It was as if Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel was reincarnated
through each of the models. Absolute Parisian sophistication. Uber chic would
be an understatement. Each of the models wore identical two-tone iconic Chanel
low slingback heels. I think my favorite look of the collection was the fitted
yet movable classic tweed skirt… Midcalf! Genius. I don’t even have the words
to describe everything, so let’s just take a look. You can check out the whole
live show HERE but first here is a little tease of the show…
I want. I need. I love.
The show, as usual, drew quite the celebrity crowd. My favorite
momager, Kris Jenner, was on hand to support model daughter, Kendell. Cara
Delevingne graced the runway and Anna Wintour was front and center. My favorite
style icon and a former Chanel muse, Ines de la Fressange, was in attendance
and praised the show. Take a look…
*Something you don’t know about me? Well, today it’s really
about Gracie, my daughter. Since Gracie was in the ninth grade, all that she
wanted to do was attend NYU for college. She fell in love with New York when we
were living there in 2009-2011. For ninth grade, Gracie was homeschooled and setting
her own schedule so she had plenty of time to explore New York City. I took her
everywhere with me, uptown, downtown, Brooklyn, Harlem, SoHo, the East Side,
the West Side and everything in between. For 10th grade, Gracie
attended an all-girls Catholic school literally next door to our apartment on
E. 68th St. Every day after school, Gracie and her girlfriends would
further explore the city as only teenagers could. Gracie was smitten. Riding
the subway all over New York (in their sassy school uniforms), Gracie and her
friends saw everything and were exposed to different cultures, different
ethnicities, different socioeconomic backgrounds, hipsters, gossip girls,
psychos, artists, musicians, different religions and everything in between.
Gracie embraced it all. She loved going with her girlfriends to Dylan’s Candy Shop,
California Pizza Kitchen, Serafina’s, Serendipity, Shake Shack and the Meatball
Shop. Gracie was set to spend her future in New York City. NYU was her dream
school.
At the end of Gracie’s 10th grade, I was
diagnosed with ALS. So annoying. Gracie had plans for God sakes and I just
ruined them. We were leaving New York. We needed to go home to Santa Barbara
for me and this monster called ALS. Grace was disappointed but knew that my
health was more important. So off we went to Santa Barbara but Gracie never
gave up her goal to attend NYU. Gracie homeschooled her junior and senior year
in Santa Barbara. When the time came, Gracie started her application to NYU. I
told her that she needed to apply to other schools as well “just in case.” Gracie
reluctantly applied to a couple other schools, including American University in Paris. Applications were finished and sent off. Now the waiting game. Gracie
checked the mailbox every single day. Months later, Gracie received her
acceptance letter to another college in New York. She didn’t even really care…
All she was waiting for was that letter from NYU. One afternoon a letter from
NYU showed up in the mailbox. Gracie took the letter to her bedroom and quietly
peeled it open without me knowing about it. 10 minutes later Gracie came into the
living room where I was with tears rolling down her cheeks and a look of
disappointment that I will never forget. I knew the answer.
Here we go again… I have to be supermom and “make it all
better“ like I did when I had to tell Gracie I had ALS. To be honest, as crazy
as this may seem, my ALS and Gracie not getting accepted to NYU were about
equal on the devastation scale.… To both of us. It’s funny how when mothers don’t
always have the fast answers, we seem to come up with something that works. I
just told Gracie that there was obviously a plan for her… And NYU was not it.
It broke my heart to see her so sad but I had to keep my wits about me and let her
in on one of life’s secrets… Sometimes life sucks. Not everything will go your
way and there will be disappointment, sadness and frustration. However, it’s
how you choose to deal with it that strengthens your character. I told her she
had two choices. She could either wallow in her disappointment or she could
stay positive and look at different options. She was so upset all she wanted to
do was go to her bedroom and cry for a while which she did. The very next day,
Gracie received her acceptance letter to American University of Paris. She
couldn’t help but smile. She knew that Paris was her destiny and her plans for New
York were indefinitely shelved.
Fast-forward two years later, Gracie is living in Paris in
her own apartment, has a French boyfriend who adores her, she loves her school,
loves her friends and loves her super cool job. Gracie was at my apartment last
night for a little impromptu dinner party. She was a little bit late because
her school was on a field trip to the Palais de Tokyo, a building dedicated to
modern and contemporary art. It is quite possibly the chicest spot in Paris
with its Monsieur Bleu restaurant designed by famed architect and designer
Joseph Dirand. I looked at her and said, “You still wish you were at NYU?”
Today, Gracie graced us with an unusual double visit to my apartment. I asked
her what her plans at school were for tomorrow. She told me that they were
going on another field trip to the new Lanvin exhibit in honor of Paris
fashion week. I looked at her again and asked, “You still wish you were at NYU?”
Usually my stories don’t really have any point or morals but
today they do. We don’t always know the plan, we don’t have all of the answers,
there will be highs, there will be lows, there will be challenges and there
will be rewards… All that matters is how you choose to react. Look, after I was
diagnosed with quite possibly the worst disease on earth, I chose to take the
higher ground. I could have just as easily crawled up into a ball and depressed
myself into my demise. I chose not to. I chose to be happy and I took my fate
and chose to make the best of it ( Aren't I amazing?). What the fuck else was I going to do? I like
to be happy. I think Gracie has witnessed this in me and chose to make her life
in Paris the very best she could… And she has. I am a true believer that when
one door closes, another one opens. Life is full of surprises… So just enjoy
the ride. The End.
Photos courtesy the internet... Duh.
