My sister's getting married.

It's been so long since my last post and that is because of the immense workload  at school at the moment. It's almost like my teachers have gone assignment crazy or something! But I guess that's what you get when you try and ram a year's course into six months. Thankfully, we are on a  two week break and I'm off to London in a few days to spend time with  family and friends. In particular, my youngest sister who is getting married next week Saturday.We are all breathing a sigh of relief as the recent 'volcanic ash' issue is finally getting alot better. So family and friends can fly in for the wedding.
I think I finally found something to wear to the said wedding. All thanks to my friend Abs who searched high and wide for the perfect dress - in the designated colour, which was coral. The dress in question is gorgeous but kind of revealing. So we are mentally preparing ourselves for the backlash that is sure to follow from the more conservative guests.  Most likely including my parents. Our plan is to balme it all on the bride. Genius, don't you think?
Then again I have lost so much weight that I doubt there will be any curves on show. My mum is already freaked out that my landlord and fellow housemate is male (she thinks there's something fishy going on and can't seem to get round the idea that things are different now from her time when it was an absolute taboo), she will totally lose her mind when she sees how skinny I've gotten. Africans don't do skinny, you see. 
I can't wait to see a certain young man while I'm in good ol' Blighty. Before you get all excited, I am talking about my Godson whom I am yet to meet. He is the cutest little boy ever (every mother says that right?) This is the first time I've been made Godmother and I am so excited and deeply honoured.

Should be an interesting week.

Bisous!

French men and the art of flirting.

I have found French men to be such flirts. It seems to come so naturally to them that I'm almost certain it must be ingrained in their DNA or something. The way they just stare at you like you are the most beautiful thng to ever cross their path. That they would just die of loneliness if you didn't pay them no mind. They even make a simple "Bon jour"sound so seductive. Oh, and what about their fascination with women of colour? But I don't take any of it seriously. Instead, I find it all rather amusing.

What gorgeous weather we are having at the moment! I even went to class without a coat on. I sure hope it continues.

Bon Weekend!

I'm back!!!!!!

Day...oh never mind!

Did you miss me? My wonderful and loyal readers...all six of you! Lol.

Wow, what a crazy couple of weeks I have had! A big THANK YOU to my friends Abs, YB and DM and my sisters who never tired of listening to me moaning about one thing or another! I love you! Now where was I? Oh yes, so I have finally found a place of my own. Well, a room really. It's on the outskirts of Paris. An area called La Defense. Nice area. Not quite Montmatre, with its cobbled streets and picturesque achitecture, but it will do for now. I am sharing a house with a French man - an absolute gentleman might I add. My parents were totally freaked out by the idea but I really do think we will get along great. Although, we do seem to be very different. Whereas I 'm your typical creative with a short attention span, who is extremely inquisitive and disorganized, he is tres logical, disciplined, organized and a clean freak to boot (dude has house cleaning instructions pinned to the kitchen wall!!) But the mutual respect is there. Should be an interesting few months :o)

We finally presented our 'Alexander Mcqueen spa' yesterday. And I must say, it didn't look half bad at all. We used the futuristic look of his stores as a foundation and built on it. We had the Water, Technology and Earth&Gothic rooms (each inspired by his collections.) Not to forget the Salt cave with its black walls (to give the spa an edge like Mr. Mcqueen is prone to doing.) I think we did a tremendous job and I wouldn't have minded visiting such a spa - if I may say so myself. Lol.
I don't know how Scott Schuman (of The Satorialist fame) does it but, wooow. I had this assignment where I had to be a street style photographer for the day and analze the different styles synonymous with each district in Paris. Never been so scared in my life. It was so hard. But when you did find someone with that special 'something', oh what a rush!! Mr.Schuman, I salute you!

On a final note, we have had fantastic weather here in Paris this week and I really hope it continues. I can't wait to see Paris in the springtime.
I will be adding another page to this blog within the next couple of days. Just lil' things that catch my eye on this interesting adventure I'm on. Sort of like 'Paris through my eyes' type of thing. Quite looking forward to it actually.

Bisous!

When YO came to visit....

So, my friend YO came down from London to see me this weekend.
He got in Friday morning. I took him along to L'Espionne boutique to help out in a class project I was working on. He acted as my photographer for the day. He did get a little bit excited though and took so many pictures that I'm surprised we weren't chucked out! Lol. We then met up with YB and DA - who also happen to live in Paris - and went to Le Paradis du Fruit in the Opera area for some lunch. I had paradis terrestre (a mixed dish of salmon, chicken, exotic salad) and he had some fondan chocolat. It was delicious and reasonably priced too. Loved the decor.

Saturday, we did the whole 'tourist' thing. With a map in hand, marked with all of Paris' main attractions and shopping districts, we headed off on a lil' adventure. We started with Arc de Triomphe and worked our way to Tour Eiffel, Musee de Louvre, Av. Montaigne, Champs Elysees and so on. Afterwards, we headed to the 11th  to see YB's new apartment. It was sooo cute and I can't wait until I move into mine. We hung out at hers for a bit and then we went to Les Marais for more adventure but it got so cold that we changed our minds and decided to head to a creperie around L'Odeon for some crepe. Didn't get home until midnight. By then, I was totally knackered! But I had so much fun.


Bisous!

Paris, je t'aime!

Day 51...

I am not a very happy bunny today and it's all to do with this apartment fiasco I've found myself in. Yet another landlord has turned me down. I am not even being picky now and the buggers are still turning me down! Lol. Really tired of this nomadic lifestyle of mine and will keep searching in the hope that I'll find a place soon. Besides, I know God's got my back. So fingers crossed,eh?

On a much lighter note, We nailed the presentation on Alexander Mcqueen and earned top marks. That should push my grades up especially after the nightmare that was the Buying Management test! Now, we have been told to 'design' a spa that would reflect our respective brands. I'm almost pulling my hair out. Brand Mcqueen is as complex as they come. You almost have to go to a deep,dark,crazy place to fully understand the brand. I mean, do we go with a state-of-the-art, futuristic design or a Baroque theme? How about the 'in-your-face' aspect of his designs? Did I mention that this is just one of a million projects I have got going right this second. Coupled with the fact that I still have to sort out my dissertation and my internship... aaaaargh!!
You know what though? There's is no other place I'd rather be, neither is there anything else I'd rather be doing than studying Fashion in Paris :o)

A friend of mine is coming to visit this weekend and I am soooo excited! He's coming down from London and is an absolute joy to be around. A very much welcome distraction. Plan to be a proper tourist this weekend and remind myself why I moved to this wonderful city. Who knows, we may just sneak into a show at Paris Fashion Week. Wouldn't that be grand? Sigh....

Bisous.

Could it be I'm falling in love?

Day 44...

Went to good ol' Blighty for the weekend as it was my sister's 30th. Oh but what drama! Went to take the Eurostar to London after class on Friday,only to get to Gare du Nord and find that I had left my passport at the flat!! I suppose the ease with which one hops on a train makes one forget that one is actually going from one country to another. I then had to make a mad dash home to get it (those few workout sessions I attended did come in handy I tell ya!) I was drenched in sweat by the time I got back to the station - 10mins before departure but with passport in hand. Phew!

I had a blast this weekend. For my sister's birthday we had a 'film premiere' themed night at Charlotte St Hotel. We all got glammed up, watched Casablanca in the screening room, had some delicious canape and cakes and danced the night away. It was so much fun. Then on Sunday I went to yet another birthday party. This time it was a surprise dinner for a friend's 25th. It was held at the Hitlton in the Docklands area and was just as crazy as the previous night.
It was great to catch up with friends and family. Missed them all so much. Some commented that I had lost so much weight. Now, considering the fact that I lead the unheathiest lifestyle at the moment, that came as a total shock. I guess there must be something in the Parisian air that keeps everyone looking yummy :o)

I did miss Paris and I'm glad to be back. I felt almost disconnected in London for which I don't quite know why. I think I may be falling in love with this beautiful city....

Bisou!

(Insert witty title here.)

So,I had my results back (from that figures-based test I was telling you about in an earlier post) and it wasn't so good, so I had to take a step back and re-prioritise. I did pass it but not as well as I thought I would. Oh well...

Went to Bhudda bar (in the very chic Place de la Concorde area) with my flatmate and her friends on Friday and I really loved it. The decor, the charm, it all added to this kind of exotic ambiance. The food is quite amazing too, I hear, so will definitely be going back to try it :o) I wish I had been better dressed though as the impression I had had was that we were just going down to a local bar for a little while. I ended up going still dressed in my school uniform! Quel horreur!!

Then it was off to Le Bon Marche on Saturday for a class project (no,really.) Think Harrods and you get the idea. It was like asking an ex-smoker to go and work in a tobacco factory. My friend fell prey to all the temptation around us and bought this gorgeous Balenciaga bag. She claimed it was a present for her mum but judging by the sheer joy on her face, hmmm, I'm not so sure.

The long search for an apartment may finally be over. I went for a viewing in the 18me arrondissement (district.)This part of the 18th is not quite Montmatre but it's three stops away. Does that count? Lol. The apartment was bare and all the stuff in it were kind of on their last legs. Hah ahaha. It wasn't that bad really. But I'm at a stage where I'll take anything right now. Totally exhausted from searching.

And on a final note, Anna Wintour (US Vogue editor) is in the news for having single-handedly re-arranged Milan Fashion Week to fit her schedule. My question is this. How can one woman (a tini-tiny one I might add) wield so much power? Even reducing grown men to quivering wrecks (have you seen the September issue?!) I don't get it. OK, so she has a unique eye, has discovered some amazing talents and helped establish others such as John Galliano . But so what? Personally, I think the woman has some voodoo powers that she's not telling us about. I'm on to you Miss Wintour!

PS: Erm, Miss Wintour, could you please put in a kind word for me at Paris Fashion Week? Pretty please...

Bisous!

Bon Weekend.

Off for a fun night out with my lovely flatmate. And then I plan to hit the books the rest of the weekend. Ooooh such fun. NOT! Hahaha.

Bon Weekend!

PS:

Looked out the window at school today and the homeless gentleman I told you about in last night's post was gone. The cardboard, plastic bags,the old suitcases...all gone. I wonder if the store had something to do with it? Or maybe he found something better.I hope he is OK.

The old woman who lived in a shoe.

Day 37...
OK, in this case it's not a shoe but a makeshift shelter of some sort, made out of cardboard boxes,plastic bags and loads of tattered old luggage. And 'she' here is a 'he'. I am talking about the homeless man that lives across the street from my school. I first noticed him about 3 weeks ago, while I was looking out of the window,people watching. I noticed this huge pile of rubbish just by a clothing store opposite. I remember thinking to myself "oh they do have to clear out that mess." Suddenly, the pile moved and I thought "Oh my God! Rats!" Then I saw a hand reach for some food.
From that day onwards, I would always look out that window just waiting until I could see who lived underneath that huge pile of rubbish. Today he emerged from his 'home'and my heart sank. He went about quietly tidying his little home. Swapping old cardboard boxes for new ones from the stores' garbage bin. Changing his clothes and so on. I am really intrigued by him. What's his story? Why did he choose that particular location (it's not particularly hidden?) How come he has so many clothes? Has he just recently been made homeless? Why hasn't the store tried to move him? The station closest to me is always filled with 8-10men sleeping right by the platform. And we all just go about our daily business. Not sure if both are cases of 'live and let live' or just us pretending there isn't a problem here.
Just my observation of the not-so-belle part of Paris. I could be wrong. Any insights are welcome.

The French do love protesting. Been here a month and already I have witnessed two demonstrations! I asked one protester what the problem was this time. Apparently, Monsieur Sarkozy has tightened the education budget and the schools are really short of resources - especially teaching staff. Teachers from the primary to the university level came out in support. I hope Elysee Palace was watching.

Bisous!

Getting to know you,getting to know all about you...

Day 36...

Just had a look at Halston's AW10/11 collection (Suzy Menkes' article on the New York Times website) and I can't get over how skinny the models were! I know this is a tired topic but...WOW. I just had to say something. The clothes were fabulous and they would have looked even much better if the models didn't look so damn hungry and depressed. These were not size 0 models. They were like size -4 or something! I felt like having mercy on them and shoving a juicy burger down their throat!!!!

Anyway,I mentioned in my last post that I would be going to dinner with the rest of my class tonight. Got back some time ago and well what can I tell you? It was such a fab night. We went to Pizzeria Vito (rue de Archives; about 5mins walk from Hotel de Ville metro station.) The food was deeeelicious.I had lasagna (not terribly adventurous but I love it and can't help ordering it every chance I get) and it was the best I'd ever tasted. Just the right consistency. Yum,yum,yum. I should mention too that our waiter was charming and absolutely gorgeous :o)
Oh and the company was great. We were making so much noise at one point (saying "cheers" in our respective languages), I thought we would get thrown out of the restaurant! Lol.I'm really glad I went as it was a chance to know my classmates a little better. And they are such lovely people I must say. A delightful evening and I can't wait to do it again.

Bisous!

How to lose friends and alienate people....TD syle.

Day 35...

We had some glorious sunshine in Paris today. Which was fantastic as we've been freezing our butts off this past month. Spring in Paris should be awesome. I can't wait!

Yet another test today. Fashion Communications. I do find this subject quite interesting as it deals with fashion media and how it's evolved over the years.I find it intriguing how fashion has always been used to reflect the times. It also helps when the teacher is a former editor of Marie Claire. Hehe. I should do well in this one :o)
Next up, a group presentation on Alexander McQueen - which strangely enough, we started working on a few weeks back. So imagine our shock when we found out our subject matter (whom we now feel we know in a strange kinda way) was dead. The strangest part was having to change every present tense to past tense. Surreal.

After the hectic past couple of weeks that we've had, it was decided that the whole class ought to go out for dinner. Lovely idea as I need to make ammends for the last time we went out. Which was a total disaster!
Now, I am a really warm, friendly person. Really, I am! Once I get to know you. Lol. But something just takes over when I am placed in unfamiliar surroundings. I just turn into this 'Ice Maiden' type person. And that was exactly what happened this night in question. We went to this nightclub (forget what it was called but it was by Temple Metro station.) It was filled with people jumping and screaming to techno/dance music. Making an already difficult night even more unbearable. The definition of a good night out for me is some good food with some light conversation. And to top it all off,the whole night cost me 40euros!!! Tried to crack a smile or two but I just couldn't shake off my discomfort.
Spoke to my mate about it who rather wisely told me to snap out of it. "Tos, you can't go around acting like that!" He said. "You've got to be more open minded. At the end of the day, you'll be better for it." I have taken on board what he said and I hate to admit it but dude does have a point.
Afterall, one of my main reasons for moving to belle Paris was to get out of my comfort zone.So tomorrow, I'm gonna go let my hair down. Wooohooo!!!
OK, maybe not totally. I'll just let down a few strands to start with. Rome wasn't built in a day you know?!

Bisou!

Hmmmmmm...dead fashion walking?

Day 34....

Hey people, hope you had a fab Valentine's day with your loved ones. I had a much needed rest after a very hectic week.
I had a Buying Management test today. It was 100% figures based. Urrrgh. Don't they know that us creatives and numbers are like oil and water?! Try as we may, we just never seem to mix well together. Result in a week’s time. Fingers crossed, eh?

Aaaanyhoo, still on a mission to find an apartment. Got a viewing booked for tomorrow. It’s in the 18^th district (5th apartment in the 18th in 2wks!) Montmartre seems to be beckoning and I am certainly not complaining :o) The area is absolutely stunning. After Le Marais, it's my 2nd favourite area in Paris. Looking forward to those long walks on lazy Sunday afternoons, strolling past the little cafes and shops,slowly making my way up the steps leading to Le Sacre Coeur (gorgeous catholic church), stopping by at the artists' market and then back down again. Siiigh....oh apartment, my apartment, wherefore art though?

Lately, I've been reading about this technological revolution that is supposedly taking place a le monde de la mode (and that's about all the french I know. Lol.) A trend apparently started by Michael Kors some seasons back, it is now catching up so fast that most luxury fashion houses are planning on streaming their fashion shows online. The aim being to appeal to a wider range of customers. I can almost feel the fashion glitterati shuffling uncomfortably in their Louboutins at the prospect of letting Joe Public into their world! And I can understand why. Don't get me wrong. I do understand the urgent need for a change in the way and speed at which information is relayed – especially under the current climate where competition is fierce for the ever so savvy and cautious customer. Not to forget the astronomical costs of running traditional fashion shows. But where will this lead? Please correct me if I’m wrong but I thought the whole point of luxury fashion was its exclusivity? This exclusivity in turn breeds a sense of excellence (in craftsmanship and quality) in those that work in that sector. I am afraid making it accessible to all and sundry defeats the whole purpose and eventually that mentality of excellence will suffer. A very fine balance has to be struck here. Or maybe I'm just too old fashioned.

One thing's for sure though. The battle line between creativity and the bottom line has now been officially drawn. 1^st round goes to the bottom line :o(

A cheaply made Bottega Veneta Knot, anyone?