IMAGE SOURCES (from left to right): aconstellationjournal.com | iconosquare.com | vogue beauty | williams-sanoma.com | céline
As a young giRl, I spent a possibly concerning amount of time playing dress up. My mother had (and continues to have) the most amazing wardrobe and this offered quite the playground. dressed up to the nines, covered in jewelry and with a face full of blush and lipstick (i felt stunning!), i would dreamily flip through fashion magazines, imagining myself to one day live the beautiful and perfect life captured on its pages...
AS A TEENAGER, WE LIVED NEAR MY AUNT AND UNCLE FROM MY FATHERS SIDE AND I SOMETIMES JOINED THEM AND MY NEPHEW ON VACATION. THIS PARTICULAR TRIP WAS TO PARIS, IT WOULD BE MY FIRST TIME VISITING. THE ARCHITECTURE, THE FOOD, THE STYLE! EVERYTHING WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. so perfect and delicious. I wanted to stay forever. IT WAS ABSOLUTE MAGIC.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS MY FIRST MOST EXCITING FASHION MOMENT EVER. MY AUNT AND I WERE IN GALLERIES LAFAYETTE ON BOULEVARD HAUSSMANN WHEN WE WALKED INTO CÉLINE. THE LADIES IN THE STORE PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS: SHOWING US EVERY PIECE INSIDE OUT, HOW TO WEAR IT, HOW TO STYLE IT. I LOVED EVERY SECOND and learned A LOT! AFTER THEIR DEMONSTRATION, MY AUNT DECIDED ON ONE BAG SHE LOVED AND BOUGHT IT. AND thiS is the moment: SHE TREATED ME TO THE SAME ONE! i-was-in-heaven! I KNOW looking back that THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY CRAZY GIFT to give to A 16 YEAR OLD, BUT I WAS SO HAPPY. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I FELT LIKE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD AND I STILL TREASURE IT TO THIS DAY.
IMAGE SOURCE: Céline
WE WALKED ALL OVER THE CITY, OCCASIONALLY STOPPING FOR A CAFÉ AU LAIT OR A CRÈPE. (INDEED, I FELT VERY FRENCH CASUALLY USING MY PETITE VOCABULARY). SEEING THE MONA LISA AND GOING FOR DINNER IN QUARTIER LATIN. EVERYWHERE WE WENT, EVERYWHERE I LOOKED I SAW BEAUty. I COULDN'T KNOW HOW GREAT AN INFLUENCE seeing paris would HAVE ON ME.
a VERY INTIMATE DETAIL: IT WAS during THIS stay in PARIS THAT I WENT FROM BEING A "GIRL" TO BEING A "WOMAN"... WE MADE An early morning RUN TO THE PHARMACY (WHICH strangely ARE ON EVERY CORNEr) and my panic quickly subdued. summing up all the impressions, new senses, the shopping! and now this life event... YOU CAN SEE WHY THIS TRIP MADE SUCH AN IMPRESSION ON ME. YOU MIGHT SAY: "I WENT TO PARIS AND BECAME A WOMAN". AND AS FOR ALL FRENCH WOMEN: NEVER MADAME, ALWAYS MADEMOISELLE!
SINCE THEN, I HAVE TRAVELED TO PARIS MANY TIMES, BOTH PRIVATELY AND PROFESSIONALLY. AS GOES FOR MOST PLACES, BEING SHOWN AROUND BY A LOCAL IS THE BEST WAY TO SEE A CITY. DOING IT FROM THE BACKSEAT OF A SCOOTER, IS SIMPLY SUBLIME! DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST FUN THINGS I HAVE EVER DONE! WITH THANKS TO MY DEAR FRIEND SYLVIE, A TRUE PARISIENNE.
WONDERFULLY ENOUGH, I have made my profession out of creating BEAUTIFUL ASPIRATIONS AS ON THOSE ON THE PAGES OF FASHION MAGAZINES I WAS MESMERISED BY AS A YOUNG GIRL.
CURIOUS? takE A LOOK AT MY WORK! AND FOR BEAUTY AND STYLE THAT INSPIRES ME, FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
BISOUS BISOUS, NA
DEDICATED TO MY DEAREST AUNT ARIANE AND DARLING NIECES LOÏS AND HANNAH. WHO REMIND ME WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO PUT ON THOSE FIRST HEELS, PLAY WITH MAKE-UP AND GET ALL DRESSED UP. I PROMISE TO CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU HEELS FOR YOUR BIRTHDAYS AND ONE DAY TAKE YOU TO PARIS! X