Palais Royal Gardens

11/29/2017 By Sarah Leave a Comment

To me, there’s no place more romantic than where Parisian architecture and gardens meet. And Palais Royal is the coziest and quaintest of them all. In the middle of the city, almost hidden to those who might not know about it, lies the courtyard inside the Palais Royal. Columns frame in a “secret” garden, with little cafes and restaurants all along the perimeter. Rows of trees, one of Paris’s signature features, take you from one end to the other, with a fountain and small garden between.

Each time I return to Jardins du Palais-Royal, it’s just as beautiful as I remember. It feels special to me, knowing that there are few places on earth where a beautiful palace garden has been transformed into a public park where you can visit for free whenever you feel like reading a book in the sunshine, amidst the beauty. I think that’s what strikes me the most about Paris. The history and the architecture intrigues and inspires me. I am in love with the elegance and charm that was put into every corner of this city, and it’s a love that started small and grew over my multiple trips there. You have to really delve deep into the details of Paris to find its magic, because it’s not like what the movies depict. Once you see Paris for what she really is, you will love her like no other.

Read more to see all the photos from this day, and get the outfit details at the end of the post!

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Return to Paris + Fashion Week VLOG

11/26/2017 By Sarah Leave a Comment

It’s finally here! From Paris life to Fashion Week, follow along as we cover the full experience!

So it took about a month for me to go through ALL our footage from our recent Paris trip, color grade it by hand with my own grading, and cut it together. Not to mention, picking the music was very time consuming, as I wanted it to reflect the music we discovered and listened to on the trip! That really brings the memories to life for me! (You can follow the playlist from the video here!)

Normally when going on trips and creating content, I have a workflow I always stick to regarding shooting video (and photos as well)! We usually create content “by outfit”, and I always plan to make multiple videos from all the crazy amounts of footage per day/per outfit. But as you may have noticed, my last month-long Paris trip gave us SOOOO much content that I haven’t even had the time to go through it all, or color grade/cut together more than a few videos. And this is 6 months later! There’s still so much content left from that trip (which I’m editing up next!), that I didn’t want my new Paris memories to sit on a hard drive and go unseen.

Shooting video is actually more fulfilling to me than doing photos, as the scene really gets to come to life and I feel able to express more through moving picture. I’ve never felt like a photo model, and feel my real features and personality come through better in movement. I’m a creative director above all things, so having hands on with something more in-depth such as the process of directing video, and spending countless hours on the color/tones, really stimulates my creativity. I get to share something more personal, more real, and more beautiful.

When I got back from Paris this time, I felt like I wanted to be even MORE personal, and decided to attempt editing this recap more in a VLOG style. Well, I didn’t plan on that at all when filming, so I had no DSLR content of us BTS or talking. Everything we normally shoot is professional high quality content, whether for personal creative projects or client work. Luckily, I save all my Instagram Stories, like the memory hoarder I am, so I decided ‘why not include them?’ to give you a little taste of the Real Life side of our travels and work.

To go from shooting strictly fashion and lifestyle films to more of a VLOG was never on my mind before now, but I realized lately I really want to give a rounder view on who I am, and what we do. Not to mention, the Paris experience is REALLY hard to sum up in just fashion videos!

So, let me know your thoughts on getting a little more personal with us on our trip! Because I’m taking your tips for our next video/Vlog!

Paris Fashion Week SS18

11/12/2017 By Sarah 3 Comments

Take a peek behind the scenes of another day at Paris Fashion Week SS18! First thing in the morning we headed to our new hotel in Bonne Nouvelle, which was probably the coziest area and neighborhood. The hotel was so quiet and peaceful, which is an amazing change from the extremely busy corner our other flat was on where you could hear the traffic all day. We settled in to La Bonne Nouvelle hotel, and I styled up my first outfit for the day. It was Sunday, so most the bakeries and restaurants were closed. But that didn’t stop us from tracking down the nearest Boulangerie and a cute corner to shoot on.

Down a few blocks we came upon a squealing crowd surrounding Jaden Smith, Will Smith’s son. We didn’t stick around to find out what was going on, but it was a funny moment! Continuing down the road we entered what was probably the most quaint street, still buzzing for a Sunday with bakeries and restaurants open. There we picked up two fresh baguettes and found a cobblestone alleyway to shoot a special look for Enjoué Collective.

After heading back to our hotel, I made an outfit change to what was probably the most popular look at PFW- my plaid check blazer, which I styled over a silk nightgown I wore as a dress. Sock boots were a must, being so comfy and easy to wear, and I topped it off with a camel beret I picked up last time I was in Paris. Belting the jacket made it feel more fitted and less boxy, which I preferred for this look.

We happened to be in walking distance from the Anne Sophie Madsen show, so we headed there straight away, stopping for some quick photos at Sezane and along the way. Arriving to the Tranoi venue was exciting as always. Crowds wait in lines outside, hoping to get in. The banners across the large pillars sway in the wind and lights for the runway show ignite as the sky darkens. We arrived just in time and skipped the line thanks to VIP invites, and quickly snapped some photos out front before finding our seats.

Josh found his way to the top of the Press Stand with probably 50 other photographers and videographers. The rows got filled to the brim with all the people in standing room, and made for an excitement in the air as we all waited for the show to start.

The colors of the Anne Sophie Madsen SS18 collection was a color palette of soft neutrals from whites, greys, beige, black and metallics, tickled with feather detailing and sheer blouses and dresses. It was the first year for menswear to appear during Women’s Fashion Week, so Madsen touched on it by presenting an Androgynous collection that made you see these looks in a different light. They seemed to be a futuristic spin on classic silhouettes and fabrics, that remind of Coco Chanel and the Euro Mod styles of jumpsuits and biker goggles. I enjoyed the use of the ASM logo on shoe ribbons and knitwear.

After the show I got snagged for another interview, and met up with a friend behind the brand, El Vaquero Italy before heading out to find dinner on a late Sunday night.

Read More to see photos from the day and the show, and get the outfit details at the bottom of the post!

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Paris with Brandy Melville

10/25/2017 By Sarah 1 Comment

So I know I just got back from Paris (again) and have all new content, but there is still so much content from our last trip there, which I’ll be releasing as well! Somehow this post got saved as a draft and never released, so here it finally is!

On this day I met up with Brandy Melville photographer, Cammy Grace, for a day exploring all that is Paris and capturing it in photos and film. We had too much fun laughing at the ridiculous cold and wind, and the tourists photobombing or straight up asking for photos with me! Though it was actually quite frigid and gloomy, we managed to work together to create this pretty little campaign, and such good memories!

I styled the Brandy Melville looks with Cammy’s Vintage Levi’s, my little Bebe dome purse, and some other personal items that, I think, added that touch of je ne sais quoi. I couldn’t resist styling a beret with the striped top- one of my favorite looks.

From Luxembourg Palace, Le Marais, and the Eiffel Tower, to the Louvre, Inception Bridge, and Arc de Triomphe. We made pit stops at for cafes and croissants at Paul and Tuileries, too. We wrapped the day with fresh pizza and pasta with the crew at one of my fav restaurants in the city- Vapiano on Champs Elysées, a Euro-chic chain for pastas, pizzas & more, ordered cafeteria-style in modern environs with a bar. The one on Champs is 3 stories with all the cozy corners to curl up next to indoor trees and herbs, and down buzz away from city noise. We went twice in one trip because it was just that good… oh man, the vibes!

If you haven’t seen our Brandy Melville video, be sure to check it out for more of the adventures from this day!

Read More to see all the photos captured by Cammy Grace (aka Trousseaux)!

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PFW : Rahul Mishra + Louvre

10/23/2017 By Sarah 2 Comments

I’m so excited to share a day from our Paris Fashion Week SS18 adventure! First thing in the morning we went off to Palais Royal, one of my top favorite spots to visit on a sunny Paris day, and shot something special (which I’ll be sharing soon)! We walked from there to the Louvre, because this trip we were determined to do more walking and less Ubering, just to save some of our budget for more fun things, and because you can just see so much more when on foot.

So after arriving at the Louvre gardens, I got changed into my PFW look for the Rahul Mishra show. Which is a funny story… I’m usually determined to not have to go inside places and use restrooms to change, as I always feel guilty like I then have to buy something. Plus I’m always in a hurry and Paris is too chaotic for that, so somehow I always manage to change clothes outside in some odd spot avoiding the public. In the gardens of the Louvre, there are those rows of hedges you probably know… well I discovered a secret passageway inside these hedges… actually it’s just to access the watering system, ha. But I literally climbed inside the bushes and changed from a maxi dress to this outfit, completely topless at one point, just around the hedge corner from a young French couple making out intensely. Only in Paris… Well as I emerge from the crevice of the bushes pulling my shirt down, a tourist comes out of nowhere to ask Josh, who was nonchalantly standing guard, if he could take their photo. The timing couldn’t have been better! My first inclination was to try and innocently explain that I was just changing my clothes in there! You know, cause that’s a normal thing to do in a public tourist location… HAHA.

WELL, anyway…!
I managed to glam myself up a little considering it was a quick change in a bush, and we strolled over to Paul for a late lunch, one of my top favorite cafes to visit whenever in Paris. I got my favorite Mixte Baguette Sandwich, which is like a club I think…? And we sat under a tree at the wooden bistro tables and stared right at the Louvre while the golden sunlight made the scene look straight out of a movie. Tourists passed by in crowds, a little girl and her dad played with a flying wind up bird for endless giggles, and a little old lady straight out of Mary Poppins called a flock of pigeons to her out of nowhere. I was pretty much asking myself if this was real life!

After eating literally the best sandwich ever (except every sandwich from Paris is the best ever), we shot some content in front of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, managing to collect some sort of audience for part of our little photoshoot. Not sure what they thought was happening, but they were really invested in watching with big smiles while I tried to focus on looking natural for photos. Afterwards, we made our escape and caught an Uber to Palais de Tokyo for the Rahul Mishra show.

I was pleasantly surprised by his SS18 collection, inspired by the science of light creating color, like a prism. The collection felt so much like summer to me. Fleeting colors collided in prism-like prints and patterns. Resort fabrics bounced in ruffles, and striped blazers reminded me of candy colored barber string quartets… Lol, OR the Riviera. As a whole it was a look I found myself intrigued by and attracted to!

After the show I got snagged again for an interview (this also happened obefore the show when snapping some photos out front with Josh & the paparazzi). I find it hilarious that somehow I always get singled out for interviews about the show or what I’m wearing. And surprisingly, I’m super camera shy and hate talking on video! I’m not an eloquent speaker at all compared to my writing, so I’ve really been accepting these surprise situations and trying to work on not freaking out. I finally realized I should start taking mental notes on my thoughts on the collection during the show, so I’m a little more prepared than saying things like “I would totally wear the naked dress… you know, the one with the feathers and embroidery” LOL.

After the show we took the metro home to our new favorite neighborhood Bonne Nouvelle! We immediately climbed out of the metro and walked into the Restaurant just steps away for dinner. I picked it because the vibes felt nice, it was one of those iconic Parisian cafes, and we like sitting outside at the cafe tables instead of inside. I forget what it was called, but honestly it was the only time I’ve had such bad service in Paris! There were only two waiters and I’m convinced they must have been doing all the cooking too, because they were running around very distraught and hardly paying attention to what they were doing. Literally, the guy put our receipt down without even looking, missed the table and let it fall to the floor, and kept walking! But the food was delicious nonetheless, and I got to hear one of my favorite songs “Sunset Lover” by Petit Biscuit playing in the restaurant. (Which is rare, because most cafes and restaurants don’t play music so everyone can talk.)

After dinner we limped home (well, only I limped because these shoes were definitely not broken in yet and we did SO much walking). I think I’ve absolutely fallen in love with walking everywhere, though. Last PFW we Ubered everywhere because of timing and cold temps, and we would always see cool things but never get to actually check them out. Even when we planned to come back to them, it was just not possible to do it all when you just kind of keep tumbling forward in this city. So this time we definitely did it right, and took Paris on a whim every moment, discovering new streets and corners and really getting to experience it the way I think one should. After knowing the lay of the city from our previous month living there, we knew exactly where and what we wanted to do, what to expect with travel time, what to eat, etc, and to always bring a jacket! This was also our first time really tackling the Metro and I’m proud to say we mastered it and used the metro, RER, and busses to get around for most our daily trips around the city (and to Versailles).

So that wraps up this blog post! I been wanting to share so much from our trip and it’s been a little crazy with the current projects we are working on. And this specific batch of photos sort of tortured me, as it took 2 days of editing, only to find out my Photoshop had some sort of renaming glitch that overwrote all my edited photos with the unedited ones… Sooo I had to redo them alllll in one day because I wanted to hurry up and get this post up for you guys! And my wrist is about to crumble and my hand fall off. But it was worth it, so I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned and please subscribe because we have so much more to share with you from this trip, and more! LOVE YOU!

Read More for all the photos from this day, and get my outfit details at the bottom of the post!

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