Karl, Marc, Olivier, Alber and Ralph.

The creme Parisian designer shows. The runways, the backstage interviews, their boutiques, the parties, the restaurants and the clubs.  little marvin and I hopped on Air India’s psychodelic flying service (aka a plane) to Paris to shoot a TV pilot starring Susan Tabak, professional Parisian shopper and the author of the little red alligator covered book of Paris’ chicest women and their secret addresses, CHIC IN PARIS.

An insider and intimate look at the world, tips and style of Paris’s most famous style icons and the secret addresses that every Parisian knows well.  Here…my mobile phone jottings…

Didier Ludot Opening Party for Alexis Mabille.

To open each season, shop maestro Didier Ludot dedicates his windows to one designer, this year, it was our friend, Alexis Mabille.

Alexis Mabille, known for his clothing inspired by the personality of the androdynous bowtie, is clever and super sweet and we were happy to celebrate outdoors one evening in the Alice in Wonderland-like Palais Royale with celebs and fashion followers.

Didier Ludot

Didier Ludot and Courtney Love

Courtney Love and Alexis Mabille

Suzy Menkes and friend

“See What Suzy Says” of the evening and Alexis here.

Chanel.

The Air of Kings, clear and crisp with excitement and electricity in Palais Cage au Oz glass dome. Denim and Gatsby midi’s, sheer with severe pounced down the runway. Chaos and the rushing of masses, bee hiving around Queens and Kings and Celebrities after.

Just saw the film on Lagerfeld’s life, really super-sized life with libertarian German “of course, and you don’t…?” coupled with a binding strength.  Bowls of huge rings in his bedroom, sketching surrounded by pencils and the huge table of friends for a dinner at a villa.

Victoria Beckham and Courtney Love were there.

Waves “hi” and dashing out the same side door with Glenda Bailey EIC of Harpers Bazaar (and my fave editor) and Stephen Gan. (Fun fact from the 80’s: Stephen featured my dress design in pre-men’s Details magazine custom made for for Suzie Funahara, girlfriend of filmmaker and Plasmatic member Chosei Funahara for a Cannes Film Fest party).

Backstage Karl reminded us that for all our political miasma, America saved Europe in WW2 and the world should not forget this.

Louis Vuitton.

little marvin and Jade Dressler at Louis Vuitton: Front row seats n’ champagne behind Kanye West and Dita von Teese.

Awaiting Marc’s appropriation of some “AIR” of artist Richard Prince. Show is rather like opium den (think the wrestling, opium den scene in Emmanuelle more than Richard Prince) with all the AIR of anticipation…

Large pulp sex novels as canvas tenting for the ceiling…”A Call Boy Ring”…” A World of Utter Sensual Pleasure”…love this influence, so much fodder for fun, color and references…

Finally…Nurse models Nadja Auerman, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Isabell Fontana, Karolina Kurkova, Angela Lindvall and Stephanie Seymour clear veins for the trampy, just-had-sex gypsies to follow (each with a LV bag) following.

Love the ensembles with men’s suit hanging deshabille off the woman’s body and all the sheer fabrics both tight and crumpled like apres…bedsheets and stockings.

Richard Prince show at Guggenheim had all the joke paintings, layered words and clean faux Marlboro ads that could have been the seasons LV in a couture interpretation.

Requiem.

Petit Palais Designers, Julien Desselle and Raffaele Borriello designed jewel-tone satin frocks destined to be shellacked on party girls everywhere. Outside in the crowd, we saw our friend, another fashion icon, Jason Campbell founder of the JC Report… now all new!

Lanvin.

Best of all the shows. Tuxedo’d waitors with circus food trays of ice cream and candy. 1950’s music in french and english, sounds like the stroll, operatic, Jazzercise Diana Ross selections and 1960’s TV show music plus Goldfinger soundtrack. Carnival lights and fireworks. Anna Piaggi. Chloe Sevigny. Kristen Scott.

Nina Ricci.

A dream beyond. Silvers shimmers, bird feathers, rumpled cargo pants, sheer layers, bohemian hair. Icon Olivier emerging from the twin stone walls at the end as a modern Gallic warrior sealed the deal.

My all-time favorite images of young Olivier were shot by my most excellent best friend Trish Nagy of Elle magazine International.

The Shops and Ateliers.

Dior. Paris’ Mattel Barbie Doll Shop Toy.

Molding Everywhere, (decorative not biological).  A fantasy land of mirrors and small inner boutiques to make one feel pampered and precious. Sarah Marinello, our contact is also is a doll. One should have a Middle Eastern Oil man to pay your bill while you go across the street to L’Avenue to refresh. We did all that, minus the oilman and even gave Bruce Willis our seats when we left.

Louis Vuitton.

High Haven of Efficient and Clean Couture.

Reminds me of my aunt’s perfect life and her moth-proof closets. While this Peter Marino ego-fest is stunning to look at and a jewel in the crown for LV…some magic mushroom dust of Marc would go a long way here amongst the perfection.

Lanvin.

Alber Elbaz, the MC of humor and elegance. Here, at the new Lanvin shop at Faubourg St. Honore, the brand history came to life as the iconic brand emblem of the mother and child, famous on the Arpege perfume bottle,expertly interpreted in the window in neon pink plastic mom with a pink robot baby scrambling on her lap. Note: Nice brands link to eternal themes get eternal PLAY. Many thanks to Isabella, PR, and Fabien, Sales, who totally embody the Lanvin brand.

The last operative word here is Parties.

We celebrated the finish of our shoot at the Crillon for the Rock and Republic party DJ’d by Claude Serieux.

Here on champagne duty is little marvin. Who is the Frenchman in blue peering beyond LM’s glass?

We ended our night/morning at Showcase, a hot spot with a dizzying amount of people and energy…all of it always tasty…because it’s life, a movie and it’s Paris.

Lanvin Spring Summer Ad campaign

…and this image of the Lanvin Spring Summer 2008 Collection perhaps can be the emblem for this Paris trip. A rich and sensual garden where a woman prowls as if she was a rare exotic insect.  Full and breezy, funny and seriously aware of the fragility and agility of life.  Hey that’s me!

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written by Jade Dressler