Well,
The flight over to Paris was fine. I really don't suffer from jet lag much. A friend from Dusseldorf drove down from Germany( very kind) and picked me up at the airport..which was so great because I had to go to two different places to get my things for the show.
First BIG bump...No case.The 100 lb case with all of my marketing and display materials for my PARIS show had not been delivered.Next step was to find out where it was.It tuned out that it was confiscated by customs...( hours and many phone calls later) because of (declared, American) alligator skin in the case.When I finally got to bed..Paris time, yesterday...I had been up for 39 hours straight. I'm very proud that I wasn't delerious from sleep deprivation.
Today started with trying to get hold of the FEDEX manager ( no time for breakfast) and heading to the airport, to come back and go the primary FEDEX office, because they were the only ones who would deal with me. Customs had a lock down on the case and by 1pm I had to leave the FEDEX office because there was no resolution in sight.
The FEDEX people were kind enough to give me a double espresso, and I since I don't drink coffee, and hadn't eaten- I was well buzzed. My friend came and picked me up from there at 1pm. with two chocolate croissants and we went for lunch to the Hotel Costes. Beauty, tranquility and good food for half an hour (and Orlando Bloom) and then over to the Tuilleries to set up what I could at the show.
All the merchants had their cases...except for me. An e-mail had come that they couldn't deliver my cases because they hadn't been paid for. Even though the money( which had been wire transferred) had been taken out of my account- at this point I had to go and CONVINCE them with my papers that all was as it should be. It was 3 pm and they said my cases would be delivered by 6 pm.At 5 pm they told me that they would not be delievering the cases until mid-day...tomorrow..opening day, and the show opened at 9 am. I kept my cool and INSISTED that I HAD TO HAVE my cases !! That they had been paid for,that the error was THEIRS and that I had spent thousands of dollars and had the right to try and sell my jewerly from the cases I had rented!
It has been... difficult ( is that enough of an understatement?) and way beyond, beyond , beyond frustrating. Enough. It is what it is, and 'the show will go on' and the jewelry is beautiful without display pillows and neck stands.
We shall see. 'Que sera, sera."
I was invited to an art opening in St. Germain de Pres tonight and met some very cool and nice people.Roberto Cavalli's daughter was there, and everyone LOVED my jewelry.
Time for bed. Midight here in the city of lights.
The flight over to Paris was fine. I really don't suffer from jet lag much. A friend from Dusseldorf drove down from Germany( very kind) and picked me up at the airport..which was so great because I had to go to two different places to get my things for the show.
First BIG bump...No case.The 100 lb case with all of my marketing and display materials for my PARIS show had not been delivered.Next step was to find out where it was.It tuned out that it was confiscated by customs...( hours and many phone calls later) because of (declared, American) alligator skin in the case.When I finally got to bed..Paris time, yesterday...I had been up for 39 hours straight. I'm very proud that I wasn't delerious from sleep deprivation.
Today started with trying to get hold of the FEDEX manager ( no time for breakfast) and heading to the airport, to come back and go the primary FEDEX office, because they were the only ones who would deal with me. Customs had a lock down on the case and by 1pm I had to leave the FEDEX office because there was no resolution in sight.
The FEDEX people were kind enough to give me a double espresso, and I since I don't drink coffee, and hadn't eaten- I was well buzzed. My friend came and picked me up from there at 1pm. with two chocolate croissants and we went for lunch to the Hotel Costes. Beauty, tranquility and good food for half an hour (and Orlando Bloom) and then over to the Tuilleries to set up what I could at the show.
All the merchants had their cases...except for me. An e-mail had come that they couldn't deliver my cases because they hadn't been paid for. Even though the money( which had been wire transferred) had been taken out of my account- at this point I had to go and CONVINCE them with my papers that all was as it should be. It was 3 pm and they said my cases would be delivered by 6 pm.At 5 pm they told me that they would not be delievering the cases until mid-day...tomorrow..opening day, and the show opened at 9 am. I kept my cool and INSISTED that I HAD TO HAVE my cases !! That they had been paid for,that the error was THEIRS and that I had spent thousands of dollars and had the right to try and sell my jewerly from the cases I had rented!
It has been... difficult ( is that enough of an understatement?) and way beyond, beyond , beyond frustrating. Enough. It is what it is, and 'the show will go on' and the jewelry is beautiful without display pillows and neck stands.
We shall see. 'Que sera, sera."
I was invited to an art opening in St. Germain de Pres tonight and met some very cool and nice people.Roberto Cavalli's daughter was there, and everyone LOVED my jewelry.
Time for bed. Midight here in the city of lights.
Day 5 ( yesterday) ...no time to breathe, eat, or sleep. OK...breathing taken care of by body in auto pilot, eat = a cup of oatmeal, two cups of tea all day,half a salad, water and dinner was some leftovers from the other nights roast dinner.
Packing, picking up, last minute deliveries, jewelry photo shoot so the images of the new pieces can go up on the website before the show, delegation meetings, packing..my things, marketing that I'll take with me...sooooo much STUFF.
The dressmaker finally came with my coat at 11:30 pm, and sat on my sofa to sew on the snaps I had at my office(I have a collection of vintage buttons, trims and laces that I use for my fashion designs) She left at 12:15....then finally I could wash up and go to bed. I got up twice in the night because I would remember things( in my dreams:) that I had forgotten to pack.
Leaving shortly for the airport.. and then Paris bound via Chicago with too much STUFF.
Paris and Paris Fashion week are a few hours away.
Packing, picking up, last minute deliveries, jewelry photo shoot so the images of the new pieces can go up on the website before the show, delegation meetings, packing..my things, marketing that I'll take with me...sooooo much STUFF.
The dressmaker finally came with my coat at 11:30 pm, and sat on my sofa to sew on the snaps I had at my office(I have a collection of vintage buttons, trims and laces that I use for my fashion designs) She left at 12:15....then finally I could wash up and go to bed. I got up twice in the night because I would remember things( in my dreams:) that I had forgotten to pack.
Leaving shortly for the airport.. and then Paris bound via Chicago with too much STUFF.
Paris and Paris Fashion week are a few hours away.
PARIS blog...day 4
Sunday...should be a lazy Sunday started out well...Tucson weather in late September...what can I say...sunbathing suits my mediterranean roots well.
There just was a lot of visiting...dinner for everyone ( made mustard encrusted pork loin with tomato infused risotto and braised spinach. I love all of that but ended up getting to my things and staring to pack at 10 pm and going to bed until one am.Up today at 6.
Had a conversation with a good friend of mine, a very talented shoe designer-( in my opinion he blows Manolo away) who started his line...got AMAZING press and then had his backers pull his funding. Heartbreaking...and the name of the game in the fashion industry.It happens all the time.
I look at that situation and am so glad that I did it my way. No one calls the shots except me. No one "OWNS" me.No one is my 'puppet meister'. And when I do need some support, I can hold my own and say this worked my way, and that is part of what you are buying so, "Respect the vision."
Pretty tired right now...not enough sleep even for me... and some of the things coming in from production didn't make it in and need to be overnighted to Paris now.Some of my clothes aren't ready either- so you just have to go with the flow. It will all work out.
One more day...and the PARIS:))
Saturday....some relief from the "go, go, go" of last week, but all the catch up of the weekend as well.SOOO grateful that I have a weekend in between the work week and when I leave.
Call at 7 am that they are shipping my customs docs Fedex so that I'll have then Monday before I leave.
I'm a girl...so much more maintenance than you guys! Hair, nails, cleaners, shoe repair, overseas sim card for my laptop...unlock my phone for overseas today. Some things that I need to buy...I really hate shopping for anything in Tucson..or anywhere. Believe it or not( because everyone think that all females are born to shop) if it could be delivered instantly... I would do it all on the internet.
Lunch with a good friend. He gave me a silver lucky wishbone for my trip.SOOO sweet of him. He used to be head of marketing for Ralph Lauren in NY for 8 years and now has an art gallery and lives in Tucson. We do get a lot of personalities like that here. Others that I know were with Vogue for years, Elle, had their own clothing company and worked with Donna Karan have a business in NY and go back and forth, was a great jewelry designer in NY and now is a great artist in Tucson; and a couple of others who have an apartment in NY and go back and forth, homes all over, and Tucson is where they spend a lot of the winter. Tucson is great for that -getting life in perspective. I am soo busy here, if I were going 24/7 as life is in the major cities demands- I think that I would burn out too. SO many people come here to get their heads together... and then they check out of their old lives and stay. I think that it is the starkness of the landscape that makes you look inward....it's just you... and you have to look at..."you". Inside and out.
That took all day. A light dinner and then I like to run at night...under the moon and stars...so went for a run today instead of going to the gym. Started organizing my clothes for the trip. I'm a designer and I represent myself AND my brand ... and I am my best PR person...so that is a lot of fun for me...composing the wardrobe compositions
I am not exagerating when I say that it is almost daily, that people walk into my store , meet me, and the first reaction is" What are YOU doing here?" "You should be in ....NY, LA, Paris, London...your store should be there ." At first I would get so upset. It isn't the most uplifting thing to hear constantly that you are in the wrong place, and to have to justify your choices and actions to every Tom, Dick and Harry.Then I came to the conclusion....if it is sooo evident, that I , and what I do are world class....then I am doing it right... and it is working, and I have built a world class brand , here, in Tucson - in 5 years.
Which is why I'm flying to Paris on Tuesday, and was included to show at Paris Fashion Week 2010!