Emma J ShipleyHere at Emma J Shipley we’ve had a week to recover from the madness of Paris Fashion Week and settle back into life without squeezing on the Metro and eating pastries for breakfast. Our five days in Paris saw us set up base camp in the huge Première Classe showroom (amongst hundreds of other talented designers) located in the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries. It was here we spent the majority of our trip, showcasing our magical AW14 Polar collection to potential stockists, press and the steady flow of visitors to the Parisian showroom.
We were pleased when the penguins, polar bears and foxes that feature in the new collection garnered plenty of crowd attention, however it was the Atelier Swarovski by Emma J Shipley collaboration that proved a big hit in Paris. Our Atelier Swarovski snow leopard scarf took pride of place at the front of the stand, alongside scarf rings, bracelets and chunky rings - and the sparkling display stopped many people in their tracks.
We managed to grab a few breaks to wander the showroom and check out what else was on offer from our neighbouring designers. Noel Stewart was flying the millinery flag for London with his beautifully crafted hats in leather, mohair and fur, pairing futuristic shapes with traditional techniques and materials. We also loved Kate Sheridan’s simple and bold leather bags and rucksacks - especially the practical popper fastenings!
During our residency at Première Classe, Emma had the pleasure to meet the famous Phoenix television company from China and be interviewed for a short film. Emma presented the AW14 collection and even did a quick demonstration on how to wear one of our Swarovski scarf rings. The camera crew caused quite a commotion and gave us a bit of early morning excitement after a late night of partying…
With the showroom closing at 7pm everyday, we did manage to squeeze in a fair bit of socialising and champagne-drinking. We ate delicious burgers at Charly Bun’s on Place du Marché Saint Honoré, drank Aperol Spritz’s and admired Paris’s stylish late-night drinkers at La Perle and enjoyed the rooftop views, open fires and dancing at Le Perchoir on our final night.
We even joined London’s finest fashion crowd at the London Loves Paris closing night party where we showed Paris how it’s really done; celebrating fashion week in true British party style. Designers Yunus & Eliza, Holly Fulton, Noel Stewart and Atalanta Weller played hosts while Totally Enormous Extinct Designers spun the tunes that kept everyone dancing until the small hours.
Despite the drizzle, Paris looked glorious and welcomed us with open arms and plenty of je nais se quoi. As we look forward to SS15, we can’t wait to venture back to the city for what is always a great fashion week success and lots of fun along the way!
