paris day 8: just pure greatness.

it was 55 and sunny out today. that could be the end of my post because weather like that makes me the happiest girl alive, especially in paris. jean charles de castelbalac makes me pretty happy too, so does seeing katy perry, and some amazing clothes. this show was too much fun. it was the perfect mix of quirky and wearable. also, im adoring the raging plaid. ingrid vlasov was kinda out there. good construction but a little too shiny sci-fi for my liking (and too many hints of roberto cavalli from a few seasons ago).street style mania arrived shortly thereafter at valentino. a white carpet was rolled out from the pavillon concorde to the espace ephemere tuileries for this glorious show to take place. so much fun shooting alongside phil oh, the sartorialist, and countless other bloggers!since everyone told me to buy something pretty and since H&M was simultaneously calling me name, i decided to head that direction. the shop is so different here since it is geared toward the parisian lifestyle. in nyc, it is usually a miss, but here it was a dangerous paradise. this is one of those days where everything just seems to be working out. example: i found what i loved, not sure that i would have enough euros, and my total amounted to 20 cents below the cash in my purse. whoo hoo! off to a wifi cafe to write and eat an omelette. the eggs are so good here. beautiful night!!

paris day 7: the louvre and commuun.

leonard was number one on the list today. it was a beautiful conglomeration of floral prints, flowy silks, and floor length dresses. met mrs. t aka the bag hag from the phillipines and had the most lovely conversation with her and lindsay. the story of how her blog started was one for the books!a couple hour layover took me to the louvre (a must see!). the sculptures and paintings were mind blowing as was the mona lisa! it was the most gorgeous sunny day, so i hung out on the lawn with picnics galore, listened to french people talk, and then took a few minute nap in the most comfy chair around the fountains. i love the french culture.lindsay and i met up outside of chloe to shoot some photos and then headed to the commuun show. if primary colors are not a trend, i don't know what is. i loved the interpretation of below-the-knee hemlines and sheer fabrics. it looked as though this collection stepped straight out of a picasso with techno undertones.met up with megan to catch vanessa bruno: the seventies, prairie-girl, slouchy hat mixture made for a layering masterpiece. my exhaustion has kicked in. bon nuit!!

paris day 6: lux gardens and grand life.

late night late morning! costume national began dimanche at the wonderful destination of the palais de tokyo. with ten minutes to spare, lindsay and i snatched some amazing plain yogurt (nothing is processed here by the way!) for breakfast and enjoyed the view of the eiffel tower on the massive patio. such a sunny day in the neighborhood. the show was fun, geometric, and saturated with primary colors. steffie christiaens followed, and it was creative in construction, yet some of the pieces just did not work. the hotel de la monnaie was fun to experience none-the-less.break until six! we made the most of this few hour slot by walking through an adorable part of town to the most scrumptious crepe bar. my order came filled with cheese, artichoke hearts, and chicken. heavenly doesn't describe it as well as i would have wished. all the food here is so fresh, in fact, the artichoke hearts tasted completely different from any i have had. our walk ended at the luxembourg gardens: absolutely spectacular, especially with the weather being so great. we made our way to a balcony rail and enjoyed the people watching, a rest from standing, and the scenic setting.kenzo awaited our arrival. i hung outside to shoot some street style and caught up with some of my favorite photographers. we filled each other in on our days, talked life, culture, and john galliano. home is where we found ourselves next for a few minutes to regroup before the grand life+opening ceremony party. so much fun!! in attendance: the best dj on the planet, fashionistas of all kinds, hosted by bryan boy, kate from elle and many more. we danced the night away until we found ourselves sitting at pizza primo eating some dinner on one of the most famous streets in paris. what a great night!!

paris day 5: macaroons and sonia rykiel.

bonjour paris! i woke up to a beautiful morning and walked to the metro (the system is lovable here), and missed my first show because a sprint back to the apartment up six flights of stairs to get my camera set me back a minutes. oops. change of plans: i took a walk around the tuileries to soak in a bit of the culture. i am in awe of everything that surrounds me here; it is beyond gorgeous. i really enjoyed the martin grant show that proceeded, and i took a breather at the dries van noten store to meet linds after a french waiter was getting feisty and tried to charge me a crazy amount for something i didn't ask for. gotta love it.lindsay and i went to the cutest macaroon bakery i have ever seen in my life. it looked like it was straight out of a movie, and the pastries were unbelievably delicious--we got dark chocolate, caramel, and coffee. from there we walked through the heart of st. germain, passed the oldest chapel in paris, and went to the most amazing department store. we hit up the dior exhibit (unreal.), thumbed through some french magazines (neato.), and explored a grocery store that was fifty times cooler than whole foods or trader joes (i can't believe i am saying this right now), but this place was indescribable with rows separated into different cuisines, organic everything you can imagine, and the thickest hot chocolate known to man. they even have a section for planning a picnic. i had to catch my breath a few times.we taxied over to collette (karl lagerfeld's favorite store), and we ate at the water bar in the basement. i had a very french meal: grilled cheese with a fried egg on top. it was so yummy (aka miam miam). sonia rykiel awaited our arrival, a show that i have been thrilled about all day! i have yet to experience such a FUN presentation of a collection. resembling a broadway set, bold colors animated the models, where they failed to disappear through the exit door and instead partied on the runway while the girls kept walking out. karlie kloss was workin it! now for our pizza dinner party and late night crepes!!! yipee!!

paris day 4: the drama of dior did not dominate.

vendredi began bright and early with an egg crepe and human-sized origami at issey miyake at the pavillon concorde, where marvelous artistic pieces acted as the fulfilled foreshadowing. gaspard yurkievich and amaya arzuaga were stunner shows, and following was the anticipated galliano drama to be had at dior. i have to admit, i expected a good amount of press, but i never imagined the entire international paparazzi to make an appearance. it was a madhouse, with an intense amount of security and french police guarding this castle of a place. at one point, there was a paparazzi stampede (this was a first in my life). apparently, the mystery man being chased in that audi was the guy who "practically owns the world."street style shooting was fun fun here, but it had to be cut short by my deadline to isabel marant. this designer is most securely in my top three list…beyond ecstatic to attend! i met a girl from switzerland on the metro, and ventured to odeon with her to make the show in time. i love how this happens during paris fashion week. new friends are made from all around the world! isabel marant exceeded my expectations by a million times a million; it is so organically chic, and the model cast was STACKED. there was anja rubik, then karolina kurkova, sasha, abbey lee, candice, carmen, must i continue? oh my heavens.next up: a sugar crepe before some much needed catching up…scribbling articles (professionally, of course), hanging with new friends at lindsay's apartment over baguette and cheese with european tunes blaring. perfect working environment. shockingly, it was a quite productive one. city exploring starts tomorrow! maybe a picnic under the eiffel tower on the beautifully forecasted day? yes please.

paris day 3: models and bistro love.

manish arora at the garage began this magical day in the beautiful city of paris. this show was rockin with madness: models appearing in magic tricks, the boldest colors on the planet, sparkles, and prints as dramatic as whatever you can think of that is really really dramatic. it was spectacular, and kayne was groovin to the beat front row style. side thought: i think he likes his red leather jacket. on to ann demeulemeester. made it last minute…thank goodness! it was drapy, edgy, and filled with black: the construction was an a+++. oh and frida strutted her stuff here.went with some nyc/london/milano photog friends on a metro journey to balmain. eeep! so many of my favorite faces: natasha poly, abbey lee, carmen kass, magdelena, sasha, and freja. holy moly. this may be the best day of my life. took a nice walk over to barbara bui. met a new reporter friend from amsterdam, and drooled over the most amazing jackets and platform pointy-toed wedges. what a combo. lutz next. not so impressed. and for the finale...af vandevorst concluded the shows with a military equestrian vibe, horse eyebrows, and mane inspired hair. cool.off to a true parisian bistro with linds for an incredible salad and wine. we planned out our week of shows and adventures on the patio, and met up with megan for the af after party. such a great bar and crowd. entertaining i must say with some of the dancing going on with a well known blogger that i will not reveal. man does he have some moves.

paris day 2: love, fashion, and crepes.

it was a day of fun filled, crazy adventurous. it involved some spontaneity just because i had no idea where the heck i was going, but it was relieving to know that by sunset, i could get around quite well. i forgot what life was like before gps and cell phones until today. i woke up to the phone saying it was 9:45PM, and it hit me that PM does not equal AM. it was 11, and i had already missed two shows. oops! i got ready in approximately 20 minutes, and blindly ventured out into paris, hoping i could find my way. another show missed, but i have never been so relieved to see that familiar white tent at guy laroche. the show was exciting, and the outside scene was even more enchanting! so happy to bump into craig arend (check out his a-mazing model blog, altamira and his work on nymag, teen vogue, and net-a-porter!). my handy little subway map (thanks linds!) and our horrible senses of direction left us flipping our map several times, hoping that that would maybe clear something up? hmm not really. but we made it to anne valerie hash just in time…what a miracle!! the show was…eh, small and boutiquey but still too school for cool (i mean that as a compliment).next up: people spotting and street shooting outside dries van noten. yes, i made it with the help of mr. fotovalise (p.s. craig, i think you owe me a photo)…he is probably my favorite person to talk models with, and our subway ride most-surely consisted of that topic as well as catch ups from nyfw. spotted: everyone. scott schuman, garance dore, anna dello russo, emanuelle alt, taylor tomasi hill, joe zee. you. name. it.  it was one big conglomeration of street style photographers, models, and editors aka the best playground in the world. too much fun.felipe oliveira baptista next! breathtaking show. stopped downstairs for a little snack: the most amazing lentils and a organic acai juice added more love to this day. i heart the healthy french food, especially when its eaten on a bench watching susie bubble and bryanboy pack in to the next show. what a perfect spot for a bite. took a much needed break at the apartment to charge my camera. that might be important for peachoo+krejberg and mugler later. the prior was stationed at the garage. such a neat spot for such a stunning, neutrally dramatic show.side note: i grabbed a crepe from the amazingly awesome street vendor for dinner, and i found out i am definitely allergic to nutella as a gift with purchase. you think maybe "nut" in the word might have given that away. good thing there was a pharmacy next store, where they initially gave me pain meds instead of benadryl. yikes. i am glad they noticed the misunderstanding before i passed over my euros."born this way" serenaded the end of my day with a performance by lady gaga herself. unbelievable show. mugler was extraordinary, with gaga shoes (there were some model trips), a crazy set, an energetic crowd, and jessica stam in the mix. no better place to see her walk for the first time!! who knows what tomorrow holds. all i know is i am ecstatic for ann demeulemeester. eek it's 3AM. bon nuit!

paris un jour: jetlagged and having a blast.

today felt like a week in the best of ways. this morning i found myself next to a san fran parisian on the plane discussing travel dreams and styles--by styles, i mean he takes his time, researches a destination, even learns a language, for the sole purpose of soaking up the entire culture when he arrives at his place of choice. i want to adopt this philosophy. i landed in the beautiful city of paris bright and early this morning, and trying to find lindsay's apartment was an adventure. it took a bus ride, a taxi, and an internet bar to make it safe and sound. it was a fun challenge to say the least. linds and matthieu greeted me with some fresh olive oil and basil whole wheat pasta and a fun fun apartment that has a loft bedroom that looks onto some picturesque sights. cool. next up: matthieu took me on a motorcycle tour around the entire city. i think this may count as a highlight in my life experiences thus far: what a way fun/exhilarating/culturally infusing way to see such a historically rich and fascinating place. the eiffel tour was un. real. i did not expect its magnitude. we met up with linds at our final stop: cafe du centre. parisian cheese, fresh bread, delightful wine, and homemade caramel and chocolate french ice cream graced our conversation. everything here is so quaint and character-filled, from the cobble stone streets to the dining presentations…next up: some thrift shopping! me and linds found some bad-a motorcycle helmets here:) only 230 euros…totally worth it, right? we may go back. we walked back home, took a much needed nap, and strolled down the street to meet friends for a late dinner. we definitely had a french dining experience with strict waiting, smoked salmon, duck, and lots of bread and red wine. now we find ourselves in a pile of a million invitations trying to plan out this fashion week that is ahead. sleeep.

au voir texas, bonjour paris!

it's about that time. pret-a-porter fashion week is a few days away, and i am heading to paris tomorrow to get all the inside scoop! stay tuned. xoxo, lophoto: facehunter