MAY'S PARIS DIARY

I am lying in my bed having a lovely Amélie moment. Looking out over a thousand Parisian rooftops and imagining all those stories taking place underneath. As much as I am in love with New York and fashion week there and as much as I love Milan, Paris is really the premier league of fashion.

It took me some effort to get here. By 07:30, I was already at Schiphol Airport with my suitcase, had gotten a coffee at Starbucks and a fresh leaf for the road. Long story short: train was not running. The first one wasn't due for another three hours. So back home to cook eggs and cuddle children.

Three hours later. Same story. But at 11:30 it would run, from Amsterdam Central and not from Schiphol where I was. So by train to CS where I saw the Thalys leaving exactly when my train arrived on the platform. I also found it super sympathetic of the Thalys company.

Then the next train turned out not to be running, but at 13:17, yep. Then I was on it. The good news then was that by the time I arrived in Paris, it was already incredibly white wine time....

First stop was the show of Esther Dorhout Mees, who was showing there anyway as a Dutch person in Paris. When I saw the hair (braids standing like horns on her head), I immediately remembered why Hester Wernert Hairstylist of the Year has become. What an artist.

After the show, we wanted to eat at our favourite La Société. We hadn't made reservations, so then there's only one thing to do. Walk in with a very confident mug and say you have reservations in the name of Von Furstenberg. Or Swarovski or De Beers or something that sounds rich and powerful. And yes, then no further questions are asked, the doors fly open and you get a beautiful table.

Since we are pretty hard to push out of our comfort zone as far as restaurants are concerned, we had breakfast at Café de Flore before quickly heading to a presentation by Avelon. Avelon remains one of my favourite Dutch brands and has another winter collection that makes your mouth water.

On to Paul Smith where Sir Paul Smith himself was waiting for us and warmly kissed our cold hands. He had (don't tell anyone) bags made at the Céline factory and I think I ordered one of those just like that.

Onward to hotel Mandarin Oriental for lunch with ‘the noses’ of Procter & Gamble who made the 007 perfume. On the way to the meeting room, I was cozy with Anna Dello Russo in the lift. And with a bag from Bottega Veneta so big you could lie down in it yourself. Well, at least Anna did.

After a lot of smelling the perfume that captures pink champagne, black roses and raspberries (and a little taste of pink happiness), it was three steps further into Hôtel Costes where I briefly met Liesbeth. And top model Imaan Hammam for whom fashion week was over.

On to Ladurée for tea with an old friend from Paris (luckily, Parisiennes apparently still like Ladurée after all) and then on to Hotel Scribe where my friend Micha (by Micha Models) these days.

Actually, she was supposed to have dinner with her Maartje Verhoef, but she still had to try out for Valentino, so I had a lovely chat and rolled into my bed on Boulevard Saint Germain, tired but intensely satisfied...