♥ is my mother ready for this ♥

Really big pearly raindrops fell today, all day, non-stop. Even rain in paris is pretty. I dragged myself out of bed, pinked up my cheeks and skipped to the metro for 8.30am to go and do my book drop-off. All set and almost there then the bb is off on one already. Ring-a-ling-an-early-morning-ding. It was Vanessa. She told me to get some breakfast (her treat) and that she’d be late. Annie had already emailed me telling me this, from London so i knew i was in for a wait from the word go. That girl is so on it, I don’t know how she can be so constantly switched on but Annie should have been an angel. I hope i end up as good at my job as she is and that they end up wanting to keep me here in Paris forever.

I sat for an hour and waited in a café nearby, just off Rue de Rivoli, which is like the longest, straightest road in Paris. Or that’s how I remember it anyway. I wrote postcards to a few people I miss (my grandad) and then knocked on her door, books in hand just before eleven. Vanessa always looks almost as though she hasn't tried, in a good, effortless way. You can tell she loves each and every piece she wears and she absolutely nails her individual personal style.

No sooner than i am in the door, two credit cards with post-it notes with scribbled on pins are in my hand and I’m out again. Bank run. I have to pay Thomas the rent for the office on Monday, so need to go pick it up. I get all the little admin jobs added on to my day to save those two time, like banking, post, expenses etc. Let me tell you about Thomas though cause thats way more interesting than stamps and notes. He's the Creative Director of a French men’s magazine called Paradis which we share our office with. It’s a really good substance men's mag, a big notch above the average and cause it’s only published twice a year it's has a really heavy focus on the quality of everything that goes in it. The photography is what stood out to me most, they’ve done some really cool shoots by really big dog photographers. J'adore their gritty nude shoot with London girl, Daisy Lowe . Brave. Girl.

♥ ♥

Anyway, i pecked Vanessa a goodbye, handed her the schedule for the shows I’d put together last night and right now she’ll be somewhere in the sky on her way to NYC, which kicks off on Thursday. I wish I was going but hopefully I’ll be covering Paris early March which I’m stoked about. Fashion week is better than christmas. fact.

This afternoon I have spent at my own apartment, for once, cause it was empty and still raining heavy outside. I pulled together some more designer archives from Comme, Hussein Chalayan and Yohji Yamamoto, which all go into inspiration files for Vanessa to see next week. It’s a real time consuming job and sometimes I feel like banging my head against the wall but it’s so satisfying when it’s done and the images are printed, filed and stashed away. The shows are always a really good point of reference with styling and it’s mega important to know what is going on here, there and everywhere, right from the first ever shows through to this seasons. It's the same as knowing your friends phone numbers off by heart, but with clothes instead and about a million more to learn.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m in Paris, a city where hands are held and hearts are stolen easily but it really is just so romantic. Almost sickeningly sometimes. I have never seen so many happy couples and I seem to be constantly dreaming about my happy ever after with some imaginary French lover. Thing is, I have got a bit of a long-time fashion crush on veils. I always have something in my hair whether it's ribbon, clips, flowers or a new hair rinse but right now all I want is some kind of veil, a net even. ♥ I used to love playing dress up with my mum’s wedding gown and veil and I used to make her take pictures of me in it to see whether I was growing into it. It hasn’t been on for years now mind but veils are something i really do love. So, when I stumbled across Comme des Garcons Spring 05 collection this avo, I nearly stopped breathing.
So see for yourself, I will not write words because I nothing I say can do them justice, they are actual beauty.

♥ ♥


I am sold. Head over heels, totally in love with them all. I honestly dread the day I decide to get married, my mum should probably shoot herself now or start ordering lace samples asap because I want the laciest, longest, most beautiful hand-stitched vintage veil to walk down to my French fiancé in.
God, I sound like such a girl.

♥

http://www.paradismagazine.com/

a busy little bee.

Today is so not over but I need to blog now so that i can get my head down to do another hour of work before i hit the sack. Friday night is not a party night in Paris. Not this week anyway.

I still have four folders that need filling with inspiration that i've pulled all week from archive designer collections, fashion editorials and just about every book ever made. I've spent the biggest part of the afternoon on the floor, laddering my new tights and sorting things out into different piles, labeling it all and trying to make it look as eye-pleasing as poss to hand to Vanessa first thing tomorrow. Saturday.

I'm kind of looking forward to giving them to her because after all the work thats gone into making sure they're tip top, it'll be like a weight off my shoulders. After i drop them off, i'm away to three different galleries, all in the name of research. Vanessa gets a lot of her inspiration from art references, culture and even music. It's way too easy to just go see a show and take it from there. She's not afraid to take risks and she does things her own way. And as they say, the proofs in the pudding. She's a really respected stylist with a great client list.

I'm taking the books around at 9.30am to her apartment, which by the way is exactly how i imagined it to be. Pretty much perfect. There's a huge entrance door opening up into a french courtyard with a windy old, wide-set staircase which spirals up to the second floor. Annie showed me what was what and where things were kept. The kitchen cupboards are crammed with magzines and fashion folders. I didn't ask where the pots were.

God i keep thinking about sleep. The lack i've had this week and how i am so looking forward to sunday when i can lie in, even just a tiny bit. By the time my head hits the pillow tonight, these books must all be perfect, packed and ready to deliver so that they are in her hands by the time she leaves for New York for fashion week tomorrow. I wish i could somehow fold myself into one of those plastic sleeves and go along with her. Maybies next time.

Just so you know what they are and why we do them, i'll give you the basics. It starts with Vanessa emailing over a never-really-ever-ending list. On it are names of designers, photographers, artists, books, stylists, locations - basically anything that she wants to know and see more of. Its our job to go about getting it for her, asap. Sometimes it's just a name. They can be alive or dead, really current or really old. A lot of the time it's a bit of a mystery to solve because she doesn't tell us what they do, who they are, where she's seen their work - so all we have is a name to go on. Not easy. But then you get nice days like today where i've been researching vintage Comme Des Garcons and i've pulled together the fattest folder ever. I kind of want it for myself.

One of the best wasy to get the bees knees of research is to go through the archives at the libraries. It can get a bit addictive though and you can be lost for days if you let yourself be. I wish you could take holidays to the library sometimes. Paid like.
I've gone and booked myself my first appointment in the huge Paris bibliotheque for next week, three hardcore hours. I have to give them a list of things i want to look at and then they'll prepare it and have it all out for me, so i hop straight on that photocopier. A good system really but three hours absolutely flies by and i need to make sure i have my head screwed on and that i'm prepared for a heavy dose of inspiration.

I feel like things are a lot clearer after today, which is good. Our morning meeting at Vanessa's took us through a detailed plan of what's coming up, what needs to be done and it gave us all a chance to set some deadlines. She goes to NYC to see her clients shows and then flies straight to Milan for another project - so it's pretty crucial we all know exactly what we have to do. My diary is cluttered with numbers, door codes, bb pins and addresses that i can hardly make sense of. Pretty. Please. Don't. Let. Anything. Go. Tits. Up

Cause i'm holding the fort in Paris this weekend and through to the middle of next week while Annie is away. It's nice that it's just the three of us. Wherever we are, there are constant emails pinging their way between us and if they can't get me it's usually because i'm already engaged, online or underground on route somewhere. Paris is not what i imagined but i'm falling hard in love with the place. Everyone says bonjour to everyone. Like people who have never met. Thats so refreshing after being barged and hit over the head with bags on the tube in grey London. J'adore Paris.

xxx
Co