3/6/23, Return to Fashion

Hi Everyone,

I hope you’re having a good week, and that all is well with you.

I had an exciting, interesting, and slightly odd experience. I’ve been going to fashion shows since I was in my teens, (and I took my own daughters to the shows when they were even younger. As a result they caught the bug, and three of them now have major careers in fashion, as consultants, fashion director, founders of a brand, stylists, design consultants, and all the interesting sub specialties of fashion. I also studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design, so I have a definite artistic interest in fashion). I have mostly gone to the ready to wear and couture shows in Paris, but have seen several in New York. As soon as the pandemic began, I didn’t feel comfortable exposing myself to hundreds of people, or even more, in crowded spaces, elbow to elbow with the person next to you, and squeezing together on the way out in a crowd of hundreds, or even thousands. And shortly after I stopped going in 2020, the various brands shut down their shows, and they have been virtual for more than two years until very recently. On a purely practical level, I discovered how simple it was to watch them on line, sitting at home in my pajamas. You cant beat that for comfort—I don’t have to fight for my seat, or get all dressed up to see a show that lasts for about 15 minutes. BUT, it’s also not as fun watching it at home. And the fashion shows during fashion week are the hotbed of glamour, gorgeous models, beautiful clothes, a glittering crowd of spectators and chic people, editors and journalists, buyers, and people who love fashion. It’s a very special experience, and an exciting one, even after all these years.

It is exactly 3 years now since I stopped going to the shows, to avoid Covid. And I’ve turned down all the invitations for the past year, once the shows started again, but with Covid still lurking among us, although less, I just didn’t feel ready for it. The House of Hermes recently invited me to their fashion week show, and I almost turned it down, and then thought I would stick my toe back in the water, and go. And I’m glad I did.

It was a beautiful show, and fun, there were even more beautiful women in the audience as on the runway. It was at a historic location in Paris, in a freshly redone space, an Enormous inside area (which I haven’t done in a long time in a public place, except an airport.) The women watching the shows were glamorous, impeccably put together and chicly dressed, and I suddenly felt steeped in the fashion world again, which is always fun, but it also felt like a somewhat out of body experience to be in a huge crowd, seated next to strangers, watching models pound down the runway, and admiring the clothes for next season. I didn’t feel as serious as I used to, less intense, I was as fascinated by the very handsome crowd as I was by the clothes on the runway. There were men there too, also meticulously groomed and in most cases elegantly dressed. It was very odd to be in a big crowd after so long. No one was wearing a mask, although I thought about it and then felt stupid and didn’t.

It was an exciting show, and when it was over, I looked around with pleasure, and was happy to be back!! It was a lovely experience, and I was glad I went!!!

Have a great week, love, Danielle