Someone recently asked me what’s bringing me joy these days. My first impulse was to respond, “Oh fuck off.” I typically hate those questions. But as I walked away, the question sat on me like an unrelenting sumo competitor. A lot of things are bringing me joy these days, to be quite honest. The beautiful, late-summer weather in New York (with the exception of a few inconvenient downpours!), and the gorgeous early evening light. The energy of the city coming back to life as everyone returns from vacations, reuniting with friends, seeing more of my [ever-expanding] family…and even something as simple as a croissant from Poilâne here in Paris, where I’ve been the last few days. It comes, of course, with the barely-subconscious reminder that the very idea of a croissant in Paris a year ago was impossible. It’s pretty humbling and remarkable, and if that’s not something to be joyful about, then what the hell am I even doing with myself?
1.
This is going to be a pretty fashion-focused FGM, but is that really a terrible thing? Non, says I. I’m in Paris right now, partly for fashion, partly for many other things. But these are the collections I’ve loved so far: Marine Serre’s crafty telling of a manor-like community, Thebe Magugu’s family portraiture, expertly translated into meaningful and gorgeous patterns, Koché’s big, sequined F-you to dullsville sweatpants, Patou’s preppy and streamlined take on tres French motifs, Dries Van Noten’s riotous festival of colors, and Courreges’ retro-futurism. That’s it. For now.
2.
This fall marks the 10-year anniversary of Kallmeyer, an NYC-based brand that’s become a genuine favorite of mine. Daniella Kallmeyer opened her shop on Orchard Street sometime last year (before that, she had been hosting pop-ups in the area), and since then, the neighborhood’s become dense with offerings from other great indie designers, including Sandy Liang (who’s also effortlessly winning me over with each collection). I live closeby and pop into Kallmeyer whenever I can to say hi to D, play with her dog, and touch all the new pieces. Like, I seriously manhandle them, most especially her recent Spring/Summer 2022 preview. This is a designer who’s far from new (NOTE THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY), but I’d say she’s only recently starting to get the attention she deserves, and that’s fabulous to see because each collection is only getting better and better. (Kallmeyer, 83 Orchard Street.)
3.
Speaking of things getting better with time…vintage! The payoff is well worth it, but vintage shopping usually requires patience and dedication, a sharp eye, and serious design savvy. And loads of hand sanitizer if you’re doing it in person. Gem is an online search engine, which sources vintage inventories from major sites like Ebay, Etsy, TheRealReal, as well as a bunch of smaller independent shops (with several filter options for refining your search) has made the whole seek-and-destroy-your-budget strategy a breeze. I’ll see all you other vintage hounds down the rabbit hole.
4.
Not exactly vintage, but a different means of looking at fashion through the decades: Cathy Horyn’s recent, somewhat personal examination of American fashion through the span of her career, and the question: where do we go from here? Who is American fashion even for, and who gets to define it? I read this article a month ago before Fashion Week had even started in New York, and I found myself reading it again—with an even deeper understanding of what she was searching for—as Fashion month comes to a close here in Paris. Needless to say, many more questions, not enough answers.
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And a bit of randomness, but that’s what this is all about. For all the wanderlusters out there, and to anyone else who’s curious to know what city in the world is furthest from the one you’re currently in, here you go.