There’s something about hitting up a fashion week party in a back alley of Paris’tres frais canal district that already just makes one feel cool. But when said party is hosted by Solange, however (and wine was involved beforehand), you feel like an actual rockstar. Through an alley and past the tiki bar of beloved Parisian venue/self professed “ghetto museum” Le Comptoir General, Beyonce’s little sister feted her ad campaign launch with French contemporary label Eleven Paris — a post most recently held by Kate Moss — with a chill dance party.
“Turn the music up!” the performer’s manager John Bogaard barked to a staffer, as Solange — clad in a minimalist black tunic paired with stand out magenta lips — chatted up French models (and Beyonce backup dancers) Les Twins while a sea of iPhone camera flashes lit up the dance floor.
The singer had a busy Thursday of show-hopping, first hitting up Carven’s fall ’15 presentation in the morning before going to Balmain and Lanvin (where despite being super late and holding up the show chatted up Kanye, newly-blonde Jared Leto and former Destiny Child Kelly Rowland).
The American music everyone in Paris seems to adore so much was indeed turned up, and the sounds of early oughts hip hop and R&B (Janet Jackson, Nelly and Solange herself) seemed to make the rum punch enjoyed by the crowd even more effective.
As Solange was whisked away to an upstairs VIP room, Opening Ceremony co-founder and Kenzo creative director Humberto Leon wandered the curiously cool space, where succulents, maps and a huge, tropical tree make one feel like they’re on a much chicer Bahamas spring break.
“This place is so cool,” Leon told Pret-a-Reporter while sipping a cocktail. The designer, who just showed Opening Ceremony’s fall 2015 collection in New York with a Spike Jonze-helmed photo exhibit, is due to show his Kenzo collection of goods in Paris on Sunday. “I don’t know why I’m out this close to the show!”
Asked if he was stressed, the creative mastermind seemed cool as the cucumber in his glass. “Not really. I’m actually going to a few friends’ shows this week,” he said. We take it that means there won’t be any major surprises at his Kenzo presentation?
“Oh we always have surprises.” he grinned.
While we’re waiting to see what those surprises are, we’ll be listening to the sweet sounds that filled Solange’s party with the evening’s playlist, below. And (cont’d)
