1/27/14, Paris News
Hi Everyone,
I don’t know why but this January has seemed busier than usual. I usually hibernate after the holidays, last year it snowed constantly in Paris and was freezing cold, and I stayed home, writing, and watched Downton Abbey. This year, I’ve been busy. I’ve done some writing too, but have been running around a lot.
It’s ‘that’ time of year again in Paris: the Haute Couture fashion shows that used to be The BIG Deal in French fashion, full of glamour, gorgeous clothes, and chic women watching the shows. Now it’s very much a mixed bag. The Ready to Wear Shows (of which there are many) are the big draw now, and the ones that all the celebs and movie stars from around the world go to. The Haute Couture shows are very few now, and it’s a short week, and the famously elegant women of the past seem to have disappeared. In their place are people dressed extremely, very short skirts, see through clothes, some men in skirts, many without socks, wild hair colors and hair dos (men in blue and green hair, women in pink hair). It’s hard to know where to look, there’s a lot to see at those shows. I only go to two of those shows now, Dior and Chanel (you can see the fashion shows themselves on Style.com). The clothes at Dior were young and summery, since the clothes we were seeing are for next summer/the spring collection. In Haute Couture, they are all made to order, and don’t just appear in a store. They were short, airy, and some were very pretty, though nothing I personally could wear. And at Chanel, they were beautiful and very young, with pretty young girls wearing everything with sneakers (even the bridal gown).
The Dior show was held in a special structure in the garden of the Rodin Museum, near The Invalides, the inside was very futuristic, with various levels, it was like being inside a space station of some kind, and the models passed a few inches in front of us. The Chanel show was held at the Grand Palais, a beautiful antique glass structure. The setting inside was dazzling white, very modern, the models came down a staircase that had been built for the occasion, while we watched from couches, and an orchestra played. It was a feast for the senses, with LOTS of fashionable women in the audience. It’s always exciting to see those shows, and I loved them, as always.
Other than that, I’ve been getting ready for the ceremony where I will receive the decoration from the French Government, the Legion d’Honneur, which is a beautiful medal on a red ribbon. I’m very excited about it!! So I’ve been planning that. (And have to write a speech!!)
Paris has been buzzing with Presidential gossip. The President lived for 25 years, unmarried, with the mother of his 4 children, they parted a few years ago (she ran for the presidency herself, and lost to President Sarkozy). And after he won the last election, the new (and current) President appeared with a new partner, a journalist, whom he declared as, and was treated as, First Lady of France. She joined him at the French White House, where she even had a staff, and went to official functions with the President. And all of this despite the fact that he wasn’t married to her either. And all of that blew up when paparazzi outed him a few weeks ago as having a hot romance with a younger French actress. The unofficial First Lady got extremely upset, and checked into the hospital to ‘recover’ from the shock. You can imagine all the excitement and gossip that caused!! There was a Presidential press conference, everyone wants to know what (or who) comes next, and no one knows. At last report, the unofficial ‘First Lady’ (or ex?) is still in the hospital, and no one knows who will be his companion now. It’s the kind of gossip that happens in cities and towns, among slightly more ordinary people, but it really gets up some steam and a lot of public interest when it’s the president of a country. Stay tuned….if you care…..to see who the next Presidential companion will be. France can’t wait to find out!!! The French are more tolerant than Americans about political romances, but this one involving the presidency has caught everyone’s attention, even in France.
So that’s all the news from Paris. Fashion, and Presidential gossip. It certainly gets the year off to an interesting start. I hope yours is off to a great start!!
love, danielle
My Chihuahua Minnie & her new baby sister, Baby Blue
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Hi Danielle – Sorry Its been awhile since I’ve written – I just got done listening to Rush Limbaugh – Jan 27th – episode on the internet and he mentioned a letter that your friend – Tom Perkins – wrote to the SF Chronicle about how the left tries to demonize the rich who worked hard in their life for what they have & compared it to the Nazis who demonized the jews during the war. I thought this was ( Fabulous ) – that he would condemn the SF Chronicle for their disgusting ways that they manipulate the audience in SF. They tried to characterize you & destroy you with lies. I’m glad he told them his feelings on this subject -But its sad to see that SF is run by alot of ill intentioned folks who have a warped sense of our outcome. As you can see the US is being run into the gutter by these folks-may the lord have mercy on us all and will pray for the ill intentioned ones. I’m proud that TOM PERKINS stuck up for you and the good you have done for the Homeless in SF & your a wonderful and beautiful woman. Your friend Mike
Sounds like the wonderful world of fashion shows is changing as are a lot of the things important in the past. Love your little babies picture-they look perfectly compatibly to me???
I would like to contact you personally. I am born in 1939, have a story of more interest then you can ever develop yourself and I have lived it. It took me a long time to figure it all out and now I am over 75 and think I am too old to write my own life story. It would be easy to visit with you in San Francisco, I live in the summer in the very western side of Montana and in the winter in ST. Pete Beach Florida. Some how I think it might be important to write my story. Of course I am not absolute certain. I am certain you know Lillian Hellmann, her story “Julia” is in a way my story, I am the missing child if you ever watched the movie with Venessa Redgrave and Jane Fonda. Of course her book Pentimento is much more informative.
I am the daughter of Grand Duke Dmitry Romanov and Princess Elisabetha of Romanian. I am certain you understand what that means. One of your books just fell into my hand and I finished reading it. The Kiss, however, I do remember reading some other book I think it was Zoya. I speak and write German and English,was involved in the legal action of Anastasia for DNA in Charlottesville Virginia and am certain that I have the answer to the 40 year legal battle of Anastasia for recognition. I am almost certain that Anastasia was Anastasia, the 4th daughter of Tsar Nicolas II, however she was not a Romanov, she was a replacement child for an ill born son in 1901. Any how, I say all this only so you understand that I am not making some sort of things up in order to be interesting. I have battled this my life and even though I can write I think I am too tired tdo do so on my own. Would like to go together in with you on it. It might be interesting to you as well. Let me know if you are interested. Ana Romanova
i lived in paris 3 times on 3 of my husband of 60 years’ sabbaticals, 6 months each. whenever i go back for 3 days, i make it a practice to buy one of your books in french.
i’m a pianist and teacher of piano. you are remarkable and congratulations on your french knighthood. it’s the best! love, gina