Act Casual

Photo: HILARY FRANKLIN

I must admit - sun, fashion, and celebrity sightings simultaneously made my Tuesday afternoon unbeatable. I left my house for school just like I do every morning, but today was different. I stepped outside and felt warm wearing only a light coat. Those of you reading from other places cannot understand how thrilling it is to see grey skies suddenly disappear. The sun transformed the city today. Couples, kids, and old ladies with their dogs crowded the streets. I saw people lay back in green lawn chairs, noses pointed skyward in the Luxembourg Gardens and around the Tuileries fountains.

After class I met up with Grace and Emily for lunch at our favorite healthy eatery in the 3rd arrondissement called Bob's Kitchen, aka "BK." It's a small restaurant and usually crowded at 1pm so we were sitting three in a row on bar stools. All of the sudden Grace started whispering and motioning about a man literally standing behind us. It was Joe Zee, Creative Director for Elle. Zee and I ate the same meal - veggie stew. I know I sound silly, but it was exciting to see an American insider during Paris Fashion Week. He wore a grey v-neck sweater and a crackberry. Magazine and shades on table. Grace and Emily insisted it would be a faux pas to say anything, so I obliged.

Post lunch we stormed through the metro to get to the Tuileries where Valentino show started at 2:30. We found the white carpet leading into the white tent. Photographers, beautiful people, and wannabes like me scattered everywhere. By the time we got near the entrance, most people had already entered the tent. But it wasn't too long until the show ended so we were able to see everyone parade out. We stood right on the edge of the white carpet, close enough to brush shoulders. All of the sudden Emily casually says, "It's Kanye." Just like that. There's Kanye West with a pair of huge bodyguards on either side of him walking right past me. It was nuts. We kept watching in awe of the models and everyone's outfits. Then, I saw a flash of wild red hair and immediately recognized it from the documentary, "The September Issue." It was former model and creative director for Vogue, Grace Coddington. NBD. 

Just when I was getting ready to leave for my late afternoon class, Emily spotted Scott, the blogger/photographer known as "The Sartorialist." I have a link to his blog here. I would have never recognized him myself. We dropped the rules and approached him when he walked past us. Yes, it was a bit awkward saying, "Hi, Are you the Sartorialist?!" But, he shook our hands and was actually very friendly. He said today's show was better than recent Valentino shows. It was a brief exchange, but still cool. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, but a few people from my program may have some good shots.

Photos: PARKER MULLINS