement, spontaneity and anonymity. Street style blogs aren’t as artsy, but instead they are more spontaneous, which I think gives people the freedom to both explore their own aesthetic and express their sense of style.

6) Vintage is a new luxury market – When you think about London and Paris, you probably instantly think high fashion, however, both cities proved that vintage and retro fashion is a rising trend. What I love about vintage is its uniqueness. You don’t have to worry about another chick having the same dress as you, and it’s much cooler to tell someone that what you’re wearing has some history behind it (PS–If you have the opportunity to visit London, you must visit Spitafield’s Market, and if you find yourself in Paris, I urge you to check out Clignacourt market). Toronto is slowly catching the vintage drift as we see a rise in popularity with consignment shops, vintage markets and boutiques…but I’ll save all that for another post.

There you have it, madams and monsieurs! Hope you found some insight in this little Parisian post, and I’ll leave you with some of my Instagrammed snaps of beautiful Par-ii.

Until next time, happy Sunday!!

Much love,

B

           

Best of: Paris, Milan, London and NY Fashion Week

It’s official—I’m back from my blogosphere hiatus! I decided to take some time away from blogging because I felt like I was lacking vision for my blog. Don’t get me wrong—blogs are meant to be open forums, and I know it’s totally possible to have a rad multi-themed blog, but I was just having a hard time with content.

During my hiatus, I traveled to London and Paris to pursue my dreams. I enrolled in a dual-city course offered through Central Saint Martins, and soaked up all I possibly could on fashion and culture. Over the next little while I’ll share some invaluable lessons I took away from both the course and people I met along the way.

However, this post will highlight some of my favourite designers and pieces from the world’s four fashion capitals: Paris, Milan, London and New York.

It was pretty difficult to narrow it down, but I decided to feature only my top three faves from each city. Also, the pictures I’ve used are via www.showstudio.com –a wicked website suggested to us in summer school (and is now frequented religiously).

Paris

Maison Martin Margiela  

         

I think the wearability of Margiela’s Spring/Summer (S/S) collection is what instantly drew me to it. Each piece had an element of elegance, whether the outfit was accessorized by a pair of long gloves, or the mere cut of the garment. I loved how the collection was mainly made up of neutral colours, making it flattering on practically anyone. If I could sum up this collection in one word: dreamy.

Alexander McQueen 

      

On the contrary, we have McQueen’s S/S collection—no real element of simplicity here, but lots of dramatic glamour. I loved the hive-like hats each of the models wore—I think it added to the somewhat theatrical look Sarah Burton was going for. The honeycomb inspiration was apparent in some of McQueen’s dresses, like the pale yellow beauty above. The mix of bright and dark colours gave the collection an interesting twist. The final few gowns were mind-blowing—my personal favourite was the poppy red gown.

Louis Vuitton

      

I loved everything about this collection—from the makeup and hair to the downright fun garments. The models walked out in pairs, showing a contrast in two pieces, whether it was colour, cut or style. This was a very fresh collection with pop colours. The models rocked beehive hairdos and muted makeup, a perfect combination for this 60s vibe.  Personally, I loved how Marc Jacobs gave this collection a twist by changing up the classic damier cavas and infusing it with an array of colours.

Milan 

Prada 

         

This was a fantastic collection– Prada was infused with Eastern influence, taking us all on a journey to Japan. Kimono dresses, satin, and flowers were just a few of Prada’s ingredients this season. I thought the collection was very fashion forward, and I loved the Japanese influence–it added an element of playfulness to the otherwise elegant collection. Finally, I can’t help but mention my love for the accessories, specifically the funky floral glasses–brilliant!!

Gucci

         

I’m a sucker for monochromatic outfits, and Gucci’s glorious S/S collection exuded just this. Minimalist, yet bold looks, I loved the choice of colours: white, grass green, and hot pink just to name a few. There was a late 60s, and 70s influence to the collection–long slim sleeves and oversized sunglasses are just a couple elements that intensified these utterly glam getups.

Jil Sander 

      

Another minimalist, yet totally chic collection comes from the talented, Jil Sander who made her return to the label with a bang (a cool aside–the show had no music in an effort to have guests focus entirely on the garments). I love how the collection included the essentials– skirt and pant suits, day dresses (just to name a few) and revisited them with a twist of colour and/or shape. Tangerine orange and crisp white was my favourite combination. All in all, a seemingly effortless and wearable collection.

London

Burberry Prorsum 

         

So, let’s talk about the trench, or better yet, gawk at the splendor that is Burberry. Metallic colours were the trend at this S/S show, both in the garments and accessories. Models graced the catwalk in gold and silver heels, adding (if it’s even possible) more glam to this impeccable collection. I loved the mix of bold hues with classic colours–fuschia, white, navy and gold/green were just some colours that highlighted the elegance of each trench. Simply divine.

Vivienne Westwood Red Label 

      

Although it was one of the most eccentric in the entire S/S collection across the four fashion capitals, Vivienne Westwood managed to include a mix of polished, monochromatic looks with kookier, theatrical getups. I thought this stark contrast was clever– intermixing ladylike looks, with Alice in Wonderland references (think Mad Hatter), floral wigs and brightly painted faces. It’s safe to say that calling it a whimsical show may be an understatement.

Paul Smith

         

Let’s kick it back to minimalist looks– Paul Smith graces us with a fresh and wearable collection. I love the use of colour blocking and totally agree with British Vogue’s tweet describing the collection as having the ‘right amount of boyish femininity’. Oh, and the orange lips were the perfect statement accessory.

New York 

Ralph Lauren

        

I would have to say that this collection was the most challenging to narrow down to my three or four favourite outfits (even choosing five was painful). I loved the variety in this collection–there’s a mix of casual, business and formal attire, but each looks exalts a certain sultriness. I found it interesting to see how vastly different certain looks were, from boyishly feminine, to downright sexy. Where romance meets poetry is a look I see and love about this entire collection.

Jason Wu

      

Another sexy collection, I love how Jason Wu mixes fabrics to make the looks a lot sharper. The use of leather, satin and lace all contribute to the sensual vibe. I personally like the mix of leather and lace–I think it adds a romantic effect to what would otherwise be seen as an edgier look. Oh, and again we see the bold, red lips–the perfect finishing touch.

Diane Von Furstenberg  

         

I don’t want to gush about how much I LOVE this collection, but please know that I truly admire every detail about this collection and show. First off, do you notice something different about the models? They are actually smiling/smirking!!! I think this makes a huge difference in the way we perceive the outfits–I don’t know if it’s just me, but the way the girls carry themselves actually brightens the outfits. I love the mix of bold and neutral hues, monochromatic looks, colour blocking and patterned garments. This is such an eclectic collection that exudes sexiness, confidence and playfulness. Finally, the accessories are perfect–rad shades for rad outfits. MUAH, perfecto.

There you have it–the world’s fashion capitals’ S/S collection all in one blog post. So, what do you think? Did I capture your favourites? I’d love to hear which collections you gushed over, or couldn’t bear to look at.

Until then, have a wonderful day and stay beautiful!

Much love,

B