25 Comments

"I briefly married a French man there"!!

I'm obviously not going to pry, but my eyebrows raised at the nonchalent delivery of this comment ;)

Thanks for all the insights into someone I've only ever really known by the initials without much beyond that.

Also, I just looked back at my Google Maps timeline from 2019 when I was in Paris for a conference ... I was so close to the restaurant. If only I'd known!

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I hope you get to return! You might find me there.

Ha, I was wondering if anyone would find that as funny as I do. :)

Thanks Nathan!

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I had to rewind it, as thought I'd misheard!! Dr Kathleen Waller, Queen of Nonchalance ; )

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Ha! We all saw it, we're all giggling.

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Happy to entertain!

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An inspirational and as passionate an article about Yves St Laurent (et Paris) as one could wish to read! Without our idiosyncratic passions our lives would be the poorer.

Thank you.

Ps. I love Paris too (d’accord!).

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Thanks for such a lovely comment, Dorinda!

See you in Paris!

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Very interesting, and beautifully written. I love reading your articles because you are so international, a real citizen of everywhere. Jane Birkin's death seemed like the closing of a book for me because I'm old enough to remember the ridiculous outrage at Je T'aime. Your observations from the cafe reminded me, in a way, of An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris, by Georges Perec. I'm impressed that you wrote the article in June and scheduled it this far ahead. I would do but I am useless at deferring gratification. X

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Thank you, Terry! What a kind comment. Interesting to hear your personal take on Birkin as well. She was such a wonder.

I have not read the Perec and will add it to my growing list of well recommended reads.

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It's very strange. It's kinda boring and pointless, but as you read and read, it becomes strangely mesmerising and interesting.

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Thanks, Kate. A fascinating and passionate insight into YSL. I’m living an interesting and international life vicariously through your newsletters :) I have been to Paris, but just the once. Maybe someday soon...

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Happy to help 🤗 but also hope you can get back to Paris someday soon! The train from the U.K. is so nice. Thanks Victoria!

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I love that you witnessed the live reactions of Parisians as the news of YSL’s passing came out 📰 - what a descriptive scene, I can so picture it! Also made me so nostalgic to get news via snail mail newspaper!

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Thanks for the lovely comment, Sabrina. Yes for me I think maybe it’s the newspaper man in this story who is most important to me 🩵 I hope he’s still there next time I visit...

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There’s loads of fashion in animation. Scooby Do is a great example of the dress of 1969 and they have kept on trend as it has progressed but remained true to the cartoon too. I like that idea though taking just one aspect of an animation.

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And that’s an interesting place to start - how certain animations are/not costumes according to time periods. Sounds good!

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Loved this. I knew nothing about YSL but this has really opened my fashion eyes.

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Thanks a lot, Jon! I wonder what the fashion of animated series would look like...

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Love this end to your fashion series, and especially your personal reflections on your memories of Paris and YSL.

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Many thanks Kate! Its been fun for me as well.

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Fashion design is one of the arts as well as an industry and when the people who have created these iconic designs die it affects us in the same way as it does when any significant cultural figure passes away. YSL was one of the greatest. You need to brew up a flat white or a fizzy, sit on that sofa and read All About Yves!

Thanks for another delightful fashion article. I am SO enjoying this series!

By the way, if you haven't already got it you might like the Design Museum's "Fifty Dresses that Changed the World".

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I do need to read it, Jules! I often find I want to when I am on holiday...and then the book is at home. It will happen as the weather gets colder, I'm sure.

Thank you for such a kind comment and for sharing this post! And I don't have this one so another great rec from you :)

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Peak End moments is what springs to mind when I read that you remember exactly what you did when you heard of YSL passing. Much as everyone remembers what they did or where they were when 9/11 happened. Peak/End memory is etched into our brains whereas I can't remember what I had for dinner yesterday, or whether I locked the car 10 seconds after walking away from it. Fascinating thing, memory. Like being married to a French man who hates Paris, many Parisians do. 😂 Wonderful article, Kate. See you in Paris!

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Thanks so much for the great comment! Like the way you’re thinking about this. It reminds me of Leila Angle’s recent article (comments too - she goes into this re 9/11) -

https://open.substack.com/pub/leilaainge/p/a-landslide-of-memories?r=rtf40&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

Oui oui à Paris alors!

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Thanks for the link! Will check. Tout de suite.

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