My Paris Polka Dot

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."

– Coco Chanel

This week I had a very Parisian experience....Fashion Week! After class on Tuesday some of my friends and I went to the Tuileries Garden to take a peek at the famous people arriving to the Valentino show. I felt like I was on the set of the movie, The Devil Wears Prada. The notable people arriving were dressed to the nines in beautiful designer outfits that probably cost more than my college tuition. I’m sure the show inside the tent was amazing, but for me, seeing the outfits worn by the famous people attending the show was just as fun.

While waiting alongside the white carpet, we were shocked at how many famous people walked by, such as Grace Coddington, a former model and the current creative director of American Vogue; Joe Zee, the creative director for ELLE magazine; Diane von Furstenberg, famous fashion designer; Anna Dello Russo, editor at large for Vogue Japan; Natalia Vodianova, famous Russian model; and Kanye West! This was such a surreal experience. Attending Paris Fashion Week as an “after-school activity” is far more chic than what I get to do after classes back in the U.S.

Packing for my semester abroad was an intimidating task, especially knowing that I would be living in the fashion capital of the world, where even the children are more stylish than the average American student. Before leaving for Paris, I read Entre Nous: A Women’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl, by Debra Ollivier. From what I gathered by reading this book, and my observations since I have arrived, I’ve come to believe that with one black outfit, boots, and a half-dozen scarves, anyone could survive in Paris. Better to pack light and bring along an empty suitcase; you could easily fill it up with a few shopping trips here.

Before I left home, one of my shopping goals was to find a clothing item in France that reminded me of Audrey Hepburn in the movie Sabrina....something very Paris....maybe in polka dot.While out shopping with a friend this week, I stumbled upon the PERFECT skirt of my dreams, with polka dots!! Who would have thought that I would find my Paris polka dot during Fashion Week!