Live

There is crazy stuff happening in Paris right now. I don't want to sound obsessed by recession, but it seems like people are losing boundaries, searching for action, revolution, freedom... Or how to explain the fact that the place to be, on Monday, was this small cabaret club in le 9eme where a couple was performing live sex on stage ? Some fashion people were here, as well as TV stars, DJs and art collectors. It wasn't dirty, because of the curtain, the red light, the intimacy of the room. It was "libertin", not erotic. More naughty than nasty. Everyone seemed fascinated as well as slightly shocked by the vision. All these big boys and girls were watching with interest, giggling like teenagers, willing to desexualize the moment. At the end, everyone asked for more. This is going to happen again, more and more people will want to join. Maybe soon some amateurs hit the stage and become libertins themselves. Might be a new trend. After all, some of the most hardcore wintage porn was produced during the Great Depression in the 30's?

The R word

It is all over the place. In the sofas of cosy living-rooms, sitting at fancy dinners, on the metro, at the newstand. Recession is all over. Last night, as I was cruising down rue Etienne Marcel in a cab, my friend R. told me : "See all those shops", pointing out at the windows of Et Vous, Diesel, Pinko, Levi's, Bill Tornade and Paul&Joe. "Well, I bet you half of them will be gone by 10 years." Recession. On that same evening, at the turn of a conversation, a very witty and frivolous fashion PR checked out the LVMH stock quotations on her I Phone. And everywhere, stories of PRs and ADs being sacked, concerts and art projects getting canceled, fashion magazines getting thiner. Bang, Bang. Fashion is hit. Fashion is scared.
But fashion puts the hands in the air like it just doesn't care. And yesterday night, fashion was celebrating the "Natalia Vodianova for Etam lingerie" collection at Regine's. Amongst decaliters of vodka and champagne, trendy actors, former top-models, middle-aged fashion gourous, young european princesses and half-naked it-girls laughed and played to the sound of 2 many DJs. The party was great. Everybody agreed. But there was something forced in the smiles, something that said, "Gosh ! I miss the 90's..."

Death of a Champion

The goddess Suzy Menkes announced it today : the it-bag is dead. I agree. Walking around with a thousand dollar trophée hung to your arm seems absolutely inappropriate in this recession period. The it bag became unethical. But what about the crazy shoes invading the dressings of all of us fashionistas ? Thank god, fashion has not gone all about ethics, and can still be a guilty pleasure. Feeling good matters too, in recession, doesn't it ?