Paris is Burning.

Photo by Tara Peters

Or at least it was during last weekend's heatwave. If you have yet to be informed, you should know that I am in Paris. It's strange to think about, seeing as the "trip" was not something I decided to do all that long ago. I stumbled upon a Surrealist seminar while browsing study abroad opportunities, saw that it was in Paris, and threw together an application a couple days before the deadline. I'll save you from the additional peripheral information.

The point is, I am so grateful to be here. It's beautiful, the culture is stimulating, and going to class is more than a pleasure. I've been fairly vigilant as far as photographing things, so hopefully more than a few pictures (shot with a Canon point-and-shoot, mind you) will surface here. Our class schedule is fairly full with adventures and museum trips, etc., but I also plan to see a great deal on my own (the Balenciaga exhibition, the Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton exhibition,and the Père Lachaise Cemetery to name a few). I have already been to the Centre Pompidou, Sacre Couer, and plenty other tourist-y sort of things—not that I haven't done anything else. Anyway, I'll be keeping in touch. Bisous.

Farewell, Anna Piaggi

Fashion journalist Anna Piaggi died today and such a loss should not be taken lightly. She will be called a fashion icon, an eccentric, and plenty other overused labels, but there is truth in this instance. Even with age, her dedication to flamboyant style never wavered. I have always praised her for being both a journalist and an influential fashion personality all her own. Many fashion journalists do not share her visible interest in style. Perhaps it's an attempt at feigning objectivity (I think the word is a crock, in any case), which always seemed rather soulless and false to me. There is a reason why these people work in fashion—hopefully, it's a love of clothes, beauty, style, etc.—so neglecting that or pretending it's not there is a bit strange. As a journalist myself, I've always fancied styling myself in a conspicuous way and have found myself inspired by Piaggi's insistence on the same. She gave me hope in a world of monotony, was a true original, and will be dearly missed.