Paris Fashion Week: Spring Summer 2016

Where oh where does the time go? At the beginning of October, I had the chance to go to Paris for fashion week. Let me rephrase that actually. More accurately, I had a vacation to Paris planned that happened to coincide with the timing of Paris fashion week. So, of course, I made use of that fortuitous coincidence! With just three full days in Paris before proceeding on to Amsterdam, the days in Paris were packed with fashion shows, showroom visits, meetings, some horseracing, and lots of eating and drinking.

Rather than bore you with stories of the fashion shows, which are old news by now, why don’t we focus on two main topics at this point?

1. What I wore, and
2. Where I ate

Those are the important issues, right? 🙂

What I Wore

As I’ve shared before, I really delight in planning my travel outfits. I enjoy the process of thinking through the local culture, the local style, the weather, the occasion, and so forth to determine what will be appropriate in all respects.

With Parisian chic in mind, I kept my wardrobe colors pretty neutral (by my standards, at least) for this trip. I focused on French designers like Isabel Marant, Christian Louboutin, and Laurence Dacade to name a few. And I wore classic yet comfortable silhouettes.

As I mentioned, I was there for three days of fashion week action. One day, though, I didn’t get any photos of my outfit. Gasp! Fashion blogger failure. But rest assured I righted my wrongs for days two and three.

The first look here was for a day filled with lots of walking… walking to and from shows through the Tuileries Garden, walking up and down Rue Saint Honore to showrooms and stores, and, of course, walking around sightseeing. Luckily, these Laurence Dacade fawn booties comfortably carried me all through the day.

By the way, when it comes to sharing what I wore in Paris, my delay is your gain. Why do you ask? Many of these pieces are on sale now! These booties and this Mary Katrantzou dress are both half off with code HALFOFF!

That leads into look 2… This day consisted of morning showroom visits, breakfast with designer Eugenia Kim, and a trip to Longchamp race course for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, one of the most prestigious horse races in all of the world. So, what does one wear for a day of such varied activities? Well, obviously a Eugenia Kim hat, plus a chic dress that will go from the showrooms to the racetrack. I went with this Mary Katrantzou number in a classic yet updated paisley print.

 

 

Look 1 : Isabel Marant Ren silk embroidered dress (here and here; different color here; shirt version here) | Laurence Dacade Glenn fawn hair ankle boots (on sale – 50% off with code HALFOFF) | vintage Chanel boy bag from The Vintage Contessa | Eugenia Kim Emmanuelle hat with feather band | Dior ‘So Real’ sunglasses | Valentino rock stud large leather bracelet | OPI nail polish | Nars lipstick

 

Look 2: Mary Katrantzou printed silk dress (on sale – 50% off with code HALFOFF) | Christian Louboutin Pigalle Follies degrade pump | Louis Vuitton chain Louise bag   (similar Saint Laurent option) | Dior ‘So Real’ sunglasses | Eugenia Kim hat (similar here) | OPI nail polish | Nars lipstick

Where I Ate

If you’ve managed to read this far, I’ll reward you with a few restaurant recommendations:

1. Buvette: It may seem odd to go to an NYC restaurant while in Paris, but a visit to this rustic-chic spot in the Pigalle neighborhood (yes, the neighborhood for which the famed Louboutin Pigalle heels are named) is worth it. The coq au vin was absolutely divine. If you’re a foodie, you may recall this restaurant being featured as the cover story for Bon Appetit last year. I first learned about it from my friend Kelly Purkey, who never steers me wrong when it comes to food.
2. La Locanda: On our last night in Paris, we were craving casual and Italian, and we had planned to go to a restaurant we had visited three years ago. Well, it turned out they were closed on Sunday. The concierge strongly recommended La Laconda as an alternative, so we gave it a try. This 18th-century townhouse with its thick walls and wooden beams was warm and welcoming from the moment we walked in. Italian owner Martino, the chef, and the staff took such good care of us all night. Plus, the pasta was outstanding. It rivaled that which I’ve eaten in Italy itself.
3. Cafe Kitsune: If you are in the area of the Tuileries Garden and the Louvre and find yourself needing a coffee break, I highly recommend Cafe Kitsune. What it lacks in interior space, it makes up for in delicious coffee and outdoor ambiance, as it is tucked away within Palais Royal. This is where I met blogger friend Mr. Renaissance aka Rafael for a break between shows.

Thanks as always for reading along – especially with this lengthy post! Have you been to Paris? What are some of your favorite spots? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Also, be sure not to miss the other content from this week: Top 12 blush coats and MATCHESFASHION.com’s RAEY’s line.

Have a great weekend, friends!

 

Photos by Jose Martinez