Paris in Winter - Bring your Raincoat!

Photo Credit - Jason JobsonBonjour mes amis!   I just returned from a week in Paris.   It was a quick trip that had me on a tight schedule.   I went to attend the Maison Objet - home trade show.   I also had a chance to catch up with good friends and get an update on all things French Fashion.

I was there during the after Christmas sales that are famous in Europe.   Most of the European countries never have sales before the holidays and wait until after the new year to break sale.   BHV is famous for their white sale in January.   I made sure to make it to Le Bon Marche - the Barneys of Paris to check out the deals..  and I couldn't be in Paris and not go to Printemps and Galleries Lafayette - which is ritual of mine every time I am in the fashion capital of the world.

I must say - as much as I love Paris - there is no place like NY!   Paris is amazingly beautiful everywhere you look,, but there is no buzz of energy.   you almost feel like you are walking in beautiful quicksand.  Winter is a tough season to be in Paris and not feel the heaviness in the air.   It is not unusual not to see the sun for over a week at a time.    You are almost certain to have rain- I just saw rain 7 out of 7 days I was there.

But there is no place like Paris.  The smell of the city, the sound of cobblestones as you walk through the streets, the breathtaking views from every direction - all add up to make this city the unique jewel it is.

ARMANI vs. D&G - ITALIAN DESIGNER GRUDGE MATCH

With all the urgent matters on the minds of everyone with a pulse - what are Italian designers Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana worried about?   Global Warming? No.  Economic Recession?   Try Again.   Ooh, I know - the insane sanitation problem plaguing Southern Italy - you know the one you would expect to see in a developing country like India - not Italy?  Not even close.   No, the issue that has the two houses slinging snarky comments back and forth ladies and gentlemen.... Quilted Pants.   Yes.. Quilted pants , for men no less.   DOLCE & GABBANA FALL 2009

Giorgio Armani threw the first punch (more like the first bitch slap) when he accused designers -Domenico Dolce and Steffano Gabbana of copying the quilted pants Armani showed in his previous collection on their runway for Fall 2009.   I know what your thinking...  I don't know if I should yawn or laugh as I type this story!  D&G shot back by saying that they are inspired by the spirit of Sicily when they design and that Armani has never been an inspiration to them.   They duo were actually much ruder with their retort and made it clear they don't like the Armani esthetic.     We shouldn't be surprised to see Mr. Armani assert himself.   Anyone who saw those recent pics of him beach side in St. Barth's knows this man has a nerve!  (think white speedo).

Say what you will about either house - they are both hugely successful.   Both have iconic collections known around the world.   However, lets pay respect where it is due.   Giorgio Armani is a legend.   He changed the way men all over the world dress.   He has inspired a generation of Men and Women with a sophisticated and sexy approach.    Armani designed the costumes for the movie American Gigilo which starred Richard Gere in 1980.   Men would never dress the same.   RICHARD GERE IN AMERICAN GIGILO The movie redefined how men could think about their own vanity and image.    American Gigilo liberated straight American men to think about fashion without a sense of embarrassment.    

Dolce & Gabbana have always been known for their forward thinking and boundary pushing ideas in the realm of menswear and advertising.   Out and Proud - the two have made sexuality part of the image from the start.   While their designs are edgy and sexy for sure - there is a clear difference between the two collections.   Armani is all about class and D&G are just more crass.     Giorgio is a gentleman.   His legions of celebrity fans look to him for classic beauty season after season.   Dolce & Gabbana behave more like the contestants on a reality show.    They travel with body guards as if they were Madonna on tour.   As I've reported here before - the two even kept their storm troopers in force in the showroom in NYC the last two times they visited.   The goons menaced the staff who were working the sales market - and everyone was told not to look at the designers.   Are you kidding me???   The company actually closed the showroom at the end of 2008, opting to open a much smaller press office in NYC and sell the collection in Milan going forward.    Oddly,  just as the duo closed the showroom - they purchased a penthouse apartment near chelsea piers that won't be ready until the middle 0f 2009!

 So what is a fashionable guy to do - decisions, decisions.   Which pair of quilted pants do you buy?   This is an easy one - neither of course!  Ciao Bello!!

MLK Day - Let Us All Take A Moment To Respect.

Today America celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.- and reflects on the tragedy of his assassination.    Let us all take a moment to pay our respects to this man who changed the course of history.    With the inauguration of Barack Obama tomorrow - may we all focus on the sentiments of good will that are being directed at us from all over the world.

This clip was Dr. King's last public statement - prophetic and powerful. 

Remember - Equality is Always in style.

French Artisan Puts NY "On The Straw"

French Artisan Christophe Pourny grew up far from his DUMBO, Brooklyn Studio.   In fact, his life story sounds like something you read in a novel.   Growing up in the South of France, attending University at the prestigious Lycee Massena in Nice, apprenticing with his uncle Pierre Madel in Paris.. all this before moving to NYC 15 years ago.   That is only the beginning ...

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