summer full of color

 Summers here!... and the time is right for me to finally have a moment to blog!  It's been a crazy busy/hectic/fun last few months with little time to dedicate to this page but I am determined to get back at it! 

With the warm summer air coming in I am loving fun and bright colors in light weight and flowy fabrics- especially printed! 

This is a little sailor crop top button-up that I made freshman year of college in my first sewing class!  I love the fabric and hope to make more things out of it (I have a million yards at home)! 

            

 This summer I am interning at an amazing company, www.shoptiques.com, in Soho.  For the last couple of weeks I've been learning my way around NYC running errands and getting to learn the ins and outs of social media sites and the immense amount of work that goes into running a website and business.

Paris! Elie Saab internship 1

Elie Saab Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2012-13

Day 1: Today was one of the most unreal, incredible experiences of my life.  First of all everyone got to go to the famous Paris trade show Who's Next and walk around looking at all of the designers and trends for the upcoming season.  I have been a little disapointed by many of the boutiques I have been going into, nothing very interesting catching my eye, but everything here was so innovative and fresh.  There wasn't much time to look around though because the Elie Saab haute couture internship started today!  The four students and our professor set off for the showroom.

The streets of Paris were covered in snow, slush and ice today because of the snowstorm the last night.. and I guess cleaning off the sidewalks is not typical in Paris because about 90% of them were covered the entire day, making all walking of the day very slow and scary trying not to slip and fall.  

We finally arrived at the gates, where you could see the Elie Saab plaqued sign feet away.  We were let into the beautiful building, with rooms of high ceilings, chandeliers and mirrors covering the walls.  There was another intern from Lebanon who speaks fluent English, French and Lebanese- definitely helpful when many on the team speak mainly french.  Our first task was to unpack the couture collection that had just arrived.  Huge suitcases were filled with the gowns along with many pairs of beautiful heels made of lace and satin and the classic.  The finale wedding dress had its own suitcase, a beautiful beaded bodice with abundant amount of tule- still not finished!  We were than responsible for steaming all of the dresses while taking turns to go to lunch.  This was a scary task- not wanting to ruin any of the garments with water stains or heat but also being frustrated with the amount of time it would take to get the creases out of the heavy china silk.  When going downstairs to the kitchen there was a rack of dresses outside, one being marked off for Celine Dion... I still think this whole thing is a dream.  Elie Saab arrived with his wife and son and walked around the room a few times looking at everything and chatting.  

By 6 PM the casting call began with model after model coming in to walk and be photographed, some being chosen to try on gowns for the stylist.  A few hours passed, dressing different girls in the same 3 gowns, sliding on heels and buckling them up and then taking them off for the next girl, and continuously being so grateful and amazed by my surroundings.  It was very interesting to see the process models go through, most of them being my age or younger from all over the world I can't begin imagine the amount of pressure they must have been feeling, many of them oogling over the dresses if they got the chance to try one on.

The dresses are so ornate and delicate, each with beautiful & intricate beading on perfectly designed lace.  Every one is a work of art.  This internship opportunity was the main reason I wanted to participate on this trip to Paris and I feel so lucky to be able to have gotten this 5 day couture experience with one of the most talented designers in the world!

Paris! Fashion week - Rick Owens

Yesterday we all had the chance to work our first fashion show of the trip! We were dressers for the Rick Owens Menswear FW'13 show.  All 28 students met at Paris American Academy at 9:15, traveled to the venue absolutely freezing and arrived about 40 minutes earlier than planned.  We were brought into the space where the show would take place.. music blasting and floor shaking from the bass as the room was set up.  The space had a very urban feel, with concrete floors, a runway created by lights beaming on the ground, large black wooden benches, and exposed metal architecture.  At the beginning of the runway there was a huge rectangle light box that would move and all of the models walked under it in a group to end the show- saw this in the run through as we were waiting for instructions.

While we were waiting to be used, the fashion director came out and asked for two helpers to set up the dressing cabins, me and my roommate Colleen were quickly chosen (because we were closest to the door) to go backstage and help.  The different looks for each model were separated into bags and we had to help set up the racks and put the looks in the right order, models that had more changes going in the front and one looks going in the back.  While we were doing this the models were getting hair & makeup done in the other half of the room and lounging around.  Many of the models had extremely long, teased and puffy hair being done and white based makeup.  I felt lucky to be backstage and be able to really observe what was happening, the process of setting up and what different peoples positions were without the hecticness of the show taking place yet.  After we were done we went back out front to wait to get assigned models.  Rick Owens arrived and we got to see a run through of the show.  

It was a lot of the girls first time being a dresser, including myself, and we were all very nervous and excited.  We went backstage and were able to have drinks and snacks quickly and then we were assigned our models.  As we were in line we passed Rick Owens only feet away being interviewed about the collection.   

We all got our models dressed into the leather and shearling jackets, tight pants, fur gloves and large heavy boots that made up the collection.  The throbbing base music started and the show began!  I went up to the front to help those that had more than one look and were going to be in a rush changing.  Everything happened so fast and the show was wrapped up quickly.  We all got glasses of champagne afterwards and 30 euro payment!

Konrad, the model I dressed

Rick Owens at end of show

 It was a great way to start off the next week of fashion madness!  I found out today I was one of the students chosen to intern for Elie Saab beginning tomorrow, so I will be working there for the next 5 days helping to prepare for their couture show.  I will also be a hostess at Lefranc Ferrant's show at the end of the week.  I am so excited and grateful for all the opportunities Paris has provided me!

passport to paris

I have been living fabulously in Paris for the last week.... arriving at 7 am, we began to drive into the city while the sun was rising, having a small bus tour before being dropped off at our apartments.  The sun was glistening on the Seine & shining around the Eifel tower- beautiful sights to see upon arrival!

Sadly the sun has not shown its face again since that morning, luckily (although always a bit damp out) there hasn't been a need for an umbrella yet!

I am living in a tiny apartment with two roommates on Rue de Boulanger, for those that don't speak french "boulanger" translates to baker.  Yes, I am living above a french bakery and patisserie!!!! As well as directly across the street from another... and pass one every minute on the way to class.

Although we got put in the furthest apartments from campus, about a 15-20 minute walk when most students are living across the street from the school, I love being able to pass by all the beautiful buildings each morning on the way to class (even though sometimes its still dark out- thank you 8 am french class).

During my time here I will attending the Paris American Academy taking a few workshop classes, introducing the techniques of felting, shibori dyeing, sisal hatmaking and feather crafting.  The classes I've had so far have been amazing and so much fun.  We also receive lectures from experts of Parisian fashion.  After not taking any design or creative classes the last semester I couldn't get enough of these 3 hour class periods.  The professors are so interesting & helpful and the end results of everyone's work is always one of a kind and beautiful!  Dyeing especially has opened my eyes to looking into textile design in the future & I will for sure be experimenting with this new knowledge when I leave Paris.

Stay tuned for many adventures to come! Including Versailles, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Eifel Tower, Opera House, workshops, luxury window shopping, working at fashion week and more from the exquisite city of Paris!

Sneak Peaks

J'aime Paris!

Palais Garnier.. The most beautiful opera house

casual

l'arc de triomphe

Shibori dyeing processes

pink marble at Versailles

Ever have a chandelier and fire place in your classroom?

car show

Sissal hatmaking

l'amour

All of the fashion girls

beautiful blue doors throughout the city

à bientôt! 
I will have individual posts highlighting everything!

new beginnings

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

Although at times things seemed impossible, I've developed, as well as maintained, strong bonds with amazing people that have helped make my troubles seem easier and my successes seem brighter in the past year, and I hope I did the same for them.  The biggest lesson of 2012 for me was that positivity is key to get through anything and everything, no matter how impossible it may seem.  Mr. Marley said "Love the life you live, Live the life you love."  and I plan on continuing to do just that this upcoming year, Cheers to 2013!

2013 Jetsetter

I will be flying away to Paris tomorrow evening & I couldn't think of a more amazing way to start off 2013!  I am very excited for adventures with friends, fashion fun, and lots of cheese, chocolate, bread & wine for the next 4 weeks!!!

Wise words to remember in the new year...