J'AIME PJ HARVEY!!

Oops, I did it again!! I will miss another PJ HARVEY concert!! The three May concerts that she will give here in Paris are already sold out.  What  a drag....PJ is my favorite artist and I say that with a capital, "A".  The first time I saw PJ Harvey, I was invited to the  Hollywood Palladium  to go to a Bob Dylan concert by another guy named , Garcia.  As we were waiting for the first set to appear, out jumps PJ is a silver shimmering mini skirt wearing the highest platforms ever made...singing her heart out.  'WHO the hell is that?" I asked Garcia.  I was riveted by her presence, in love with her steamy voice...I had never seen anyone like her...Then I felt bad for Bob Dylan. How in the world was he going to top PJ's set?  Well, Bob and his band came on stage and it was one of the best concerts of my life..Boy, do I miss the Hollywood venues..I could of had a piece of PJ in Paris, but I blew it...too late...Does anyone have a PJ HARVEY ticket out there??

Merritt Butrick March 17, 1989

The first time I saw Merritt, he was wearing a nightgown and had red lipstick smeared across his lips. It was 1987 and I was working on my first feature film in Hollywood , DEATH SPA.  Merritt was playing his dead twin sister in the film hence the transvestite getup.

He was in his prime as an actor in the 80's. He starred in a cult TV series, SQUARE PEGS, featuring a  young, permed out Sarah Jessica Parker.  Merritt even had a Trekkie following since he had played Captain Kirk's son in two Star Trek movies. But I did not know or care about any of that stuff. To me, he was simply one of the most fascinating and beautiful people I had ever met.

As the editing room was directly across Merritt's apartment on Hollywood Blvd,  he and I began to spend more and more time together.  Soon we were inseparable.  Merritt was my first love, my soul mate. We were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together but fate had other plans.

When he was initially turned down to star in the film SHY PEOPLE, Merritt knocked on the editing room door at night with a toothbrush in hand.  He was sad that he lost the role ( he ended up getting it when the other actor got sick). He asked me to drive up to Sacramento with him that night to visit his parents. So there we were driving up Highway 5 singing to Joni Mitchell's BLUE album till 5 am.  I miss his voice.

Merritt died of Aids on March 17, 1989.  He was 29 years old. We were both so young, so full of life.

His last performance was in a LATC play, KING FISH featuring Buck Henry. Time Magazine wrote about Merritt, ' a star in the making'.

And a star you will always be.....

Je t'aime Merritt

Night at LE BARON featuring Yaz BUKEY

Last night, Yaz Bukely gave one of her soirees at LE BARON night club.  All the usual suspects were there  till 1 am then that's when the bridge and tunnel people start trickling in...This is usually the cue to make a fast exit. Yaz did  a hot little number on a covered piano that displayed her flesh in a most sensual way . That Dita chick better watch out! The only thing that really put a hamper on my night was the  music..or lack of it.  The DJ was spinning all this soft  crap from 2003....It made me feel like I was in a  Sophia Coppola film loop...I wanted to kill the DJ.  Did not even dance once!! At one point I screamed, "Give us some AC/DC!!!!'  Much to my disdain, we kept on hearing fuzz. As I pushed my way out of the club, who did I bump into but Malcolm MacLaren!  I told him about my 1980s memories of seeing him in NYC and in LA..He told me that he spent four years being a consultant for Steven Speilberg around the EMPIRE OF THE SUN era... Malcolm MacLaren was like a god to me when I was young...Ah, yes those were the years...Sex Pistols, Bow Wow Wow...What happened to all the good music?

WHITE TRASH RIVIVAL

Ok. I did something totally insane yesterday.  I bought a pair of ultra slim stone wash jeans!!!! Back in the late 80's in Los Angeles, my friend Regina and I would make fun of the  '818' ers..... These were people who had the '818' area code aka people living in the valley. And to make matters worse, the 818ers wore their stone wash jeans with open toe Birkenstocks  paired with white sport socks!!! Just the  thought of it still makes me feel nausous. So why Stone Wash in Paris 2009??? Maybe Balmain has something to do with it...I do not know. My man calls them my' Lituania hooker jeans'. Makes me feel sexy and tacky at the same time.  Is that ok to say???

Back stage Fashion Show

I forgot to add several back stage photos of Rue du Mail.....We all such a grand time!!

Post party Rue du Mail

images......

After the defile...images

One of the best things about going to Fashion shows in Paris is being invited to the after party... A time to catch up with old friends and make new ones.....After party chez Rue du Mail by Martine Sitbon...

Martine Sitbon , Baby!!

Martine Sitbon, baby!

 Fashion Week is finally upon us here in  Paris.  I went the RUE DU MAIL fashion show last night which took place in Martine Sitbon's actual atelier...A beautiful, expansive space like a downtown loft found on 5, Rue Du Mail. It felt very relaxed as I bumped into friends all sipping champagne while waiting for the show. I loved this collection which seemed like a fusion between Martine Sitbon's earlier collections for her old label and the maturity and richness of Rue du Mail. The tones were all pretty sober...black, grey and a bit of burgundy and cream for old times sake....More rock and roll than her previous  collection. When my husband, who was sitting next to me  whispered , "you could wear this' I knew this Rue du Mail collection was a hit!!!

After watching the French Cesar Awards last night I have come to one conclusion regarding next season's motto, "Less is more"

What better icon to represent this look other than Charlotte Gainsbourg. So refreshing to see an actress not overdressed and looking au natural. Long,loose hair, bare legs, and smoldering eye makeup  while wearing a short sparkly tunic ( Balanciaga?) and a star is born.

My other all time favorite is Tilda Swinton. Not only did she get my vote for Best Actress in JULIA, but also channeling the less is more" theme with simple make up deliciously framed with her Christian Lacroix dress.  And the Cesar goes to.........

Ode to Stephen Sprouse

I lived on Bond Street NYC during the 1984-5... We were young and naive and had big hopes to be discovered like thousands of kids with big dreams. The 80's were rolling hot until AIDS came crashing in the picture. But what a neighborhood we lived in! Malcolm McLaren lived down the street with Lauren Hutton. Mary Boone lived in the apartment below us( she screamed when we made too much noise) and Robert Mapplethorpe's studio was not far. The first time I went to the AREA night club, Andy Warhol was taking polaroids in the bathroom. I found Matt Dillon's wallet on the floor and mailed it back to him cash intacted!! My friends and I cut our own hair and paid for our coffee with subway tokens when cash flow was dry. We were broke most of the time holding down odd jobs( Showroom bra model and Limelight coat girl to name a few) but life was good. It was the 80's and everyone was in a good mood. We dressed more goth than 80's shoulder padded suits buy hey, we were 20 years old. During this time an artist/ stylist Stephen Sprouse made his claim to fame with fluo bright colors while Fiorucci was the place to buy your jeans. So that is why I am a bit nostalgic when it comes to Louis Vuitton's selection of Stephen Sprouse's graffiti collection of wallets and purses. Yesterday , I bought the mini clutch of the SS collection with huge pink and orange flowers. Just what the doctor ordered to get rid of these grey skies in Paris.

Blade Runner Beauty

The other night we watched the new Blu-Ray disc of the 1980 movie masterpiece, BLADE RUNNER. As my man found the new Blu-ray technology almost orgasmic, I could not keep my eyes off the actress, Sean Young. Her perfect face is highlighted by the retro hairstyle and rockin'  burnt coral lipstick she is channeling. Sean Young plays a robot that actually has feeelings! Sound like someone I know!! There was something about Sean's 1940's hairstyle which balanced the demure yet strict suit with those huge shoulderpads. Very futuristic femme fatale. No doubt that her character influenced the new 1980 revival found amongst this season's fashion trends. Oui, I am talking to you Nicolas!

Rikke and Fabrice Paineau

Last night, I pulled myself out of my yoga clothes to drop by  Rikke Ruhwald's exposition of her latest collection of lamps and mobiles. Her work reflects her experience  in the fashion domain with the likes of Christian Lacroix, Martine Sitbon, and more recently, Sonia Rykiel.  I found her collection to be like beautiful and fragile sculptures that played with light and form. 

Done Deal!

Ok. I confess. I went back the next day to Colette's boutique to try on the Peter Pilotto dress.  As I slipped into it, I started to hesitate...It felt a wee bit too short for my frame. So I took one size bigger than I normally take since this would give me some more length on the dress.   The print is really out of this world. Chanel,who??  It was the first day of Haute Couture week so I knew if I did not snag this dress asap, they would disappear like butterflies.

Waris Cocktail chez Colette

Last night, I went to the cocktail party for Waris' latest jewelry collection at Colette Concept store in Paris. I love these kind of gatherings...not too big, surrounded by eccentric misfits, beautiful clothes, and unlimited champagne!!!. Most of my posse was there, jewelery/accessory designer Yaz Bukely and photographer Ami Sioux along with Lucien Pages who organized the event.

At Colette's, I was able to drool over the new collection of Peter Pilotto. Lots of short dresses with futuristic colorful prints. Like thousands of vitual shoppers, I saw a photo of Rosie Huntington-Whitely in a Peter Pilotto dress at the Burberry Cocktail.  British Harper's Bazaar called the Rosie the ' Next Kate Moss." True, the Pilotto dress looks  stunning on her due to her youth, beauty, and damm those legs! But , hey, why not moi?  I do have nice legs ......I start to scope the store and wonder how many Pilotto dresses are still in stock? Thank god one of the salesman is my friend's boyfriend.  I ask him about the Pilotto dress and he instructs me to stop by tomorrow. I need a dress for the Chanel 5 perfume launch party and I do not feel comfortable wearing CHANEL. Since I am not a star, they tend to loan  me dresses that make me feel like a wedding cake. Just not for me, sorry Karl. Vivre la difference!

 I  was surprised to see an invasion of Americans roaming around the cocktail.  Recession, what recession???My fav director, Wes Anderson was mingling with NYC  artist liz Goldwyn.  I wanted to introduce myself to Wes but I was too shy to actually speak with him. Especially after a couple glasses of bubbly, uh, not  recommended!! 

I will always remember going to see his, La Vie Aquatic "in a huge movie theater on the Champs d' Elysees. I spent the next two hours laughing/crying  so hard watching Bill Murray's character seize an island of hostages in flip flops!

Waris' new jewelery collection revolves around' birds in flight'. His necklaces were gorgeous but a bit trop cher for my pocket. I think I will spend my money on the new Pilotto dress. Sorry Waris. Maybe next time...