Oct 12, 2021

Paris Fashion Week, the return

Long awaited in its epidemic pre-war format, here comes THE fashion week, known as "Paris Fashion week": we came, we saw it and it convinced us.

Valentino, runway, défilé Valentino, PFW, PFWSS22, Sac Valentino, Chaussures Valentino — Valentino runway - details & front row by Jana Call me J/ Abaca Press

Even if last July a few shows had taken place for Haute Couture, the vast majority of the collections were presented in digital version, without guests and without the catwalks for the photographers (and us, well me, it is what interests us 😁).

The Houses having taken a new habit to present their collections at a lower cost, a few had expressed their concerns about the non-return of this effervescence where the show are linked one after the other wearing down our little feet and our neurons lacking sleep.

Remember, I wrote about it here: Il neige des fleurs et des pierres précieuses

Dior, Dior Runway, défilé, défilé Dior, Dior aux Tuilleries, PFW, Paris Fashion week, PFWSS22 — Dior show Tuileries, arrivals by Jana Call me J/Abaca Press

When we see the enthusiasm of the public crowding in front of the front doors hoping to be able to enter, (knowing not to get there, but "at least one celebrity we will be able to see passing by, even make a short film"), I think that we can already start preparing our vitamin cocktail and the sleep cure for the next one in January 2022.

It was almost like in life before the pandemic : the guests from faraway continents were able to seat at the Front Row (the first rows, reserved for the most VIPs) and to delight the press (us too, , eh ?)

Some of my photos for Abaca Press published in the medias

If you want to (re) live this week in accelerated and animated, 12:20 minutes through my compiled Instagram stories, it's here, as if you were there, sorry for the poor image quality 🙁 next time, we will rather think YouTube than Instagram!

Hop! A dip in the atmosphere:

Let me present to you my favorites shows that I had the immense joy (who would think it, eh?) to cover for Abaca Press, one of the major French photo agencies, which distributes in the print and digital medias throughout the world, which fights in this merciless competition by employing French employees, pays its contributions in France and employs local photographers ( ... )

In addition, they make work female photographers (another point on which we discussed with Loic Prigent, who was surprised to find that I was the only woman on the runway podium. Sometimes we get to 3 women out of 40 men. Are we laughing at it? No, not very keen, I have already spoken about it here in a Lettre ouverte à la Presse and things have not move an inch in 2 years (and I never received the answer to my letter, by the way. That said, I have great hope in Eugénie Trochu, new Head of Editorial Content from Vogue Paris, to shake things up. This young woman seems to live in real world and I am her big fan !! I admit 😁 (We can say when we love too).

And when I love, it's here:

Weinsanto, Weinsanto Runway, défilé, défilé Weinsanto, PFW, Paris Fashion week, PFWSS22 — Weinsanto Runway by Jana Call me J/Abaca Press

To open the Ball, on the first day of Fashion week, we found intense black and trans pink at Weinsanto, this young creative and theatrical couturier, with such a special signature, (whom I had the pleasure of photographing in his showroom a few months earlier, end of the self-congratulation) who cut his teeth at Jean-Paul Gaultier (between - others) and which takes us into its retro-futuristic deliriums resembling a Cabaret where we would like to stay much longer than just a time of the show, so well orchestrated. Its collections bear the names of "Courtisannes", "Call me Nina" (er, no, Victor, it's Call me J), "Connes-sur-Mer" (quite a picture!), Victor Weinsanto, remember this name , he will come back often :)

Dior, Dior Runway, défilé, défilé Dior, Dior aux Tuilleries, PFW, Paris Fashion week, PFWSS22, Vanity Fair — Dior Runway by Jana Call me J/Abaca Press published Vanity Fair France

Pop and playful colors at Dior, sparkle with emotion, scripted by Anna Paparatti, an emblematic figure of Italian art and who filled the space with the collage of her paintings from the sixties, with spatial, experimental geometry, celebrating the game as a place of reflection questioning the rules of art and of life.

(my photo above published in Vanity Fair)

Saint Laurent, Saint Laurent Runway, défilé, défilé Saint Laurent, Saint Laurent Trocadéro, PFW, Paris Fashion week, PFWSS22 — Saint Laurent Runway Trocadéro by Jana Call me J/Abaca Press

The Maison Saint Laurent after having chosen to withdraw for several seasons from the official calendar, making its eagerly awaited return, with the collections of Anthony Vaccarello, who paraded at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, on the floors watered by the enormous wall of lights and rain, the slender silhouettes, with scarlet lips, the opulence of jewels and vertiginous heels - in the audacity of subversive glamor, which reminded me of my early adolescence in the 80s. This exacerbated femininity, inspired by Paloma Picasso to asserted freedom, sounds like a claim and the message that we enjoy reading.

Coperni, Coperni défilé, runway Coperni,Gigi Hadid, Model Gigi Hadid, Coperni Villette, PFW, Paris Fashion week, PFWSS22 — Gigi Hadid runway for Coperni, JanaCallmej/AbacaPress

Do you know Coperni ?

Coperni is a Parisian ready-to-wear and accessories brand imagined by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, created in 2013 and which has won some prestigious prizes from its peers, such as the LVMH Prize in 2015. The Coperni fashion show made us get out of the tight Parisian belt around the City to approach the cities of the Porte de la Villette to parade the super models like Gigi Hadid in a shed of hemp fields and birdsong. I loved it !!!

Even when I get kicked-out of bed (the show starts at 10 a.m)

Ester Manas, Ester Manas Runway, défilé, défilé Ester Manas, Ester Manas aux Métallos, PFW, Paris Fashion week, PFWSS22 — Ester Manas runway JanaCallmeJ/AbacaPress

Ester Manas made me get up early, super early ... The shows starting before 2pm when we spent the night editing the photos of the day before, that should be prohibited 😄. Ok, we got it, I'm not a morning person. But Ester Manas & Balthazar Delepierre, creators of the Maison, made me open my eyes interested in this slogan proclaimed loud and clear: "Dress different". Ok guys, a 100% inclusive parade speaks to me! The doors are finally opening for future shoots with clothes over 12 years old boy (while planned for women), for all our fashion editorials (I hate to starve my models, being myself very fond of a nice plate). Clothes that adapt to all body shapes, I suddenly have a chance to fit into a designer dress! Happy me

For the record, Ester Manas was a finalist of the Festival International de la Mode d'Hyères 2018.

Hello, anybody ? there are two that follow ....

Remember, I was there at edition 35, last year (I told you about it here)

Goose to come back for edition 36 which will take place from October 14 to 17, it's the day after tomorrow, I'm going, I'm going.

Which takes us by talking about the 100% inclusive show directly to that of l'Oréal

You who follow me, know how much I loved their show in 2019 on the Seine, the article I wrote at the time had been around the world, you can find it here: Parce que je le vaux bien

But what is the connection with the Ester Manas show? First, because on the catwalk a plus size model was dressed in the creation of Ester (who was sitting herself in the front row).

Then because in the inclusive genre, that of L'Oréal is 100 percent committed.

Yseult, Yseult égérie l'Oréal, Yseult danse, L'Oreal Le Defile, défilé, Trocadéro, L'Oreal Eiffel Tour, PFW, Paris Fashion week, PFWSS22 — Yseult with dancers at L'Oréal le Défilé by Jana Call me J/Abaca Press

Some would say that this “new wave of inclusion” si demagogs, but we will let them wither in place, where they growl alone and sad, in their badly trimmed beards. Long live to the "demagogs" who represents all independent and charismatic women, whatever their physical condition, age or skin color.

I loved the performance of Yseult (which I had the immense pleasure of discovering at the Hyères Festival last year - definitely) winner of the "female revelation" category at the 2021 Victoires de la Musique.

Here is another image to rouse the embittered man who trembles for his privilege: I loved this moment when the model struggles to walk with her high heels and almost falls, making the mirrors of our focal lengths tremble with fright, and Delphine Viguier, l'Oréal Paris Global Brand President, jumped up from her chair to pick them up, as if to say "go girl, I'm with you, take off these stilts and free yourself"!

I had the vibrato in my voice, my heart beating in this movement: "Let it go, let it go, Can't hold it back anymore" (Frozen, Disney ?)

Leading by example is exactly like that.

Thank you Madam !

Here is the Stand Up Against Street Harassment in full voice.

And since emotion is Queen, I am going to end this long article which was meant to be short (but does not know how to do) ((not sure that many of you will make it that far)) with an emotional evening, with honors while restraint, with words of love sewn on fabrics and tiles, embroidered for the King, the one who was taken from us far too soon, the couturier Alber Elbaz.

Alber Elbaz, Love Brings Love, Fashion Show, AZ FACTORY, PFW22, PFW, Paris Fashion Week, — Love Brings Love Fashion Show in honor of Alber Elbaz by Jana Call me J/Abaca Press

45 fashion designers * from around the world gathered at the Carreau du Temple, in heart of Paris, to pay homage by creating a silhouette in honor of Alber, who died last April at the age of 59 from the aftermath of Covid 19. Much loved for his talent, humor and kindness by the fashion industry, his death had caused a strong emotion.

"Love brings Love", the title of the event could not bear its name better, ending in a shower of heart-shaped confetti, for him who had so much heart, what a testament to the immense respect for an incomparable creator.

But don't get me wrong, even if the tears were quietly wiped away, the laughter, the party and the Champagne were there; how not to really pay homage to this festive and joyful man without it? It's not every day that Jana gets chance to dance with Rick Owens.

To see this absolutely exceptional runway show, which brought together the greatest talents of fashion today, in the broad sense, do not hesitate to go to the website of AZ Factory ,much more than my words, or my Instagram stories, you will see the wonders created by the best contemporary creative minds, and also the 26 looks of the House which continues the work of Alber.