Viktor & Rolf (and Bill and Grace)

I can’t even tell you how excited I was when I received my invitation for the Viktor & Rolf défilé. Ever since Chris and I saw the exhibition on this extraordinary Dutch duo at the Barbican a couple years ago, I’ve been a huge fan. They’re visionary and wild and blend beauty and irony and fantasy in such a revolutionary fashion cocktail. I knew their show would be a spectacle.

Seeing as it was in the Jadin des Tuileries and I had a little extra time, I stopped in my favorite bookstore, Galignani, to browse the latest titles. And who did I see? Bill Cunningham! I was too shy to ask him if I could take his photo, so, at the risk of looking like a stalker, I covertly snapped him leafing through the giant photography books.

Then I was off to the show! Outside the tents is always its own form of entertainment.


Photographers, lookie-lous, wannabes. You do see some good fashion and characters and all the fabulous editors (like Kate Lanphear). But I always feel like such a loser. Just one of the plebes.


But inside, it’s a thrill. I wish I could take good enough photos, or even record clips to give a sense of the energy and excitement. But these are the kind of photos that my crummy camera and me manage to capture.



Good thing there are plenty of pros with heavy-duty lenses to get the good shots.

And at least I could hone in on Grace Coddington, Hamish Bowles and Lynn Jaeger.

The music was incredible, building up a super cool remix of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” to showcase their wild “wedding gowns”. Trop cool.



And outside, voila! Bill again!

And Grace!


They made my day and didn’t even know it.