456: PFW Day 1 / Demnerican Apparel
Vallee Village, attic raiders, tallow balm.
Magasin’s pop-up Fashion Week newsletter-within-a-newsletter, where we go on the ground to suss out hot shopping gossip from scenes of interest: Paris Fashion Week, Day 1.
Weather report
51ºF / 10º C — I always get the season wrong when packing for Paris…last time I thought it’d still be summer but I had to buy a coat. This time, I packed furs but it’s spring already! I shop for a living…really, I can’t complain.
Itinerary
11a Facial at Ambassade Biologique Recherche Paris
1p Shopping — Chanel, Gucci, Charvet; Gucci was previewing a see-now-buy-now selection from the most recent Demna show, this week only, that the sales associate was downright apologetic about…a baffling offering of leggings and ill-cut suiting that was exactly the kind of thing I’d wear to go out after one of my first NY jobs, coming directly from the office and stopping at the American Apparel off-price store in Soho in between to pick up something tighter. Last season they did this with the La Famiglia collection (I bought these snakeskin pumps), but now, not even any good accessories to consider—why bother with this shopping model?
7p Hodakova show — classic Hodakova “raiding the attic for antiques”-core, feat. models who laid down on old rugs that they rolled over into skirts.
8:30p Dinner at Aux Crus de Bourgogne
10p Soiree hosted by Pirrie Wright & Michelle Duncan — a soft launch of industry veteran Michelle Duncan’s new beauty brand.
some skips
Outfit rundown
AM
High Sport Veronica Cotton Sweater, $1,188 (in red, $320 $640) / Leset Laura T-Shirt, $88 / Olga Basha Petra Jeans, $490 / The Row Marlo 12 Leather Tote Bag, $4,900 / Chanel Black Patent Leather Moccasins Flats, $2,550 (similar from Black Suede, $345) / Maximum Henry Standard Wide Belt, $160 / The Row Eugene Coat, $3,750
PM
Lexx Finger Marche Leather Bomber (similar from Nour Hammour, $1,660) / Vintage Ter Et Bantine Leather Skirt (similar from CO, $1,495) / Uniqlo HEATTECH Cashmere Blend T-Shirt, $29 / Gucci Vittoria Python Pump, $1,600 / Gucci Bamboo Night Clutch, $1,775 / Dior Leather Opera Gloves (similar from Nour Hammour, $560)
Shopping gossip
I shopped! I technically started early at La Vallee Village, an outlet mall about an hour outside of Paris. The Google reviews all complain of the sales not being aggressive enough, but I saw plenty of stuff at Gucci for 70% off. I bought a Bamboo Night Clutch for ~$1,000, down from $3,550 (here’s one on resale for $1,775). I also bought a totally necessary Loro Piana fur-cashmere hat that I suspect will become the main character of the next leg of my trip in Switzerland. Here in the mainland, I treated myself to Charvet pleasures: a silk tie in a heady, creative print and a simple silk handkerchief with a navy-on-white spotty print.
Also from pre-Paris, we drove through Burgundy for a few days, discovering wine and dining at the kinds of restaurants the Michelin guide was created for. At Château de Courban (a great meal), I loved the heavy table linens from Garnier Thiebaut, a 193-year-old brand from the Vosges region.
Spotted an excellent new Repetto ballet flat style, the v-necked Lilouh. The last ballerina I fell in love with from the French shoe brand, the Lucien (made for men, and therefore not available in my size) got picked up and recreated by Phoebe Philo with the Gathered Flat. Let’s see who’s paying attention now.
My friend Miranda Levitt gave me a travel size of the Lisa Eisner tallow balm from her Strategist feature, and I can confirm it’s the fix my jet-lagged, dehydrated lips desperately needed.
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thank you for the honesty re: Gucci - much needed and much appreciated
FINALLY someone posted about La Vallee Village!