the-hat-garance-dore

13 years ago by

Life is strikingly ironic, I said to myself on the morning of the 5th of october.

That was the day I told you I had spent fashion week wearing flats and t-shirts because of a crazy hot Parisian indian summer. And I was not happy about it.

And at the very same moment… who was on the Sartorialist, wearing all colorful clothes, Gucci hat and Fendi heels ? Yeah.

Don’t go thinking I didn’t see the contradiction, or haven’t read your comments : “Uuuuuh, those are not flats I see you wearing on your boyfriend’s website… Or is there something I am not getting ?”

Ok, ok. So here is the true story of what happened on that Tuesday, the 4th of October.

It all started with the weather. Suddenly, we lost 10 degrees celsius. At last ! I could wear some of the things I had planned for fashion week. Aaaaaaaah !

Carried away by my joy, I chose my vintage Mugler dress that works so well with my Fendi heels that I decided to let the fairy of fashion take away my reason and that I went to Chanel wearing heels. Yeah I know. So crazy.

The outfit was nice but pretty simple, and I got stopped by a few photographers on my way to the show, nothing that would have led me to imagine what would happen later…

Because right after that, it was time to find a dress to go to Carine’s party. I jumped on my magic bike (that thing works so well with heels !) and went to the Gucci showroom, where I had an appointment to try on a few dresses.

Interlude : The Showroom. Sometimes, when you work in fashion and you have nothing to wear for a party, a brand can lend you a dress. Often it’s a lot of frustration to try to get your body (even more if you happen to like croissants) in a sample size dress (sample size = model size = less than zero) and it makes for funny moments (=tears) (I have to tell you all about that – but let’s save it for another post) well anyway, sometimes, you get lucky, and a dress magically just fits you like a glove.

Well, all right, a pretty tight glove… But two hours away from from a “long gown” party (where everybody arrives wearing short dresses except you, but this is a whole other post) you are ready to do anything to close a zipper. Even have four people help you. End of the interlude. Oh no, I almost forgot. Yes, of course, the day after, YOU GIVE EVERYTHING BACK. You Cinderella.

Once there at Gucci, not only did I find a beautiful dress, but on the huge marble fireplace of the showroom I saw, like a set of Ladurée macarons, the wonderful colored hats I’d been dreaming about since the autumn/winter show.

Of course, I immediately shouted out and had to try one. And then, bam : The colors worked so perfectly with what I was wearing that my nice outfit suddenly transformed into a… Vogue fashion spread. Not really exactly me, or maybe a Vogue version of me. But it was irresistible. I decided to borrow the hat.

Envogue-ified, I jumped on my bike, totally unaware that I was riding straight into my fashion icon destiny.

It’s when I got to the Tuileries that I started to feel something was happening. People were staring at me on the street. I was hearing clicks from cameras each time I made a step. People started asking to take my picture. People wanted to have their picture taken with me. Weird. It happened once, twice, three times…

15 minutes later, I had been able to walk like… 20 meters.

I felt strange, neither myself nor another, as if by some spell I was given celebrity or the science of style… Or simply, a hat.

It really was quite funny. But at the same time I wanted to run away from it. And at the same time I felt proud. But at the same time I wanted to tell the photographers : “Seriously ? It’s me!!! Don’t worry I am not going anywhere !!!”

Totally schizophrenic. Oh, and talking about identity crisis, just listen :

A photographer that had just stopped me asked me to hide my camera :
“It’s not really working that way : you look like a blogger !”
It made me laugh so hard. I told him I was a blogger. And I was keeping my camera.

Another one came to ask me who I was. I told him my name, and he told me :
“Yeah, all right. But are you famous ?”

Another came to me to ask me for an autograph. When he understood I was french, he seemed a little bit disappointed.

At some point I ran into Alexandra Golovanoff, who is a celebrity and is used to all that. We started chatting, and when I raised my eyes (you don’t see a lot with those big hats !) I realized we were surrounded by photographers and cameras. Suddenly it was too much.

I don’t know how I did it, but I ran away.
And while escaping, I took off my hat.
And there, in one second, all my envoguement disappeared.

Suddenly, my life went back to normal.

And this is what I was telling Elisa, sitting on a bench at the Tuileries, a few hours after the Valentino show. I don’t know why, but it really made her laugh.


Photo by Scott Schuman

PS : If you want this sort of thing to happen to you (it makes for funny story to tell) remember my post from a few months ago… Already I had told you a hat was making heads turn…

101 comments

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  • J´adore, absolument!
    Amitiés depuis l´Argentine
    Elisa

  • nice illustration, love this color:) amazing dress

    http://shu84.blogspot.com/

  • Chapeau bas pour ce post très agréable Garance !
    http://www.pose-mag.fr

  • Awesome story. You always manage to keep me entertained!

  • Oh et en plus vous êtes assorties ! excellent !
    bien bien bien, je vais guetter les schapeaux alors.
    mais les cheveux détachés ET le chapeau ça va ? vraiment ? Je vais devoir me faire un chignon ?

  • :-) et les chaussure d’elisa… c’est de chez quel(le) créateur/trice stp? merci!

  • Voilà une jolie explication Garance !
    Ps: c’est toujours un bonheur quand ton amoureux te prend en photo (cf: la photo sur ton velo avec sa chemise où tu es juste sublime)
    http://www.adeletanguy.com

  • Ahaha un magnifique racont! Ton chapeau etait vraiment parfait!
    J’etais morte de rire quand j’ai lu le commentaire avec l’appareil photo – vous ressemblez a une BLOGGEUSE :)) Et quoi? C’est bien ca, non?

    http://fashionthroughtravel.blogspot.com/

  • As soon as I saw that picture on The Sartorialist I thought wow, what a class Garance!

    And yeah, that color combination is so sublime that would make any kind of art-lover eye stare at you for hours (and photograph you. And illustrate you) but I think that what made you so voguelicious for the photographers is also your attitude.
    That elegant way of sitting, and I bet of walking (I saw you in front of Sonia Rykiel but you were just standing so I don’t know… OK, yes you have also an elegant way of standing), your smile that is always so bright and intelligent, your way of making so fashionable those very simple clothes … That is what made people stop I think. The hat was just the perfect frame and caught the attention more than usual, but they photographed was all that.

    And oh, your illustration is just perfect and shows all that. Is it your first self-portrait?

    kiss

    Al

    -The Red Dot-

  • Ce n’est pas dans notre genre de faire des compliments comme ça, mais alors là, vous êtes tout simplement belle, et les talons vont si bien avec le chapeau !
    Au quotidien, malheureusement, un chapeau n’est pas pratique et pourtant si féminin

  • Magnifique cette photo!
    Je l’ai vu pour la première fois sur la page facebook de Pierre Hardy! J’ai fais: quoi! Garance en Pierre Hardy? mais non c’était ta voisine.
    Merci pour l’histoire de cette photo, tu es magnifique.

  • Great story and, yes, wearing a hat does seem to make heads turn. I love to wear hats but I often don’t just because it seems like everyone stares!

    The Styleseer
    http://styleseer.blogspot.com

  • Elle est génial ton histoire Gawance !!!
    ta tenue est superbe et le dessin…enfin le dessin quoi!
    La question c’est…tu n’a pas envie de garder le chapeau, juste pour sortir dans la rue , pour l’égo parfois, les jour ou ça ne va pas ?
    Des bises
    La Xaru

  • Cette robe est vraiment très belle, la couleur est si intense.
    Quand j’ai vu la photo sur le site du Sartorialist, je me suis dit La Garance elle est au top pendant cette fashion week parisienne.

    http://hikiblogmode.blogspot.com/

  • Hihihi, on dirait un conte de fées.
    Mais en version plus drole of course!!

  • Must say I am somewhat … relieved.! I thought we had lost you to the Division of the Intergalactically Fabulous for real now.

  • Magnifique ce chapeau!! o__O
    Je suis une grande fan de couvres chef – d’où vient celui-ci??

  • Firstly i adored this pic – it is amazing and this outfit was one of my faves of fashion week – and i did wear a hat to fashion week – a large orange one and you are right it got picc’d – fab post – made me smile – here’s to a statement hat x

    http://fashionandfrank.blogspot.com/

  • Tellement … juste sublime!
    oh, Gawance !

    …un délice de te lire… à chaque fois…

  • I think that’s why I NEVER wear a hat… and at the same time – the photo is so mesmerizing, you 2 look so gorgeous… it makes me want to start wearing hats. So maybe…
    And btw, did anyone ask you if you were famous when you forgot to put your trousers on? (Ah, I still love that story!) xo

  • Hilarious post! Speaking of which, we’re still waiting to see what you wore at Carine’s ball…

    Elisa
    thebod.clothing
    http://stores.ebay.co.uk/thebod-clothing

  • génial, cette histoire… C’est vrai que le chapeau fait bcp ds le look (qsui est SU-PERBE j’etais sciée en decouvrant cette photo); quant aux chaussures, je m’interrogeais et elles sont juste grandioses.
    http://destylesenaiguilles.wordpress.com

  • Oui bon alors moi j’ai une question, justement, à propos de l’appareil photo, ça tombe bien! Parce que j’aime bien prendre des photos, mais je me pose une question: mais COMMENT on fait pour être élégante en se trimbalant tout le temps un appareil photo? On doit vraiment se le fader l’étui/bandoulière énorme, au risque d’abîmer l’appareil?!
    Non parce que niveau it-bag, on a vu mieux…

    Très belle tenue par ailleurs! ma grand-mère dit toujours qu’un chapeau ça donne de l’allure. On en porte plus beaucoup c’est pour ça qu’on est plus habitués!

  • Those colors are stunning on you. And I absolutely loved this story.

    xoxo
    http://www.thewrittenrunway.com

  • gosh you make me smile garance

  • Très belle histoire. Un délice à lire pour avoir l’esprit emporté comme un chapeau au vent…

    http://www.bijoux001212.com

  • Too funny…but I really like your hat too!

  • …I love hats but they do not fit me so much…I like to look at them in photos or in pictures…like yours..amazing

    Kisses

    Silvia
    http://bornineightytwo.com

  • I always love seeing your illustrations!

  • Hahahaha !!! En tout cas t’a tenue était très réussie ! J’ai hâte de voir la robe Gucci !

    http://0ohypnotizedo0.blogspot.com/

  • An illustration, at last! Lovely!

    Borrowed or not, the hat is amazing with this outfit.

    Kisses from Greece!

    P.S. You are indeed a cute little cheater with those -wow!- Fendi heels ;-)

  • rarement vu une femme qui avait un look tellement splendide, chic et du meme coup très layed back. love it!

  • Bravo pour le choix des chaussures : la collection actuelle de Fendi est très réussie et le patchwork de matières & couleurs apporte vraiment un plus au design assez intemporel.
    Bref, le vrai luxe !

  • Beautiful illustration and an entertaining account!

    http://cestlavieophelia.blogspot.com/

  • How nice !

    I do not work for the fashion, but once thanks to a friend, I got an invitation for the Victor and Rolf show. Knowing that I would die of shame if I went with my very simple pair of jeans / white T shirt ( I am not E. Alt ) as the Tuileries would be crowded with fashion editors, I decided to wear what I like and cannot wear for my work.

    As a result, I experienced the “photo call” of blogger. It was very funny.

    Cherry on the cake, Tomy Ton published a picture of me on style.com.

    J’étais moins heureuse le jour où j’ai eu mon bac ! En tous les cas c’était drôle!

    Bien des bisettes,

    http://bowbow.tumblr.com

  • Oh j’ai oublié, j’adore cette photo, elle me rappelle Paris et mes amis.

    Seulement, on se coordonne moins bien niveau tenue, mais je suis bien certaine que ce n’est qu’une question d’expérience.

    Merci pour le blog!

  • Hier, je me disais, vivement que Garance rentre à Nyc. Une fois chez elle, elle aura de nouveau le temps de nous faire une illustration … A l’instant, …badaboum! j’ouvre ta page et en voici une. J’adore ton illust’ !

  • you are a total darling in that hat!

  • Le chic à la française? Le chapeau est très chouette (l’illustration aussi)!

  • aaaaah, ça fait tellement du bien de voir une photo de toi, pour une fois !!! le chapeau te va à merveille, ça donne vraiment de l’élégance à ta silhouette !!!

    http://100pour100soie.blogspot.com/

  • Ahaha j’ai bien ri :)
    C’est vrai que ton chapeau donne un air très chic !

  • That hat IS to die for you know. Your outfit in Scott’s picture makes me swoon!

    <3T

  • i love hearing about your many cool outings and looks. so jealous you were at carine’s party!
    xx, http://wordbyjessie.com/

  • Haha..you truly followed your own “How to…Be Assaulted…” advice 5 out of 7 not bad :)….But then you went and ruined it with the French haha…You look fab, love the purples, the legs and the smile. x

  • I love this post: the story behind the story. And the hats! You’ve gotten me to wear hats! Yesterday, it was quite warm in Boston and I put on my straw fedora. And, yep, people were snapping my photo right and left — but only because I was with a lot of other people marching in Occupy Boston!

  • I love your sense of humour! And your style of course… You look fabulous
    xx

  • Un simple Stetson noir peut suffire à sauver. Celui-là est un chapeau magique de conte de Grimm. Mais grâce au petit mien, j’ai rattrapé le fait d’avoir tout salopé une robe de soirée (avec de la glace au caramel). Une veste et chapeautée et j’avais l’air sophistiquée.

  • Tout le monde aura son quart d’heures de gloire , Warhol (je me doute bien que tu le sais mais bon je cite presque toujours mes sources ) bisou et merci je sais enfin d’où viennent ta robe te ton chapeau :) je les veux lol

  • Garance, you are both perfect on this photo. These fantastic colors!

    Now when we know what you are wearing on this photo, can you tell what are the bracelets, which Elisa has? I am in love with them. They are SO… green and pretty! Want to get one for myself.

  • Olá! Hello!
    I`m Brazilian designer and I saw your purple hat exactly in thesartorialist (a one week ago)!!
    Congratulations for your job, draws and style!! I really wish good lucky to you!!

  • Ta tenue était juste magnifique, Garance, la Rock Star de la FW. haha !

  • Un ironisme ou une ironie ?

  • Je me demandais bien ce qui pouvait vous faire autant rire quand j’ai vu la photo sur The Sartorialist.
    Le chapeau d’accord, mais cette robe est quand même magnifique

  • The hat is fabulous of course (even more so now that I know the backstory) but when I first saw the picture it was the Fendi shoes that really captured my heart. Looking at it now, and knowing that they are yours and the hat is borrowed, I am even more sure that they are the perfect fall shoe.

  • your stories are always so amusing, and it’s true that I always find a hat gives you a certain allure. Its the perfect accessory to add to an “almost there” outfit

    http://lavie-amonavis.blogspot.com

  • Drôle d’histoire!

    http://gabylang.blogspot.com (Canadian Style)

  • Great story. Cinderella! :)

  • Très belle illustration ! :)

  • Quelle belle tranche de vie en cette photo !!! :)

    Olga
    http://ladyandolga.blogspot.com/

  • J’adore tes chaussures!! Et quelle audace pour ce chapeau!!! Très contente aussi de retrouver tes dessins! J’ai hate de voir tes autres post sur ton aparté!!!

    http://misslittlecm.blogspot.com/

  • ne serait ce pas le chapeau de Florence + the Machine dans What the water gave me? en tout cas magnifique!

  • Garance!!
    You always manage to put a smile on my face!!
    What a lovely photo of you and you friend.
    But really? Disappointed because you are French? :)
    Your photo is one of the best ones I have seen during
    all fashion weeks!!

    Bisous

  • I saw this photo on your Prince Charming’s site and it was my favorite! Your smile and laugh (with the amazing hat) really make it priceless. Your friend’s hair is gorgeous too! Thank you for being yourself and making me laugh hysterically. This is why you are wonderful!

  • tu es la meilleure !
    -Bastia-

  • Absolument parfait … Comme à l’habitude!

  • Tu es la meilleure pour nous mettre dans la confidence !on a l’impression d’être ta meilleure amie :) merci.

  • je me suis bcp amusée avec cette histoire
    je portarais un chapeau sans doute et te racconterais
    jaja ce

  • Garance tu viens de nous livrer un conte des fées pour adulte, et porquoi pas pour
    des enfants?J’ai adoré ton histoire, que comme toujours est si bien écrite,que nous
    transporte dans ton cénario.C’est comme j’étais là avec ce chapeau Gucci et tout le
    reste transformée en quelq’un d’autre en sachant que le lendemain je devrai tout
    rendre et redevenir moi même….BRAVO!Tu merites le “Oscar” des blogs!!!

  • I have noticed the same thing with hats. If I wear a hat and walk into a room, all heads will turn. At NY fashion week, I was standing with all of the photographers outside of Lincoln Center with nobody paying any attention to me. The next day, I wore a pink hat, and people starting taking my picture. It is a very funny phenomenon.

    – Meredith
    http://www.findingsoulbalance.blogspot.com

  • Garance, merci pour ton blog génial et ta vraie joie de vivre…être Envoguisée c’est la description parfaite pour le chic parisien!

  • Salut Garance! En passant sur ce site l’autre jour http://c00kies-est-une-cuillere-a-absinthe.blogspot.com/ j’ai remarqué une photo de toi avec scott en “amoureux de la rue”. La photo est Über stylée!

  • I think this was the look of the week. Do you know why? You are so natural and so not trying to be “seen”. Oh yes, you are a stunning woman, that is a fact … but you always stand out because you are smiling and being yourself. It is so utterly and completely refreshing! Amazing combo and the story of how it came about is one of those amazing “moments” when the planets collide. Thank you for making fashion week/s Garance!

  • I love this post Garance! One of my favorite moments that I indulge in from time to time is when I go shopping, end up putting my old clothes in my purchase bag and walking out of the shop wearing a wicked new outfit I pulled together from the rack (sometimes, from head to toe). I always get more attention when I do this. Honestly, I think it’s 1/2 fashion and 1/2 attitude. You know? Nothing like it! You feel like a million bucks! I can see this happened with your Gucci hat….it was love at first sight for your vintage Mugler dress. You just can’t fight these things. Simple as that. The universe wanted you to be a star on Oct. 4th. Mucho Love xo

  • I think your legs may have had something (a lot) to do with it, you both look fantastic.

  • I saw this picture a few days ago on The Sartorialist blog. I loved what you were wearing! I want those shoes asap! So casual, yet so unique in their classic mary-jane way!!!

  • funny story, the hat does look very glamourous ! Loved that photo when I saw it on the Sartorialist

    http://www.tripsandtreasures.blogspot.com
    fashion & lifestyle in Belgium

  • Nice,Thanks for posting.

  • :) Gucci hat make miracle!
    bacioni da Firenze

  • Cet article je l’ai A-DO-RE, je le relirais encore et encore, comme le blog tout entier d’ailleurs! Tiens ça donne envie de se faire prendre en photo…

  • The key to wearing a hat well is to not be self conscious about it, great pic and story.

  • Super, j’adore. Merci.
    Et la tenue plat-T shirt blanc? J’aime beaucoup aussi la Gawrance corse!!!
    Et une chignon-lesson? Si si per favore!!!
    Ciao

  • thank you, your honest story made me smile, and i think you have just given me the confidence to go out and purchase a hat!!

  • excellent!!! j’adore cette photo, tu devrais t’envoguiser tous les jours moi je dis, ce look te va juste à la perfection! J’imagine que ça doit être un peu surréel de se retrouver dans cette situation mais que veux tu, je pense que c’est plus ou moins ton destin ma belle :)

  • Sans vouloir dire mais quand même, dans le post “où est charlie?” (défilé Acne), tu portes des talons et des jambes nues … On sait qui tu es Garance … mais ça nous plait comme ça! :)

  • I have been obsessed with that photo and HAT since the day it was posted. Thank you for sharing the moments leading up!

  • The hat is good – when you got it flaunt it!

  • Oh Garance you’re such an inspiration to me!

    I started writing a blog about what I go through in my job as a tour manager.
    Please take a look:

    http://backstagelife.blogspot.com/

  • Folle histoire, je dirai même histoire clostro!! Le chapeau c’est magique, encore ce soir j’avais ma capeline et un homme, dans une ruelle, a arrêté sa voiture pour me dire ‘nice hat!’.

  • magical hat, magical story!

  • It’s awesome to get the story behind the picture!! In fact, when I saw that picture, I thought to myself… what are they talking about that’s so funny? =D

  • J’avais jamais fait attention mais maintenant que vous le dites ! J’ai toujours l’impression d’être dévisagée quand je porte un chapeau (je les collectionne) mais quand je me balade tête nue plus rien, je suis persona non grata ! Je suis persona non grata avec un chapeau aussi cela-dit…mais qu’on regarde ^^

  • J’adore les chapeaux! Malheureusement je n’en ai aucun. Bisous du Canada!

  • Oui j’étais là! Et j’ai même assisté aux deux tenues et à deux “Garance”. Garance chemise en jean et derby’s argent: Je t’ai demandé un petit mot, que tu as volontier écrit pour une amie. On a bavardé aprés Chloé, très simplement et tu étais très à l’aise. Personne autour de toi, tu faisais ton job. Cool et proche!
    Le lendemain, Garance chapeau Gucci et talons hauts: Nuée de paparazzi, flashs et photographes partout,que tu as fuie en disant je cite: “je me sens oppressé là”. Tu as réussi à t’échapper vers The Sartorialist en passant à côté de moi. Spectateur de la scène, je t’ai souri, mon appareil rangé, tu m’as regardé, et j’ai reconnu sur ton visage cette simplicité, qui te rend si proche de tes lecteurs et qui fait ton charme. Tu ne t’es pas reconnu dans cette situation, et c’était beau cette fragilité, cette timidité. Reste la même, chemise en jean c’est bien!

    P.S: C’était mademoiselle Agnes avec toi je crois…non?

  • Garance, jeviens de découvrir un nouvel accessoire pour attirer une meute de photographes…
    LE CHIEN!!!!!
    L’ultime accessoire qui attire les photos comme le rose attire Paris Hilton!

  • hilarious hihi. a magical hat eh!

    dina
    http://www.lifeofphi.wordpress.com

  • Thanks for this post. Now I am thinking about how wearing a hat does provide the subtlest sense of mystery. Who is she? Why is she wearing a hat? How can I get to know her better?

    Kathleen

  • It’s an amazing piece of writing in support of all the web people; they will obtain advantage from it I am sure.

  • Fabulous, what a webpage it is! This webpage provides useful information to
    us, keep it up.

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