On July 5th, Aubrey Loots and myself departed on a one of a kind adventure. We were jet setting to Paris, France to work on the Christophe Lemaire Haute Couture show, the new designer for Hermes. It was my first time in Paris, and I could not have been more excited, not only for the trip itself but to do hair for Paris fashion week. Double dream come true.

We were there for about four days, but being in Paris was like being transported into another world. It felt like we were there for three weeks, be it the lack of sleep and the abundance of adventure, or the espresso and never ending croissant. On the morning of the Christophe Lemaire show we arrived at our destination, a large architectural building in the Republic area of Paris. We went to set up in the backstage area, pulling out adaptors for flat irons, more Oribe products than you can imagine, pins aplenty and cords running everywhere.

It seems there is an overload of food no matter where you are in France, but a continental breakfast here is more along the likes of Thanksgiving in America.  Backstage at most fashion shows there are mini muffins, bananas, bottles of water. Here they set out croissant, crepes, nutella, fresh loaves of bread, a buffet of fruit, coffee, juice, you name it. It was like heaven. But there was no time to dine, for we had a lot of work to do. Aubrey and I snuck upstairs to where the show would take place, just to see what we were working with. The view was something I never could have imagined, and will never forget.  It was more beautiful then I could have ever dreamed. The show would take place on the rooftop of the building, and you had open views of all of Paris from it. You could see the Eiffel tower, Le Sacre Coeur, Montparnasse, and the Bastille.

The hair for the show was difficult in that it took many steps to get to one finished style, but it was worth it.  An almost androgynous feel, the hair was styled to where the front for both men and women were about the same. A square shape, side part, wet look. For men, the back was very slick and down, and for the women we created long waterfall like pony tales, tied at the nape with a long peice of leather. It flowed like a fountain on the runway, pulling together the beautiful shapes of Christophe’s line with the background of Paris itself.

The show went perfectly, with the exception of American Vogue arriving late, so it was delayed for a few minutes. (But lets be honest, I would have waited all day….) When it wrapped, they popped champagne and we all cheers’d to a job well done.

As far as hair trends in Paris in general, on the streets I noticed women having very loose, flowy hair. They experimented with color a little bit but for the most part they keep it very natural. Long locks, loose waves, maybe some light highlights that look as if the sun shimmered itself into the hair.

This seemed to be their manner in general – loose, natural and flowy.  The clothes they wore were put together well as far as the shape and fit – nothing too tight or too uncomfortable. They go with loose and comfortable in a way that looks hotter than any mini-dress cleavage display I have ever seen.

The rest of the trip was amazing. I went sightseeing, and explored a lot of the different neighborhoods. I went to the Louvre, saw the Mona Lisa of course. I tried to make her smile but I guess she didn’t find me very funny. I went to the Père Lachaise Cemetery.  If you have never been I suggest checking it out. It is so large and so beautiful, which I think is how a cemetery really should be. I visited Jim Morrison, which will change your life music fan or not.

Aubrey and I spent a lot of time by the river Seine, and the Notre Dame cathedral. Its great to see everyone lounging on the banks of the Seine. There is no fence keeping you seperate from the banks, or sign that warn us ”about jumping, falling…keep away from the edge, blah blah”. They just trust that you are not stupid enough to walk over the edge, which is kind of refreshing. On the Pont des Arts bridge on the Seine there are locks on the bridge. I was very intrigued by this so I looked it up back at the Hotel.  Apparently people put locks on the links of the fence and throw the keys into the river, to symbolize their ever lasting love. They call them the “locks of love”.

The weather while we were there was perfect, sunny, little humidity. Blue skies, green grass, and cobblestone streets. I fell in love with Paris, not only the city and the architecture, but the people, the culture, their way of being. They take things at a slower pace. They eat slowly.  They eat well.  They enjoy each others company.  People in restaurants sit facing out, almost as if your at a theatre, but the show is the streets. The people. The nature. You sit literally right next to the person at the table next to you, so there is no divide. You have no choice but to make friends, or at least acknowledge their presence. You can’t just dine and dash in a hurry, because they won’t let you. It is literally impossible. (The only thing I didn’t like seeing in Paris was the American fast food chains, like McDonalds, or the ever chic KFC. It cheapened their way of life a little I feel, but I was almost glad to see that the eat and run choices over there were not very busy.)

This trip I feel like changed me in a way, and I am so thankful for it. Not just as a hairstylist, but as a person. The french just do things a little differently, which I hope now, if even in the smallest way, I will  too.