Boston Fashion Week Fall 2011

Boston is certainly putting itself on the map for being a fashionable city and I've never been more proud to be a Bostonian than this past week! The Partners of The Tent at Boston Fashion Week (Boston Fashion Week, Boston magazine, Mandarin Oriental Boston, PBD Events and The Shops at Prudential Center) did an AMAZING job organizing the 1st year of fashion shows under one central and fashionable location!

I was lucky enough to go to NYC Fashion Week back in September of 2009, where I saw the DvF fashion show. It was held at Bryant Park in the tents and it was definitely a dream come true especially after working hard all summer as a fashion design intern at DvF. It was a memorable experience, but extremely different from the one I experienced this time around. Yeah it was fun, glamourous and exciting, but also exclusive, untouchable, and impersonable. Had I not interned at DvF, I don't know if I would have had the opportunity to go to one of the fashion shows. I'd definitely need to be invited or have a lot of money to afford to go to a prestigious designer's show.

This past week, I felt like I was a part of history! I have been missing living in Paris ever since I came back to Boston a few weeks ago, but for the first time I felt happy to be HOME! I was happy to see how beautiful and charming Boston has become and to be a part of something so magnificent! The Tent, the lights, the people, the models, the designers, the parties all came out in full force to make a statement. Like NYC, it was fun, glamourous and exciting, but it was inclusive, touchable and personable! Anyone could go to the show! Most shows were $30 or less! And EVERYONE had a great seat! It didn't matter if you were VIP or not, you could still get a great view from wherever you sat in The Tent. Maybe, it felt so personable to me because I knew some of the designers that participated in Boston Fashion Week and maybe it's because I'm a Bostonian, but regardless I feel everyone who came out to support and see Boston Fashion Week can't help but feel happy for the success of everyone involved.

The first show I went to was on Saturday, September 24th at the Bill Bordy Theater to see the "Everything ENAMOUR" fashion show and to support my friend June Monteiro. We graduated from the Fashion Design Certificate Program at MassArt and also helped find the group Rising Design. She is one of the hardest workers I know with so much ambition and drive! Not only that, but she stays humble and grounded with her growing success! It's hard not to admire anyone who goes for their dreams and I am truly happy to see June make her dreams come true!

I was thoroughly impressed with all her featured collections. I couldn't believe how many designs she showed! Her first collection was Shock Therapy, which is a children's clothing line, that gives you an inside look at a child's world as seen through their eyes. It's the things they say that shock you when you first hear them, but make you laugh later. It was so adorable seeing the kids come out with their mothers walking down the runway in ENAMOUR Sport. Then came her Isabella Blow Series, which was one of my favorite collections of the night. The collection was inspired by the English magazine editor and muse of hat designer Philip Treacy. The night ended with June's MONARCH Collection, which was inspired by the clothes worn by Britain's Queen Victoria during the long mourning period after the death of Prince Albert. I was so impressed with each piece that came out! You can learn more about June by becoming a fan of Enamour on Facebook or at Everything Enamour.

I went to my first fashion show in The Tent with my friend Ellen on Sunday, September 25th for The Launch, which was presented by the Fashion Group International of Boston and Boston Fashion Week. The 5 designers were hand picked by them as some of the top talented fashion design students of Boston. Before going into The Tent, Ellen and I got some wine and cupcakes at the reception area in the Mandarin Oriental. It was so chic and fashionable inside! Then we were ushered into The Tent and scored great seats in the 3rd row. We sat next to a proud mother of one of the models in the show. The first designer was GeorgAnnette Chatterley. She is a graduate of MassArt and her collection utilized fabric manipulation to make her own unique textiles. I had the pleasure of meeting her recently and as a MassArt alumni, I was really happy to see a fellow MassArt alumni be chosen for such an amazing opportunity. She spent a lot of time and money with getting the fabrics and making the designs, but it was well worth it!

Next was Christine Lam who studied in Paris, and interned at London's Georgia Hardinge. I could definitely see the influence of her experiences abroad had on her designs down the runway. They had a bit of edginess from London and also some chic black pieces you'd see girls where in the streets of Paris.

Then came Karina Bresnahan who is a School of Fashion Design graduate with a focus on sportswear. I loved her resort wear designs that reminded me very much of DvF. They were beautiful and I would wear all of them! I wish I could buy some to take with me to Vegas next week! Karina is definitely a talented designer and I could see her designs in stores one day! She was definitely one of my favorites of the night.

Mishal Kizilbash was the next designer to show and she blew me away! She found her inspiration in Pakistan through brightly colored and embroidered fabrics. I was really impressed how she was able to bring her culture into her designs and make it so modern! All the pieces were beautifully made, designed and styled and her models rocked the runway! Mishal was also another one of my favorites that was just so original and creative.

Candice Wu was the last to show and was influenced by different cultures, blending traditional elements with modern ideas. Her collection was colorful, playful and full of texture and sculptural shapes. All of these designers brought exciting designs that night and left you wanting to see more! Afterwards, Ellen and I went to have a small dinner sitting outside at Paparazzi on Newbury street. It was a beautiful night and we wanted to enjoy the nice weather, while it lasted. My friend KimVy met up with us and we went to one of the Boston Fashion Week After Parties that was held at Forum on Boylston Street. We had a drink and enjoyed some free passed h'ordeuvres before calling it a night.

The next night, I went to see Daniel Faucher's show with Anna and Margaret. Daniel has built his fine reputation with the design and creation of exquisite one-of-a-kind evening and bridal wear ensembles with time-honored haute couture techniques. Designing under his own label since 1987, Daniel has been recognized as one of the finest designers in Boston through the many fashion shows and magazine layouts that have featured his work. He is also an instructor at the School of Fashion Design on Newbury St. Before going into his show, the girls and I enjoyed some wine at the reception area and was once again ushered into The Tent. Daniel's designs are impeccably and beautifully made. After coming back from interning at Metal Flaque in Paris and learning some couture techniques myself, I can certainly appreciate the time he put into making these couture pieces. It's a lot of work, but the outcome is sooooo much better! He certainly had a lot of fans of his work at the show including Marilyn Riseman (Boston fashion socialite) in the front row.

The last show I went to for Boston Fashion Week was from a group I'm a proud member of, "Rising Design." It was organized by Ellen Shea and Anna Bitskaya, two great friends of mine that also went to MassArt. The Collections shown at the Liberty Hotel were by šarka's collection by Jennifer Griffith, Margaret Lawrence, Felicia Verry Mota of Spanish Fly, Ray Rodriguez, Pretty Thoughts, and Shalyn Webber.

Jennifer Griffith's collection was Playdates - A Spring/Summer collection inspired by women's newfound involvement in sports at the turn of the 20th century. As women began to play tennis, bike about town and splash in the sea, the restrictive clothing of the Victorian period was forced to evolve. Hems rose, corsets loosened and women were freer both physically and later, politically. Jennifer has created her collection with primarily vintage and repurposed fabrics, incorporating Edwardian details such as grosgrain ribbon and decorative buttons to adorn her collection. Jennifer's Playdates is a modern take on this pivotal time in women's fashion. Jennifer is another former classmate of mine and good friend! I always enjoy seeing her designs and it totally reflects her fun, playful personality. There were so many pieces I wanted to have for myself to wear and to play in!

Margaret Lawrence's evening gown with hair piece and Felicia Verry Mota's preview of her Fall/Winter Collection were both wonderfully done. These two ladies are amazing! They are also former classmates of mine at MassArt and we've all become such great friends! I am so impressed with Margaret's head pieces. You really have to check out her site! I can't wait to buy one myself! We both took costume design and learned how to make hats, but Margaret is truly talented in millinery! Her hats remind me a lot of the talented Marie Galvin of the South End. Felicia first blew me away at last year's Rising Design Fashion Show in the South End. I loved her designs and the way she styled the outfits together especially with the headpieces! This year was no different!

Ray Rodriguez's Hanes Collection was a capsule collection that reflects on the Yves Saint Laurent's 1960s homage to Mondrian, but is fast forwarded to 2011. As a modern designer, he created a grouping of looks that are fast, easy, and requires no effort. The collection is constructed of upcycled Hanes Beefy T's - heavyweight, pre-shrunk, 100% cotton jersey and soft stretch vinyl - easy to care for, easy to wear, yet exquisitely constructed. He did a beautiful job capturing the 1960s mod look that was very reminiscent of YSL's Mondrian haute couture Fall/Winter collection.

Pretty Thoughts'"Equinox" Collection channeled vintage 20's style and utilized New England autumn. The color palette showed off latex design in a whole new light. Pretty Thoughts did an amazing job with the fit of her designs on the models. They were flawless! You really could wear the designs out for a night out in town. One of my favorites was the fishtail skirt! I can't believe she was able to create that look with latex!

The night ended with Shalyn Webber's "Lichen" Collection that was inspired by Victorian cemeteries. The Collection is hand dyed silk and hand dyed lace appliqué meant to imitate moss growing on stones. There are also grey cage-like structures used as hair pieces and accessories to simulate fences. Her collection was definitely the most creative and artistic of the night. I loved the colors she chose and they all worked so beautifully together. There's no doubt how talented she is and I'm sure she could easily work for one of the top designers in the industry. I could see her designs on fashion editorial spreads and down the runways!

Ellen and Anna did an amazing job selecting such diverse and talented designers for the show. We got to see a little bit of everything as they walked around the Liberty Hotel with spot lights shining on them.

Boston really does have a lot of talent and it's so great to see them even more now that we've put ourselves on the map! I'm excited to see what's in store next for these designers and to see more emerging designers pop up to show their stuff!

Bonne nuit!!!! Bisous Bisous!!! :)

Last weekend in Paris - Not Goodbye, just See You Again Real Soon! ;)

I had been dreading the day I would have to return home to Boston. Don't get me wrong, I do love my home in Boston and am excited to see my family and friends. But I am not ready to wake up from THE most amazing dream that's lasted all summer long in Paris!

On Friday, I went back to Metal Flaque to see my co-workers before leaving for Boston. I was greeted with Veronique and Elisa! It was so great to see them! Marion was out on an errand so I went to Pierre Herme for some macarons. Fanny had recommended I check it out the night before and I'm so glad I did! I ended up getting 6 macarons and ate them all! The lady that sold me them told me to refrigerate whatever I didn't finish, but I assured her not to worry and that I would be eating them all right away! I walked over to the Jardin du Tuileries to enjoy them. I am really going to miss going there! It was one of my favorite places to go during lunch. Life just seems so simple and peaceful in these Parisian gardens. After, I went back to Metal Flaque to see Marion. It was so nice to catch up with her! She is such a sweetheart! Next, I met up with Simona and Sorin in Abbesses. They came with me to see Damien at Paris Tissus, the fabric store I had went to the other day with Melissa. Damien offered to help me with my CV and to look for a job in Paris. He was really helpful and with his and Simona's help, I think I will be well on my way with my French CV! Afterwards, Simona, Sorin and I went back to the restaurant with the huge yummy salads! The portions are just wayyyyy too big, but it's so good and well worth it! I got the salade fraicheur again. Then we went to the market to get some champagne and grapes to relax on the lawn by the Eiffel Tower. We got there around 8:30pm and stayed til a little after midnight and were able to catch all the lightings of the Eiffel Tower. It was soooo beautiful especially with the sun setting on the Eiffel Tower on such a gorgeous night! I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather spend my Friday night! Miina joined us too and I was truly happy to be in the company of the bestest friends! Miina and Simona kept telling me not to get sad that I'm leaving soon, but to just enjoy the moment for the next few days! That we can cry together Monday night, but not until then! Oh and when Sorin and I came back from the bathroom, we saw a HUGE rat run by us! Soooo gross! On our way home, we saw another rat and Miina was so funny! As Simona and I were cringing trying to run away from it, Miina goes running after it! It was the funniest thing I saw!

Saturday, slept in a little and had a late McDonald's lunch with Michel. Then we went to Parc Montsouri, which is only 15 minutes from his apartment. We just sat and relaxed on the lawn, enjoying the beautiful weather. Later, we just went back to the apartment to relax some more until we went out later to meet up with everyone for drinks at Patrick's. It's a pub in the 12th arrondissement. I had some fish 'n chips and the guys got some burgers and wings. We also drank cider and lots of shots of rum and BB Guinness, which is my new favorite shot! Soooo good! I was really touched by everyone coming out to see me off, but we all agreed that I'm just going home to "visit" and then coming back to Paris asap!!! Let's hope!!!

On Sunday, slept and vegged most of the day again in the apartment since the weather wasn't that great. Just stepped out for one last bowl of pho here in Paris's China/Viet town for lunch and then out again for dinner at Lao Lane Xang, another one of my fave restaurants in the neighborhood. Simona and her friend Elisabeta joined me and Michel there too. Elisabeta is also from Romania and is there in Paris for some fashion fairs. Simona told her that I was in the fashion industry as well and as luck would have it, Elisabeta invited me to join her in the fairs as well so I could network and make some more contacts! After dinner, I went home and with the help of Michel, I was able to finally finish translating my CV into French! CV's in France are very different than the US. You include a lot more personal information like your nationality, age, marital status, if you have children, and even what kind of driver's license you have! You also need to include a picture of yourself.

Monday, was a very busy and sad day. I started off the day meeting up with Simona and Elisabeta to go to this fashion business meeting Elisabeta had set up. Simona talked to the owner about me and passed in my CV and then we were off to the Who's Next Fashion Trade Fair at Port de Versailles. I was able to get in through the help of Elisabeta who works for a company in Romania who sent her to Paris to look for products to buy for their store. So she listed me as one of the employees there so I got to go in too! There were sooo many vendors there and it was amazing! Simona was like my agent! She is so sweet! She helped talk me up to a bunch of vendors that were based in Paris and passed my CV to them. Hopefully, I hear back from one of them! After the fair, I went to Metal Flaque to see Marion and David. Miina also came to meet up with me there. When David got off work, me, Miina and David headed to Le Nemours for some aperitifs and then we went to Rue Montorgueui for more drinks before going home. I am going to really miss seeing them all the time! They really made my Summer in Paris so special! Miina and I took the metro home together and then when it was time for me to get off for my transfer, Miina walked me to the door and we both started crying as the doors closed and we waved goodbye to each other. It was like one of those sad movies! I was trying so hard to hold my tears in especially since I didn't want to keep balling on the metro ride home. It was so sad going home one last time on my line. All the memories of my summer in Paris flashed before me and it made it even harder to hold in my tears. I was getting embarrassed as I'm sure the people on the metro probably thought I was weird for crying! But as soon as I got off on my stop, I let it out and cried all the way back to the apartment where Michel was waiting for me. When I got in, he was surprised to see me crying and didn't know what happened haha...as soon as I could catch my breath, I just kept telling him how much I didn't want to leave!!! He must think I'm crazy and such a girl haha especially since I couldn't stop crying and at one point went to the freezer to grab an ice cream cone to make me feel better (which it didn't.) After I got a hold of myself, I finished packing and slept for a few hours.

I woke up early on Tuesday to say goodbye to Michel as he headed off to work. I was originally going to leave with him so he could help me bring down my suitcases, but we decided that I could just take my time instead of spending hours at the airport alone and crying. It was so sweet, I got some final texts from my friends in Paris wishing me a safe flight, including Alex which was really touching. So when it was time for me to leave, I struggled a bit with one of my suitcases since it was so heavy, but managed to get them all down by myself and headed to the airport. Everything worked out in my favor that day. My cab fare was a lot cheaper than I expected and the lady who checked me in was sooooo nice and didn't charge me for my overweight luggages! I was so worried that they would! And I also got a whole row to myself so I could sleep the whole way home! It was a long flight, but I slept through most of it and tried not to think anymore sad thoughts. Once I landed, my dad was there to pick me up. It was so good to see him! My mom and sister left for China earlier that day so I won't be seeing them until they come back from their trip! I relaxed and vegged for a bit before meeting up with a few friends at my favorite local sushi spot in Quincy. It was really nice to see them too..they were all so sweet! And I was sooo happy to see my baby Cookie (my dog)! She's still as cute as ever!

I have absolutely no regrets going there for this wonderful experience. My bank account and wallet may be lighter, but I feel richer than ever! I gained invaluable experience in Fashion, French culture, French cuisine and most importantly made lasting friendships with the most sweetest and genuine people I know. I may not be blessed with money or jobs, but I am truly blessed with THE most amazing people that come into my life and enrich it. Without them, my summer there would not have been as wonderful as it was and for that I am TRULY grateful to each and every one of them!

I made the most of this experience and have seen and did everything I wanted on my to do list. Jacqueline had advised me when I first got there, to become fully Parisian. I think I was pretty successful in doing that. I went to a gazillion museums, churches, gardens, explored all of Paris and the different arrondissements by foot, bus, metro, taxi and car, had tons of picnics at the gardens, canals or Seine river of Paris, went to bars, clubs, parties, even after work parties, dinner parties, wine and cheese parties, bbqs, opened my heart to romance, ate like it was my last meal everyday, shopped the sales and outdoor open markets, drank lots of coffee, went on long holidays like the French going to the South and all over Europe, worked in an amazing fashion boutique and altered beautiful designer gowns, learned some French and much much more! I took advantage of every opportunity that came my way and left no rock unturned in Paris!

In the words of Ernest Hemingway (Moveable Feast), "That was the end of the first part of Paris. Paris was never to be the same again although it was always Paris and you changed as it changed...There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy."

Like Hemingway said, this is just one chapter of my life. A chapter I will NEVER forget and will look back on from time to time. I have definitely grown and changed with my time in Paris. And this will certainly not be my last time in Paris, I will return again and again! I have a lot to figure out and reflect on now that I'm home. I have new dreams and goals to make come true and one of them is to go back to Paris to live and work more permanently. My friend Linda left me a very sweet message, "I know when you put your mind to something it gets done so I'll be seeing you back in Paris soon!" Paris was definitely worth it and I've gained soooo much from this beautiful city! Not sure if Hemingway would think it would still be like this in the millenium, but I am now very poor, but very happy for sure! :)

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." Ernest Hemingway

I know many of you think I am so lucky and wonder how I am able to do this especially financially. And I agree, I am a very lucky person. But as much luck as I have, I also have very bad luck too! Like every one else in this world, I've experienced ups and downs in my life. My downs were really down, but that's life...full of trials and learning experiences that make you stronger and into the person you are today. I definitely had my fair share and have also been rewarded with the most amazing things life has to offer. Luck is really what you make of it and having a positive outlook and surrounding yourself with great people definitely helps, not to mention lots of Faith! The timing for me was perfect to do an experience like this and I realize not everyone has this luxury, but I believe if you really want something, you can make it happen. I just graduated from my fashion design program, was laid off, and had money saved in my savings account so I said why not make this dream come true?! I've always wanted to do this again and I'm not getting any younger! I really didn't have a reason not to...I wasn't married with kids and had no real big responsibility. I can always find a job later and work for the rest of my life, a few months off is not going to make that big of a difference. I knew I was going to end up spending a fortune, but money is meant to be spent and it was definitely well spent! And yes I did this with my OWN money, not my parents or anyone else's. Of course, my family helped me save a lot of money through the years and if I ever needed help I know I have the luxury to fall back on them, but luckily I didn't. What I don't understand with some people is that they work so hard to make all this money, yet never spend it on worthwhile things like LIFE! You can die tomorrow and you can't take your money with you, but you can always make more money after you spend it! Who knows?! You could even end up winning the lottery one day! Money comes and goes, but you really just have one life to live and I don't know about you..but I rather see and really LIVE in this world to the fullest, than be behind a desk watching life pass by me with picturesque screensavers!

Since I've been back, I have been slowly getting settled back into things and catching up with friends. It seems like a lot has changed since I've been away! They even have bikes to rent in Boston like they do in Paris! I actually went to see a psychic yesterday and I have a lot to look forward to! One being a return trip to Paris was in the cards! ;) I can't wait to see what happens next in my life!

Bonne journee! Bisous Bisous!!! oxox