Good Times

Had so much fun at my friends Kevin and Jenny's wedding. It was great to see and spend time with old friends! Some pictures to sum up the weekend, courtesy of Kevin and Jenny's photo booth:


Miss everyone already! Till next time...

Off to LA Land!

After spending countless hours doing laundry yesterday (quite surprising just how much stuff I packed and wore in France), I am now ready to pack again for my little vacation to LA Land. Going to be a fun and food-filled trip with my best friends, family, and special someone; can't wait! I must pack and get myself to the nail salon stat. I'll leave you with this picture as a representation of my weekend to come:

Highly doubtful that it will be this warm, but a girl can dream.

(Photo credit: Alex Yang)

Missing Parisian Sweet Treats

It's awfully nice to be back in the USA. As much fun as I had in Paris, home is still where the heart is. I thoroughly enjoyed stretching out and sleeping in my own bed. It felt great to simply relax and catch up with Lou, Erica and Vince over multiple episodes of Glee. Plus, I finally got that bowl of beef noodle soup I've been craving pretty much since I stepped off the plane in Paris. That being said, I do miss several things about Paris:

I ate SOOO many palmiers in Paris. I snapped a pic of this one cause the sheer size of it was a bit ridiculous.

I developed a penchant for creme brulee in Paris. This was one of the best, courtesy of Cafe Rendevous in the 14th arr.

Finally tried a macaroon in Paris. Tried multiple places but always went back to the tried and true LADUREE. I brought a box back with me. It may or may not be almost empty.

I don't get to relax for long, because I am soon off to LA. More traveling adventures and pictures to come!

xoxo,
J

Bijules by Jules Kim

Through my work with the magazine, I met jewelry designer Jules Kim. We shot several of her pieces for the first issue. She makes some incredible pieces! We went to her event in Paris after our launch party at Colette, and I fell in love with the ring below:


I always have the hardest time finding jewelry due to my slender fingers and wrists, so luckily she custom makes all the pieces for her clients. Check out the rest of her collection at http://www.bijulesnyc.com.

Vogue

(Photo credit: Hedi Slimane, NY Mag)

"Vogue is a very specific world. You are Vogue, or not Vogue. There are some editors and writers who can be very good, and still not Vogue. How can I describe it?" -Carine Roitfeld, Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue

Paris Photo Reel Pt. 2

I've always wanted to get swans to do the heart-shape thing together! Bad angle though, so didn't come out well in photo. This was the result of me throwing a piece of bread in between them haha.

Galeries Lafayette dome. The picture doesn't really do it justice. I seriously spent a WHOLE day in this department store, and I barely got through half of it.

One of the many bridges that goes over the Senne.

Notre Dame. So romantic.

Goodbye Fountainbleau!

I spent a couple days visiting my dear friend Joan in Fountainbleau, where she is getting her MBA at INSEAD. I had a fair amount of time to explore the town on my own while Joan was in class (business school is no joke, kids). The town is quite nice: small, quaint, picturesque and silent. I had a great time seeing Joan, meeting her school friends, and getting to see another side of France. Enjoy the pictures!

Cute fountain in the middle of an intersection.

Front entrance to the famous chateau in Fountainbleau. The couple ahead of me were super cute together.

One of the sides of the chateau.

A pond on the grounds. There is a massive garden and forest that surrounds the entire structure.

I had a fun time watching the little duckies.

So peaceful.

Again, Ms. Lanphear

As evidenced by previous posts, I may have a slight Kate Lanphear obsession, but seriously, how could you not love her? I present my case below:

Her famously perfectly accessorized wrists. Notice the precise placement to account for her permanent accessory.
(Photo credit: Amanda De Simone)

Perfection.

Amazing shoes. Enough said.

I would love to go shopping in this woman's closet. Till then I will continue to admire her style from afar.

xoxo,
J

Elie Saab

My favorite collection we saw in Paris, not because it was particularly revolutionary or original, but due to it's wearability. Just beautiful, quality, ready-to-wear pieces. The entire collection, much like many others, had a 70's feel to it. Here are some of my favorite looks from s/s 2011:

LOVE this pantsuit. I honestly gasped a little when I saw it come down.

The jewelry is fantastic! I don't have the height to pull this actual look off, but it looks amazing on the model.

Fun party/work dress, gorgeous draping and again, fantastic jewelry.

Again, I could definitely envision myself wearing this look, though with a bra.

I cannot believe Karolina Kurkova is back on the runway. This season was the return of a lot of supermodels walking the shows.
(Photo credits: Amanda De Simone)

Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton

Sofia Coppola was approached by Louis Vuitton to design a line of handbags, and I must say she has done a fabulous job. She designs the bag for her needs as a photographer/director, and although I am none of these things, I could still use one of these bags. Classic, simple, and chic. Take a look at some of the pictures posted by Habitually Chic:

Photos from RDuJour and StyleRumor.com

Must Love Dogs

(Photo credits: Amanda De Simone)

Paris Street Style

Parisian women are super chic, probably the most out of anywhere in the world. They just seem to know how to put themselves together. I just love sitting out at a café and style watching. We took a LOT of street style photos during fashion week, but here are two that stick out in my mind:

I was not expecting this when she turned around, but it is quite unique.

This Balmain jacket is amazing in person. I like how the woman didn't overdo the rest of her outfit and let the jacket speak for itself.

(Photo credits: Amanda De Simone)

Street style is seriously one of the best things about fashion week. You get to see all genres of fashion outside all the shows. It's the best place to get inspiration from and to play a little game of name that designer.

Dear Roberta Myers

How do you look so perfect all the time, especially your hair? It's slightly infuriating. Actually very infuriating. In fact, it's a little unfair.

I want those Alaia heels. Both Robbie and Anna (Dello Russo) wore them around throughout the week. The detailing on the shoe is unreal.

As Editor in Chief of US Elle, I think you should share your tips. Let the rest of us in on your little secrets. Thanks!

xoxo,
J

Issey Miyake S/S 2011

Issey Miyake took place at Palais de Tokyo, a beautiful location right off the Arc de Triomphe. The runway design was clean and simple, but it played with your senses. What seemed to be a completely solid, matte backdrop, faded into a diamond long tunnel that the models wafted from. Ghosts served as the inspiration for the collection. I tried my best to capture the looks, but the models walked particularly fast in this show.

A small glimpse of one of the prints used in the collection.

Check out the detail on the shoe!

Model outside after the show

I will be putting up more fashion show posts as the week goes along, so check back for more Paris fashion week posts!

xoxo,
J

Morning Till Night In Paris

j'adore Paris

I spent the day myself wandering around and found myself near the Eiffel Tower. Nothing is open on Sundays here, so the lawn was filled with couples of all ages, families with children running around, and groups of friends laughing and chattering excitedly. It was great to just walk around and get a sense of the city. It's all about the stylish women (and men), the cafes and brasseries, and the atmosphere of simply enjoying life. Here are my phone pictures from the day:

Pastries to start the day off right! This is from a boulangerie down the street from my rented Paris apartment.

The little park by my apartment where I ate my pastry and sandwich.

My first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower. This was taken in the beautiful park adjacent to the expansive lawn in front of the tower.

It really is quite magnificent in person. It's nice that they fence off the lawn right in front of the tower, so you get lovely, unobstructed photos.

Bad thing about sightseeing by yourself is that you have to take pictures of yourself. Kisses to everyone back home, especially the one person I wish I was here with.

xoxo,
J