I Heart Maman

Friday I went over to BHV to check out the lily of the valley perfume table for more testers/touches

Gone!
 

Instead everything was la Fête des Mères coming up May 25.
 

Such pretty pastels
 

In New York I barely gave perfumes a glance.
 

In Paris I'm addicted. Yes, please spritz me
 

There's loads of teal to deck Mom out in.
 

Every now and then I wonder what my mom would think of me living in Paris.
 

I lost her when I was 24. Too young. She was just 57. Way too young. At 16 she traveled with her family on a grand tour to the Mediterranean ending up in Paris. When I was 10, my dad came home and announced at dinner he'd bought 2 tickets for Paris. My dad adored surprising her, yet I have no memories of their trip or what souvenirs she brought back. I found a lace hanky with my name embroidered on it when I was packing up to come here. Was it from my mother's trip to Paris?

Once I hit my teens it was difficult for me to appreciate my very talented mother. She had big plans for me to go to fashion design school and complete her unfulfilled dreams. I wasn't having it. We were at war when I was growing up. Yet after she died I HAD to come to New York, go to Parsons School of Design and fulfill her dreams. It was like a compulsion. I worked on 7th Avenue, then moved on to designing shoes in Italy and Spain and so many other things, finally ending up in Paris.
 

Last night I called my ancient second cousin who lives in Pigalle, to see if she remembered my parents trip to Paris.

She had vivid memories of my mom. How elegant and chic she was (my mother wore hats, gloves and suits she designed and sewed herself)...and her belle silhouette. How they all went out for a grand dinner at la Cafe de la Paix near Opera. 

Perhaps my Parisbreakfast letters are meant for my Mom?

I wish I could send her one. 

Happy Mothers Day dear PBers !

It's All About The Dress - Vicky Tiel

Bardot's Vichy Ballerinas watercolor

Today is Fashion Night Out 2011.

If you're a little bit mad about fashion/Paris/celebs you can't go wrong.

Vicky Tiel and I both went to Parsons School of Design. 

Miss Keagy, head of the fashion dept., kindly suggested I become a LIBRARIAN! 

I replied, 

"It's either the river or 7th Avenue!"

Vicky was also dissuaded from a fashion career for different reasons. Her designs were super short, super sheer, very naughty. Vicky went off to Paris with classmate/pal Mia Fonssagrives. They shook the town up, while I went off to 7th Ave...wish I'd followed suit.

The overnight success of Vicky and Mia made them international fashion celebrities.

They dressed super hot celebrities in their first movie, "What's New Pussycat" and many others.

Francoise Hardy, Ursula Andress, Paula Prentice, Woody Allen, Peter Sellers etc. Vicky's book is full of fun vignettes of their Parisien adventures.

Mia married designer, Louis Feraud (they did designs for his show and modeled on the runway) who had designed Bridget Bardot's famous 'Vichy' pink checked wedding dress. 

Vicky's book is full of sketches like this Paris map near her shop on 21, rue Bonaparte.

Isn't it funny I doodled one house down from her shop?

Vicky's building formerly was the grand residence and shop of superb interior designer, Madame Madeleine Castaing.

Vicky married Ron Berkeley, Liz Taylor's personal makeup artist, so Liz and Vicky became bosom buddies for years. 

Vicky designed Liz' fabulous lavender silk caftan.

Vicky's book is loaded with 'rules' from everyone who was anyone plus their recipes. Plus lots of dirt on everyone in Paris & Hollywood and and  and.

Oh just READ IT!

BONJOUR VICKI

Disclosure: Vicky sent me her book..

It's a perfect opp to tell you about Vicky Tiel's It's All About The Dress!

Paul Poiret and My Mother

Yesterday I went to see the Paul Poiret fashion exhibit at the Met. It closes Saturday so you better run.

At the exhibit all I could think of was my mother, Isabel (in the photo). I’m certain she made that dress. She always wanted to be a fashion designer. But her her family was against it. Still she won a scholarship to Moore College of Art in Philadelphia.

I only discovered after she died, that she'd graduated at the top of her class with the best fashion design collection in 10 years! I found an old newspaper clipping she had never shown me hidden away in her dressing table drawer.

She did get to work briefly as an assistent to a reknown Philadelphia hat designer. Her duties - chauffeuring him around town. Then her parents wanted her to "chauffeur" them out to a hot springs resort in California and she quit her design job. The end of her dreams as a fashion designer.

At the resort she met my father. They danced. Three days later he proposed marriage.

My mother wanted desperately for me to fulfill her own unfulfilled dreams. I was having none of it. I was the classic ‘rebellious’ teenager. I did go to art school. I went to many art schools. All I did was draw ✏️  I had not one ounce of ambition to do anything else. No particular professional direction. I was 24 when my mother died. She was just 57. 

Suddenly I had to go to design school. I had to become the fashion designer she'd always wanted for herself. I dashed off to Parson School of Design in New York. I did work on 7th Avenue for 10 years. Then, by chance, I fell into shoe designing and so many other professions.

The rest is my crazy career history. My path has been twisty turny. I LOVE what I'm doing now - Paris letters & watercolors etc. Who knows where the road turns next? Did I say my Mom painted watercolors and I still use her black metal watercolor box? Mom, I hope I've done you proud.

  My mother often me as a foil when I was small. Together we'd go sleuthing in designer shops. She would try on and secretly examine the inner construction of couture dresses. Then she would go home and create her own version. We made doll clothes together. Her plan for me was to go to design school and complete her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. My mother designed and made her own bias-cut silk wedding dress. Voila