ON THE WAY TO PARIS

When the alarm goes off last Saturday morning at 5:00 AM, I want A) absolutely not to wake up B) to cry hard and C) to resolutely throw my phone out the window. But then I remember that the alarm goes off for a special reason, I am going to Paris! Paris! Parigi! And even that is for a special reason (although Paris doesn't need a reason because Paris is always a good idea) but I am going there to admire the Viktor & Rolf show. And to eat a lot of baguettes, bien sûr. Et un petit peu de vin blanc.

After a surprisingly short drive (it's actually only 4.5 hours), we arrive in Paris and I immediately fall in love again. That city does something to a person. All those enormous buildings, all that history showing off in front of you, every corner of the street screaming for a photo and the people, oh the people – everyone looks so beautiful.

The Viktor & Rolf show is in the Tuileries gardens and as we walk past the famous fountains, we can already see the hustle and bustle in the distance in front of the tent. Just like in New York, I see more than enough paradise birds, but luckily also a lot of very chic French women who know how to make their way through the crowd with their heads down. Inside the show space, the catwalk is still wrapped up, but on the wall behind the catwalk, we see a large maze of roads leading to the catwalk, which also has the look of a highway. Of course, the entire Dutch fashion press is present. I see Esther Coppoolse from ELLE, Karin Swerink from VOGUE and Cara Schiffelers from Grazia. I also saw André van Duin by the way. Fashion lover in hiding? But the online world is also represented with Leandra Medina from The Manrepeller, Susie Lau from StyleBubble and Charlotte from The Fashion Guitar.

And then, showtime. The opening look is a large oversized dress made of gray cashmere and you can hear the whole room thinking: I want that. While the previous collections were quite conceptual, this one is actually very commercial – in a good way. Wearable pieces that are particularly well made and made from great materials. Lots of ‘optical illusions’, pants with stitched seams that make it look like it's a pair of trousers, and tops with bras or bows on them. Later in the collection, more and more color and prints appear, from graphic to floral. Lots of knits, lots of coarse materials and of course Swarovski stones, because V&R has a collaboration with them.

And then, showtime. The opening look is a large oversized dress made of gray cashmere and you can hear the whole room thinking: I want that.

Afterwards, everyone rushes outside for the next show. I linger a bit by the exit to take photos (among others of models Kai Newman in a Burberry poncho and Liu Wen in a leather jacket from Céline) and unexpectedly get photographed myself. My KLM blue suit and Giuseppe Zanotti boots are well received. Out of the corner of my eye, I see another blue jacket, it's the jacket of legend Bill Cunningham. I take a photo of him and tell him that I am such a fan of him, to which he says, “Oh thank you darling, but you make a far better subject” and then starts taking photos of me. The fact that I haven't run into Olivia during this whole fashion month is almost made up for. When everyone has left, it's time for the baguettes and the wine. On the terrace of.

, the place where Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir always sat, I order a fried egg (this place is famous for its eggs) and a juice, which I later exchange for a wine. In front of me on the street, only maddeningly beautiful people pass by and I've never seen so many Céline and Chanel bags in the wild. With the V&R show still in my mind, the sun on my head and Paris under my feet, I am a satisfied person. And later, when I grow up, I want to become a real Parisienne. Paris, je t’aime. Café de Flore, de plek waar Sartre en Simone de Beauvoir altijd zaten, bestel ik een gebakken ei (deze zaak is beroemd om de eieren) en een jus, die ik later verruil voor een vin. Voor me op straat komen werkelijk waar alleen maar gekmakend mooie mensen voorbij en nog nooit zag ik zoveel Céline en Chanel-tassen in het wild. Met de show van V&R nog op het netvlies, de zon op m’n hoofd en Parijs onder m’n voeten ben ik een tevreden mens. En later, als ik groot ben, wil ik een echte Parisienne worden. Paris, je t’aime.