Subject Eye

Something to Declare

I won’t be going to Paris Fashion Week this season. It is extremely saddening. Life and its sometimes spirit crushing realities can be sobering. There are many who for some reason love viewing sports. For me, going to Paris is akin to what it must be like to watch the Super Bowl if you happen to be a football fan. Except with better clothes and food.

When I pack my suitcase for Paris Fashion Week, I include the clothes I feel I can’t get away with in New York. Nothing is too colorful, too sheer or too long for Paris. Nothing is too cumbersome. If it fits into a garment bag, I say, “Allons-y!”

I adore watching who gets seated where and wondering how the famous and powerful never seem bothered by the blinding brightness from the flash of the 200+ cameras aimed at their faces. Sitting nearby as high-powered fashion editors burst into tears, overcome by the beauty before them (as they did at McQueen’s A/W 2006 “Widows of Culloden” collection and Yohji Yamamoto S/S 1999 “Wedding” collection), is certainly a sight to see.

A look from Alexander McQueen's iconic A/W 2006 'Widows of Culloden' collection. Photo by Erika Belle

Only Lee McQueen would place handmade lace atop reindeer antlers. From 'Widows of Culloden'. Photo by Erika Belle

There’s all sorts of entertainment. You might get to witness grand buffoonery such as John Galliano rolling down the staircase of the Paris Opera after showing his collection (he gave another performance, not so well received, but you all know about that). You also may witness the New York Times “On the Street” photographer Bill Cunningham completely ignoring a parade of French starlets at the Issey Miyake show, his attention focused instead on a young woman entering the show in a lavender velvet cape.

No matter which show you attend, the energy in the room is palpable. Everyone is there to witness something new. You find yourself squinting and saying things to yourself like “I wonder if Catherine Deneuve is going to the after-party too?” I don’t know about you, but it is rare for me to be in a room with Catherine Denueve when she is in the 3rd dimension.

A paused moment from Yohji Yamaoto's A/W 2007 collection. Photo by Erika Belle.

And now for the motorized twirling polka dot skirts at the Yohji Yamamoto show- A/W 2007. Photo by Erika Belle.

You have to get used to the downtime before the shows begin. The waits can sometimes be long, but keep in mind that once the shows starts, they’re over in twenty minutes, max. And it’s worth it. When you see the clothes emerging, straight out if the gate, you really feel a connection. Fashion can very often seem frivolous, but to see it in a grand production does something to you. It changes your DNA. You may be merely looking at clothes, but if all the elements line up correctly, you get to witness and feel the energy of something truly wonderful being born.