Predicting the Future

Sometimes I do wonder about things. For example the title of the last blog - a silly fun play on words. Or so you would think, until I find myself on my couture sitting today. Everyone has been very helpful but every shot taken, every shot covered but we all sit hear waiting, waiting and waiting some more. The Couture house that we are waiting for?

It isn't the PR's fault as I was promised my dress at 5pm, by 6 - nothing. The client before hasn't released it, and now it is 7:30 the dress is finally on its way. This is the way of Couture and to be honest I am bloody lucky not to be shooting through the night. Most of the girls are leaving today / tomorrow to get to NYC for the start of fashion week there mid month.

It has been a crazy few days. A shoot yesterday which went as well as I could have hoped. I am just waiting to hear the verdict. The present shoot is lovely and far, far better than I could have hoped given less than 12 hours ago, I didn't have a studio, clothes, hair + makeup or a girl with a model.com top 20 rating.

Sometimes, although I love this job at times - it can makes me tear my hair out. So here I sit - writing while wasting time (thank god no overtime rates), until the beautiful Gaultier gets here.

Right now however I really could do with a G+T.

*Update - it arrived. It was my first choice and all is forgiven as it is just stunning and worth ever minute of the 2.5 hours late that it was. Viva la Couture!

Gaultier, Gaultier - where out thou o Gaultier .....

The final day was quite quiet. Due to the general strike in Paris tomorrow everyone I know is trying to jump ship from Paris before the chaos starts. Now I have to admit - other commitments prevented me from going to the Valentino show but Gaultier was his best by miles - all the signatures of Gaultier, corsets, visible boning .. Kyle in the front row (the scrum to get a picture of her was silly), I might add. Kanye was here again (that boy - Music artist or Fashion floozy?). Innes on the Catwalk - milking it for all it was worth and we were lapping up every moment of it. Elli Saab, was ok but given the strength of many of the other collections - it was all a little to soft and girlie for my tastes.

On the news that Take 2 was closing .. I am hearing rumours (and again Rumours only) that also 1 MNGT in NYC is also going the same way?

Thank you also the lovely Liberty London Girl for a heads up in her blog yesterday. She is one of my favourite bloggers out there and if for some ungodly reason you haven't seen her musings - Go NOW!!!!! Furthermore I let out a delighted squeal this morning, as Make Do Style kindly has given me an Award I didn't deserve (rightly so) … I am listed in her top 10 blogs - no bad as I am not a regular blogger, I am consistently un-consistent.

Well I am off to see if there are any Velib Bikes left and go biking across Paris in the Chaos.

Regal Ice

Some times I thank god I am a Stylist and not a writer by trade, because nothing that I can say or type will come close to the Chanel show today. One multi tiered gorgeous frothy regal icing confection of perfection would be the closest I could come and well - that description is a roaring pastiche if I ever said one. However, to say it was breath taking … would be selling it very short. The room, the tables (and yes people were trying to sneak out with the table cloths, the paper cut centre pieces (pathetic … but understandable) and that was before we even had a chance to look at the clothes.

When the time comes to leave fashion and on to pastures new, these are the shows, which I will take with me. From there it was on to Lacroix. Also a regal showing, the technicality was there, the collection wonderful - the catwalk …. Longer than the rue de Rivoli. For 39 looks, one end of the room was clapping while the other half still had 6 looks to see. It was a minor annoyance in a technically brilliant show.

Maison Martin Margella - was an interesting presentation. If only as the only two other people in the room with me were Suzy Menkies and Carine Roitfeld. Talk about being in the shadow of brilliance. I have to say it was a moment of pure Couture heaven. If only I could have dipped into either of their brains (aka Being John M) for a moment.

Givenchy was a bit of a let down but on top of a cracking day … who has room for critics?

Well I guess me…

More Gareth. So LVMH is looking to buy him … so reports Vogue.com. However he was at Chanel as well today so I would imagine he is courting buyers, seeing to be seen or at least trying to get someone to invest in him, as the poor love has no money. Investment isn't easy to come by especially right now. Can't see him taking over Dior Homme but stranger things have happened…..

I now pronounce you …

You see, sometimes in tough times - the big boys look to the past and say: "What happened when the economy went belly up last time?" Besides our loyal clients, who else spends money on Couture? Brides of course! Not everyone can be a year in, year out Couture client but there are still many very rich elite women in this world, which will spend money (no matter how bad the economy) on that dress of a lifetime. No surprise then, that there was more than a spattering of off-white confections to grace the catwalk at Dior today.

This in no way detracted from the wonderful presentation, which I thought, was spot on. Great use of colour, hand painted silks and yummy embroidery and bead-work. The silhouettes were old school glamour, with the odd nod to the up-coming Oscars. Dior is always a house where Couture still reigns supreme and John, as ever is the master of ceremonies. However, one could not help noticing that the Master has been lax at the gym or eating one to many pies as he is looking a tad round at the moment.

Sergio Rossi Puma launch was interesting over at Collette if you are a fan of Satin trainers (both the flat and heeled varieties in a selection of strong bold colours). Fun, but given the London weather, perhaps not practical. I am not a fan of suede or satin as they tend to get trashed in one outing, however that won't stop me from shooting them as soon as I can.

As for Armani, well I would rather just skip that. What did come to my attention was a press release that went out that announced the closing of Take 2 models. Gabriella was to London modelling - well, like Sarah Dukas, or Carol White. So although I know things are tight …well I was not so much shocked but saddened by the news. I hope this isn't a sign of further closures to come.

Not the new world order

I try not to be a cynic. Hard it must be said in this environment. However, Gareth's show was as predicted a bit of a scrum, full of the Pony step club kids, fashion stylists, editors and general hangers. Did I see anything new? Unfortunately not. It was his first menswear show, and predictably he sent out more of the same, Goth boy dressing. However, in a very hard financial climate one has to ponder how much of a market there is for very rich, anorexic skinny Goth boys/men to dress? Men are not usually the most adventurous with their attire so besides the piles of editorial that he will get .. I can't see much else. I don't believe Gareth is bankrolled to the point where he has a very commercial watered down commercial collection waiting in the wings (I could be very wrong, we shall see). So to concur with Make Do Style - Mad boy indeed, if there was a time to try and develop your ideas and move forward, the time would have been now.

The highlights of today - Dior and one could argue Armani Privee (the later being a bit of a stretch). I have already been asked by a few to judge the general mood. Is it as sombre as everywhere else or is there a fashion buzz on? I suspect it will not be a "grand" couture, a more paired back demure season to reflect the times. It is not the time to be flaunting excessive wealth (for those fleeting Couture clients - I suspect they have in many ways been hit more than most - as a percentage of overall income).

Anyway … more to follow.

Staring at boys

A long absence I know but it seems that my professional life is difficult to blog about. Given the nature of shoots, one has to be very careful of what one says. Frequently, you can't discuss things - less a competitor knick and idea, shoot a model and pip you at the post - so a blog can be a bit of a pitfall. Furthermore, you don't want to land your publication in the merde (and yourself with it). So it seems, I leave you for months on end and only blog from the safe haven of the shows. Or perhaps - I just don't have anything that interesting to say…. take it as you will.

Now I find myself back in Paris, to attend the holiest of holy, the Haute Couture, which will commence on Monday. With the tough economic times however, drastic measures have to be taken and I was dispatched to Paris early…. Something about Saturday night stays and cheaper tickets (false economy given that an extra night in a hotel is required - however due to concern to my personal wellbeing… I opted not to point this fact out). Everyone seems so techy at the moment. So I arrived a full day and a half early to enjoy the sights, sounds (and Sales) of Paris.

I miss Editor X, as she was a ray of sunshine, which made this circus far more tolerable. She will be back no doubt and not a moment too soon. Unfortunately my colleague, USC has to get back to the office so I have been generously gifted a healthy allocation to the menswear shows. Something that in all of my years, I have never darkened the doorstep of. So I guess you could say I am popping my Menswear cherry, and with Hermes no less. Well if a girl is going to do it…..

The show was clean, classic (with twists of Yellow and Red) and rather tasty. However, if you want a review … go and read Suzy, she would put it far more eloquently than I. Over all however, loved the casting especially. Surprising as I usually find male models of the post millennium all to fey for my tastes. Bring back the muscle bound beef cake men of the early 90's.

I also have a coveted invitation to Gareth Pugh's debut menswear collection tomorrow night but Hermes wins over Gareth for line honours. Just call me an old fashioned. It will be a scene tomorrow. Coupling the fence between closing the Menswear shows and the opening of Couture the following morning, it is guaranteed to be a scrum of silly proportions. Everyone vying for the honour of the coveted " well I was there when Gareth showed his first ….." Is a star to be born? Some would argue he is already. A showman he might be, but a strong designer with longevity in his label has yet to be decided. Perhaps come back in 10 years and with can discuss it further.