Paris

At The Copy Collective, when we want fashion advice or retail marketing copy we turn to our resident fashionista, Athina ‘Tina’ Antarakis. This young lovely has relocated from Barcelona to Paris, just in time for the frenzy that is Paris Fashion Week. Tina tells us:

“Contrary to popular belief, life in Paris is not an endless loop of fashion shows and sunset drinks sipped within alarming proximity to a shimmering Eiffel Tower.

Oh wait. That’s right. Actually, it is, but perhaps not quite in the way that you might think.

Yes, there are the famous, high profile fashions shows- and wondrously inspiring ones at that - but since Fashion Week turned into a crazy circus, where celebrity bloggers and stylish attendees have become almost as important as the show itself, those of us who like our fashion  less frenzied tend to look to our local street or neighbourhood bistro.

The paparazzi may be nowhere in sight, but back in the real world the Paris fashion show is very much a daily occurrence. Whether the ensembles are bright and blingy, chic yet conservative, or - believe it or not, sometimes even a little dull and dowdy - totally depends on which part of town you happen to be in or the metro line you hop on that day, such is the diversity of cultures and fashion creeds here in the world’s fashion capital.

Spending time in Paris certainly reminds you that there are still plenty of people out there in our increasingly-homogenised world who are not afraid to make an effort or to express themselves a little differently. I love to be taken by surprise by someone sporting a sequinned top, sky-high heels, or bright red lipstick in the middle of the day - anything goes and why shouldn’t it? We are in Paris after all!

Surely, there are still plenty of French people dressed in their uniform of monochromes and neutrals but that can be lovely too, especially when you are close enough to notice the little details. I love to see contrast stitching on the reverse side of a coat lapel or the care with which a tie has been matched to a pair of socks.

And while some may say that Parisian women are generally rather boyish in their style of dress, all slim pants, loose-fitting tops, and flat shoes and boots, they are almost always supremely fashionable and very nicely put together indeed.

And as for that view? Well, I have been lucky enough to find one, as my current abode has a most fortuitous aspect of a certain Parisian monument. I don’t know about you, but I think that makes it almost obligatory to raise a glass or two of something bubbly of an evening, in honour of discovering that there is still plenty of opportunity to stand out in the City of Lights, it’s just a matter of finding your corner to shine in."

Now that’s what I call F for Fabulous. 

If you want to read more about the adventures of Tina in Paris, visit her here .