At the end of December, after Christmas, with no more gifts to give out (yay, all finished!) I like to spend time at the office, without email, without impromptu phone calls, taking stock, thinking about everything that happened this year, about the new people I met, the events I attended, the exciting projects I was able to participate in…basically, a recap! This year, once more, the year was dense, rich, luxurious, a whirlwind! Here, in no order, what I will remember from 2013!
We start with sad news, because one woman I met this year, Kate Barry, is no longer with us. The news of her death deeply saddened me, because even if I didn’t know her very well, she struck me as a wonderful person, a beautiful and generous soul. I had the great fortune of working with her on an advertising project, where Kate and the ad agency had to cast a group of young women to be shot a few days later. The project was made for her! Real people, without artifice. She spoke to all the girls very naturally, sweetly. She put them at ease in two seconds, not a given for women who are not used to being in front of the lens. At the shooting, a happy atmosphere reigned. Kate asked my assistants and I for technical advice on the video. That’s all I want to say about Kate Barry and our two days of shooting in February 2013. You can watch the little video that I made for the project here.
I also had the chance this year to meet 8 other girls who are crazy about the web, fashion, beauty and lifestyle; 8 girls who are full of ideas, who know how to make things with their ten fingers. These girls are solid gold, I’m telling you! We have decided to start a collective (there will be 9 of us including me!), called Les Particules Complémentaires (#LPC) and we will work together on certain projects, because its a lot more fun working with 9 people than alone! The members of the group: Mathilde of Shooooes, Lili of ma Récréation, Lisa of Make my lemonade, Lise of Tendances de mode, Mai of Super by Timai, Géraldine of Cafe Mode, Virginie of Veepost, Domino of What Domino wants. Follow us!
In March, I had the chance to work with Louis Vuitton. They asked me to take behind-the-scenes photos of their Autumn/Winter fashion show (images here and here), which would be Marc Jacobs’ penultimate show. Rumors of his upcoming departure were already in the air and I felt an incredible tension. Marc Jacobs seemed supercharged and the staff was on edge. Backstage (prohibited to photographers) there was an electricity like I have rarely seen. At Louis Vuitton, everything must be perfect: the models (who have an extremely early call time), the scenography (many rehearsals), but also the clothes…. For four days I wandered the ready-to-wear ateliers of the Pont Neuf, Asnières (where the bags are made), and the shoe factory in Fiesso (in Italy), and I can tell you that at Louis Vuitton, there is an extraordinary know-how. I even had the impression that the collection taking shape under my lens was haute couture! It was the first time in my life that I had such an intense encounter with fashion. And it was well worth it!
Next I spent four crazy days at the Festival de Cannes for Chopard, during which time I did not put down my camera. It was my first Festival, and what an experience. It’s one of the most media-heavy events in the world, with thousands of journalists, stars (real ones, from Hollywood!), dozens of parties, the Croisette and fans and onlookers, and the busy Hotel Martinez, and diamonds and jewels by the kilo. I even climbed the famous stairs and attended a screening with a 7-figure ruby and diamond watch! (Huge thanks to Chopard and its lovely staff). It’s not very original, but for a few days I felt like a little girl again. You can reread my post-Cannes entry here.
I realize that this post is already super long, but there are so many other memories that I want to share, like the fabulous dinner in Venise for the presentation of Chanel’s collection, “Under the sign of Leo,” or the trip to Singapore (also with Chanel) for their Cruise fashion show. So much extraordinary shooting (like these photos at Roissy with Virginie), so much laughter (like for this shoe video with Mathilde), so many lovely encounters, talented young designers with whom I crossed paths (Estelle Dévé, the Tata-Naka sisters, Anne Lise Michelson, Gareth and Megan of Zanzan), stylists, photographers, illustrators. I am lucky to have a passion (images), to be able to live my passion and to wake up every morning excited about the day to come. May 2014 be as wonderful as 2013! I wish you all good things for the coming year!
