If you think fashion editors have a hell of a life you are right. I accompanied Daniela Agnelli, Fashion Director of the Telegraph, for one day during Paris Fashion Week. One thing for sure, it was great fun, but at the end of the day you know that a job in the fashion world is not as easy as it seems.
PARIS: When we meet on a sunny day during Paris Fashion Week in a small cafe at the bottom of Rue Bonaparte, the day seems to be still far away from a rush through the world of fashion images from the createurs, the bloggers, editors and street styles. Everyone is just enjoying their cafe au lait and croissant and more and more familiar faces come for breakfast just before the Chalayan show is about to begin. Amanda Harlech has a talk with chief editor Jefferson Hack from Dazed. Pernille Teisbaek of Look de Pernille sits cosy in a dark corner with her sister, or is it her best friend from Sweden? Wrapped in a statement piece, the French blogger Jeanne Dumas sits alone at the bar looking what the day will bring, and Brian Boy in his overknees matching a pair of shorts, too short for a boy, brings some action into the place while looking for an additional free chair to gather with his entourage.
Actually these moments feel good because everyone is curious what the day will bring, which street styles will be shot and most important which fashion will be shown. When we head next door to see the Chalayan show, the photographers are pacing the street and everyone wants to look good and stand out as it creates a certain fashion value. It’s a fun game if you like to play by the rules.
Daniela arranged a car which takes us from one show to the next and in-between we visit the showrooms or the cosy apartment of Marguerita Missoni who launches today her new children’s wear AMOS (more to come soon). For a moment we are taken into a different world, where children’s decor of a child’s dream come true is presented in a very warm and friendly way, in this case by all generations of the Missoni family.
But only for a short time, as the next shows are coming up and we will visit Francesco Russo in his showroom at Avenue Valois next, and from there it’s straight to the Dior show which is impeccably organised. There is a wall of photographers giving it all to their object of desire, one after the other and from there straight into the built-up Runway Palazzo at the Cour Carré Museé du Louvre. The atmosphere is hectic, energetic, and precisely organised by the French fashion house. The show is about to begin and models walk extra long ways so that the many guests from all over the world get a glance of what is next for autumn/winter 2015. When it is all over we rush out after Anna Wintour leaves first. Outside there are hundreds of photographers trying to get the one-of-a-kind picture from the one image between others. I am surprised to see how the French police manages that actually nobody gets hurt crossing the busy Rue de Rivoli and I am happy to find our car parked in the perfect driving direction to head straight to the Palais de Tokyo to have a look what Isabel Marent is all about.
Having a good driver is essential, and having your outfits perfectly organised and being able to squeeze in a stop-by at the hotel to change for the next show is a question of organisation and a good driver. After Isabel Marent we pass by quickly at Mary Katzanjaou’s showroom before going home and changing into an evening wear as we will be seeing Maison Margiela by Galliano and Balenciaga, before going to the Jeanne Lanvin retrospective at the Musée Galliera and the after-party at the Hotel Shangri-La and after that to the Re-opening of the famous Bain Douche nightclub.
Time to change, shower and have your make-up redone is short and as I need to rewind a little I squeeze in some laps at the hotel pool to regain some energy before going into the second round. I admire Daniela who always keeps a cool mind. Whether she is on the phone organising her photo production that comes up right after the fashion shows or when she looks at the collection in the show rooms of the designer. In the time in-between we Instagram, make phone calls and try to get a quick grab of some kind of lunch.
But surprisingly I do not feel tired once, especially not when I step up the wide staircase of the Musée de Galleria that night. Everyone was there and everybody looked good and the precious pieces from the time of Jeanne Lanvin take you into a dream only fashion comes up with. I am glad we only arrive at the museum quite late as we went to eat quickly some Foie Gras at the Cafe Flore (we had to, we are in Paris).
There are only a few people left to look at the glass cabinet and it feels like being in a time where fashion was only meant to be for a very selected group of people, in this case Diane von Fürstenberg and Anna della Russo who are the ones that caught my eye while enjoying the exhibition.
Soon we all leave and walk or take the car across the street to the first floor of the Hotel Shangri-La where the team of Alber Elbaz created a dream of a party. The music, the decoration, the atmosphere and of course the people everything what fashion is all about, now all in the eye of Lanvin. Tomorrow it will be Haider Ackermann and after tomorrow Celine and Chloe, the next day Chanel and when Louis Vuitton shows on the last day we know that Fashion Week is over.
One thing is for sure. Fashion editors work extremely hard and so much more than before because of the Social Media mania. Or do you know any other profession where you always have to look stunning the morning after a day like that?