Paris fashion week day 4

Dear Shaded Viewers,

The fashion madness is winding down a bit. My first appointment today was  lunch with my good friend Robb Young. I wanted to see him one last time before he went back to London.The first person I saw when  I walked into Colette’s was Sophia Kokosalaki. She and her friend were checking out the cameras. I met her last November in London when my collaborator at the time and I were making short films on the contestents in the Gwand fashion festival. All of the designers were competing for the   100,000 euros Swiss Textile prize. I really appreciate her work.  I took one of my signature soft focus no flash pictures of her.

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Sophia Kokosalaki

I found Guillaume Salmon at one of the tables. He does the PR for Colette.

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Guillaume Salmon

Robb was running about 10 minutes late and in the mean time the model Anina stopped over to pick up the few fashion show tickets that I had for her. She’s been acting as the extra camera for a few shows.

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Anina the blogger model with tons of energy

After a quiet lunch, Robb and I checked out the shop. He showed me a new jewlery designer that he liked called Marko. We ran into Adi from As Four. She told me to visit their showroom this week, which of course I will.

Adi
Adi from As Four looking very beautiful, don’t you think?

Robb and I decided to go take a look at the Marie Luisa Mixt boutique and the work of last years winner of the Maria Luisa prize at  ITS3, Peter Pilotto. Peter was out sick. Half of Paris seems to have the flu and the weather is pretty dreadful, cold, wet, snowy. I think that the salt they put on the streets has permanently damaged at least three pairs of my shoes. What a nightmare. I I called the Flanders Fashion Institute to see if they could send a car to take Robb and I up to the Martin Margiela showroom. It just moved to an even bigger and better space. Earlier in the day I life blogged you an image of the sexy driver for the Flanders Fashion Institute. I’ve had several this trip, all quite nice but he was my favorite so far.

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the new Martin Margiela space

This has got to be one of Martin Margiela’s best collections in years. He obviously was having fun experimenting with all kinds of great ideas. I especially loved the pieces made from wigs. He used the inside net part on the outside and Patrick, his PR explained that the hardest part was separating the blonds from the brunettes. He made  a stuffed snake that I could not resist trying on. He also made great jackets and sweaters with collars extended into hoods. I need one made special for me.
The whole artisanal group was spot on. I liked the armadilla jackets and the needle point skirt and jacket.

Snake

I was not afraid of this snake at all, loved it in fact

The accessories and shoes this year were pretty good, all mismatched pairs and the evening stilletos that are already trashed. I wonder how they are going to sell. I could picture my friend Robb in the crystal necklace with elastic band and the thigh high black leather boots that detached.

Boots
Martin Margiela shoe collection for women, looks like men but is definitely for women

Robb had to go back to the hotel to pick up his bags and head for the airport in the snow. On the way to Hotel de Ville we saw this advertisement, I ask you is it really necessary to see some kid picking his nose, more information that we need, no?

Advert

It’s freezing cold and wet so Robb put together his new look to protect himself a bit from the elements, what do you think?

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Robb Young

I was making the change in Hotel de Ville when I ran into Mark Eley from Eley Kishimoto. He was heading over to the Bon Marche for the Illustration Expo so we decided to go together. He was telling me about some great plans that are going to come together in July during the men’s shows.
Top secret for now.

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Mark Eley from Eley Kishimoto

Traits Tres Mode is the name of the expo at the Bon Marche, it is up until April. I asked illustrator Cedric Rivrain if I could take his photo in front of one of his illustrations. He was happy to comply. Cedric does the illustrations now for Christian Dior. He’s super talented and always looks great and I noticed at the Brazilian party that he loves to dance.

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Cedric Rivrain

Another illustrator favorite, Charles Anastase had not arrived before I had to leave for the Ann Demeulmeester show.

Charles

drawing by Charles Anastase who unfortunately did not arrive before I left

Yoko Amakawa was standing in front of one of Cedric’s illustrations of the Yazbukey girls. If you want you can take a look at a very short video that I made when I was invited to Istanbul by Yaz and her sister Emel.

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Yoko Amakawa in front of Cedric Rivariain’s drawings of the Yazbukey girls

Traffic was so bad with the snow and ice that I decided to take a metro to the Ann Demeulmeester show. My friend was reading the Maison Martin Margiela newspaper. The newspaper took the place of a show and is quite fun.

Mmm

I think that Martin would appreciate my friend reading his newspaper on the metro

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designer Nicolas Andreas Taralis at Ann Demeulmeester

The venue was like a refrigerator with snow drifting in through the glass tiles on the roof. Jean Jacques `Picard was covered in the blankets that were made available to everyone. I asked if he minded if I took a photo of him. He laughed and said sure but only for me, then he told me that it would be fine. I kind of like the image.

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Jean Jacques Picard

Ann Demeulmeester played with layers and volumes and jet beads and I shot into the light so all the images are very flou. You cannot see the details but at least you get an idea of  the volume. Lucky for me I had a camera in the pit with the rest of the photographers .

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Ann Demeulemeester

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Ann Demeulmeester, all these shots are a bit impressionistic

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Ann Demeulmeester, I don’t know if you can tell but it is snowing  inside

I ran into more friends at the show.

Kaorusasaki

Kaoru Sasaki, Editor in Chief of Common Sense

 

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Daisuke Genma

Nigthtride

When I saw Joseph Quartana from Seven last night at dinner he had asked me if I wanted to come to the Self Service party with him and Bernhard Willhelm. Of course I said yes but at the end of today I just wanted to come home and write to you and hopefully see my bed before 3h. It’s already nearly 2h so that was a dream. I also was supposed to go with my friend Tina to the Celine party but as you can see I passed on that as well. More than  likely I had my last ride tonight for the season in the FFI van. They stop the service tomorrow. Thank you very much FFI for taking such good care of me.

Later, Diane

Van

 

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Diane Pernet

A LEGENDARY FIGURE IN FASHION and a pioneer of blogging, Diane is a respected journalist, critic, curator and talent-hunter based in Paris. During her prolific career, she designed her own successful brand in New York, costume designer, photographer, and filmmaker.

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