An overview of Paris Couture looks from France 24 with interviews with top designers showcasing their latest creations.
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A Life of Pictures Part 2
The second part of the interview with Photographer Vladimir Sichov.
What is your favorite cover?
The November Cover of Paris Match showing The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Romania Revolution Cover.
Why are you still motivated to take pictures?
I am a street life photographer. I look for moments, unknown people. I take pictures fast. The right way to be a street photographer is to be quick while not drawing attention to you. I place tape over the camera labels and numbers for discretion.
What is your favorite device?
I like fixed lens. I used Leica until 92 then switched to Canon.
Who was your artistic influence?
Bresson was a God with his sense of composition. He was the master and everyone else is several steps below. We spoke several times. I asked him how many good pictures he made. He said around 40.
Who was the most difficult subject?
The Vogue Studio and those white walls. I prefer action to studio, black and white over color.
Politics and politicians have played a major role in your works.
In May 1981 French President Giscard lost the election to Mitterand. I was assigned to go to his house in the Middle of France with other press people. All only had 20 minutes. After he learned I was Russian he spoke to my team for over 40 minutes. He said his favorite politician was Brezhnev. I spent 2 week with him on holiday in the Holy Land after he left office. His wife was religious.
And Chirac?
Prime Minister Jacques Chirac opened a world for me. I was a stateless so he arranged for me to have a French Passport.
Having covered so politics and events, what do you think of the current state of Europe?
If I had written articles on what I thought I would have been fired immediately. There is a body of unelected people (EU Commission) making disastrous decision for Europe. There is no Ford to build an industry. So much has been destroyed, from textile to steel production.
What were the most interesting assignments?
There are many but some now:
I was in the Soviet Union covering the Michael Jackson concert in 1989 before the coup. I felt something was going on so I called my editor and decided to stay in Moscow a little while longer. The tanks rolled into the city. I saw it all in front of The Russian White House. I was wounded, shot.
When Gorbachev went into exile I was with him for 3 days.
Horowitz was fun. I wanted to show him doing more than at the piano. Russians love ice cream and playing chess. He asked me if I loved ice cream. Yes!
I made images of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge at their apartment. One of those images was used at the Christie’s auction in 2009. It was rare assignment because they did not normally allow images made in their flat.
I accompanied Keith Haring here (Berlin) to take pictures of him painting the Wall for the mural. He was really fast. That was in 1986. I made pictures of him doing work on the Grace Jones video.
Berlin, 1986.
What advice would you give a photographer?
Love what are doing and you will never have a problem. If you find a job you like and you will never work. Do not expect rewards.
While looking over the Internet for a style of shoes, I came across French shoe designs Soloviere. A luxury brand made in Italy founded in 2014 by Alexia Aubert, the former studio director of Pierre Hardy. Each shoe has a simple style with spark of flash.
Jerome Pierre lives between Paris and Berlin. In 2014 he met Fashion Designer Agnes B. Working with her team he created a collection based on comfort and fluidity.
Why did you decide to become a fashion designer?
I got the bug when I was around 10 or 11. I was first drawn to the visual side of fashion: photography and sketches. I remember being quite taken by the sketches Thierry Perez made for the likes of Gaultier, Alaïa, and Versace.
Later into the process of becoming a designer, my focus shifted towards clothes as a structure, a moving architecture; and towards fabrics, for which I fell in love during my first internship.
Are your designs based on function?
Absolutely! Function is paramount when I think of a design. How it fits the body and enables or hinders movements will translate into how my clothes will make you feel in general and about yourself.
What is the key element to your looks?
Lightness. Wear ability. Balance.
I like my looks to be rooted by clothes that are easy to wear, easy to match, peppered with a few statement pieces. Balance to me is about knowing what works for you, as well as expressing something genuinely unique, but trying to do so in a most universal language.
Has Agnès b. influenced your output?
When Agnès invited me to design this collection, I very much wanted to create something that would find its place within her world, albeit a very personal interpretation of it.
For example, prints are not my first reflex, nor my second. But it is precisely what touches me within the world of Agnès, the liveliness, the buoyant side of her craft.
You know going to Agnès’s office isn’t unlike going to an art gallery, or a performance. There is always something happening, a ton of pictures, graffiti, collaborations with incredible artists. And all of this, punctuated by Agnès’s ‘sayings’, delivered here and there in her trademark handwriting.
It’s exhilarating! You can literally feel the heart of this house beating. And you are drawn to it, you want to join in the festivities.
Any future plans in mind?
Definitely! I very recently created a brand focused on accessories, and we’ve just started selling online at www.steilheit-paris.com.
The first items have started coming in, and you’ll find the aforementioned sense of balance, between the super-easy picks for the day-to-day, and some stronger, bolder statement items. You can feel the influence of both of the cities I live in: Paris and Berlin. The former being a place known for its elegance and a certain formality, the latter is a place of freedom and creativity. Keywords are minimal + architectural. And gender-neutral, which is both a nice message and quite an interesting challenge, in terms of design and communication.
Come visit!
For more on the collection go to :Steilheit-paris.com
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Paris Fashion Week Couture
Black and Paper media partner France 24 covers Couture Week with highlights including looks from Chanel.
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Agnes B. Men’s Fashion Week Paris
Brice Hardelin our man in Paris attended the Agnes B. Show. The designer decided on mixing the modern with the past styles ranging from post war to romantic period using solid colors and patterned stripes. She even found inspiration from past painting masters.
Thank you to our man in Paris Brice. www.bricehardeling.com
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Printemps
Parisian Department Store Printemps celebrates its 150th anniversary. I had a tour of the beauty section and the main building for the Christmas Decorations.
If you need to be in the know while visiting Paris there is no better person to ask than Johanna from the W Hotel. After hours shopping, dinner on a roof top with a view of the city, or a private garden tour, she will make it happen.
What makes Paris a special city?
Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. Everybody wants to come to Paris to discover its special atmosphere. There is always something to do, to see, to discover, it does not matter the season. I love all the cliché things that make Paris on the most visited cities in the world. The old bistros, the small cobbled streets making you feel like you are in a village, the fresh markets, and the different architectural styles. And of course Paris is the fashion capital. The way people dress. A person can never get enough of this city.
Can you name your favorite eating spot?
I am wine lover, so Les Climats. It is a French restaurant established in an old house built by a woman who worked in a post office in Paris. I love the décor, the service and food. They only have wine from Burgundy. Les Climats just got a Michelin Star but it is still affordable.
The W Hotel has Coquette, a good place to have lunch or dinner in a friendly way. The whole menu is made in a health way. I really love the veggie burger with its pumpkin seeds bun and its mushroom steak. All the desserts are wonderful too!
Why do guests like the W hotel in Paris?
Guests come here because they like the design and atmosphere. We are in a historical building so we mixed the modern with the classic. As well, we are in central Paris, next to the famous department stores and across from the Opera House. The views from the rooms are great!
The hotel makes every guest feel like they are home. We have a Whenever/Where ever team. It means you ask for whatever you want, whenever you want and we will do our best to get it or arrange it.
Describe the shopping experience?
It depends on what the guest is looking for it. If we have a client who is an absolute fan of shoes I can provide exclusive access to the Louboutin store. The guest will have VIP access, a private room, a stylist to help with all they want.
What would you do if you were a tourist in Paris?
I would visit the Opera Garnier, a great monument. I would explore. There are many hidden gardens, roof tops, passages, and ornate door entrances.
The W Hotel is located in the center of Paris across from the Opera.
For images of the W Hotel and our video interview with Johanna go to our Google+ and Pinterest Sites.
For more information on W Hotel Opera Paris go to: www.wparisopera.com
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Paulus Bolten
Paulus Bolten, a bespoke shoe maker in the Concorde District of Paris, produces classical men’s shoes and sneakers with distinctive styling and details. The appeal of the Bolten shoes is the array atypical colors designed for the man craving individuality.
The Paulus Bolten Store is located at 28 Rue le Sueur, 75116 Paris
Phone :+33 6 15 64 51 84
Le Chocolat from Alain Ducasse in Galeries Lafayette
Ducasse’s Chocolates are available in three families: praline, truffles, and ganaches. Each has their own texture and taste.
We sampled the different chocolates while learning the narrative of how chocolate is made including the six step from bean selection to molding. Beans from a particular location or certain climatic conditions have different flavors. Chocolate bean origins and their taste aromas:
Brazil A noted woody flavor, slightly bitter
Cameroon A tarty flavor
Colombia Floral taste, dried fruits and caramel
Cuba Dried fruit
Grenada Fruity and woody
Java Smoky
Madagascar fruity red acidic
Peru Floral Cherry
Trinidad Notes of Vanilla
Vietnam spicy notes with anise
For more information go to: www.lechocolat-alainducasse.com