Hi Again!
I'm back. Fresh off 2 weeks away starting in Paris, moving right into daylight savings and kicking off my jetlag just in time to start March Break. Hellacious, but also fun.
It’s been a while — I’m sorry or you’re welcome, depending on your point of view. I spent the week before last in Paris, which I’ll tell you all about, and this past week (March Break) I spent in a haze of jetlag and ski school. There hasn’t been a lot of quiet time to write or ideate on what to write.
I felt like I needed to send out a newsletter at least every two weeks because it’s an arbitrary cadence I settled on, but every time I sat down to do it, I found I didn’t have anything to say. So I waited, and now I do! I think that's just how it goes from now on.
First, I just want to revisit something from a previous newsletter. I asked Katie Jane Hughes, makeup artist extraordinaire, to tell me her must-have products and one of them was Nivea Essentially Enriched Body Lotion. I bought it, and it’s magnificent. I have previously recommended the U Beauty Super Body Hydrator which I love. But I would remiss if I didn’t tell you that the Nivea lotion is as good if not better, and astronomically cheaper. There, now we can start.
Kael In Paris!
Paris is buried under a mountain of trash due to ongoing strikes but honestly, still cute. I went for work, so was travelling alone. Thankfully I have a good friend who lives there who was my tour guide and dinner date every waking hour that I wasn’t in market appointments. So these recaps/recommendations are largely her doing — you can follow her here.
We ate dinner at some lovely spots. Freddy’s in St Germain, a charming wine bar with small plates, counter seating and a hot chef. Great.
Side note — it’s funny to me that everyone wants to go somewhere that isn’t “touristy” but, we’re all tourists in places we’re visiting. Why are we ashamed of that? Also my New York urge to make sure we’re not in the midtown or Times Square of another city is still very very strong.
Bouche (in the 11th) was very cosy and also managed to be lively. The food was good — my favourite order was the crudité (probably because I had been eating bread for 3 days straight and wanted vegetables). It was beautiful to look at, substantial and the dipping sauce was perfection. Bouche also gets bonus points for good cocktails! We drank espresso martinis like a couple of college gals and I loved it.
We went to Deviant in the 10th (also bonus points for cocktails) — it’s dark and romantic with towering taper candles and a bar downstairs that wasn’t open when we were there but sounds fun.
Early June has a rotating roster of chefs and a great wine list - our server (or maybe the owner? Sommalier? seems like the kind of place where everyone wears a lot of hats) thought it was fun that we were from Toronto and somehow came up with a leafs hat to hang on our table for the duration of dinner. It’s pointless to give a recommendation because it’s not going to be the same chef but just go if you can, it has a magical quality to it.
We also ate lunch at Buvette twice ( I never went to the one in New York so this was a fun novelty). It’s a perfect lunch spot.
A musical aside — I decided to listen to music instead of podcasts on my Paris wanderings because one can only take so much true crime. I recently started categorizing my Spotify playlists in cooking terms (medium low, medium high, high heat etc) which I highly recommend because you don’t get tied up in genres or have to be hyper-prescriptive. See below — 2 seemingly disparate songs, 1 playlist.
Brands I saw and loved during Paris Market -
Medea // Founded by sisters Camilla and Guilia Venturini, Medea started out as re-invented shopping bags in leather. It has grown into a multi-category brand with shoes, jewelry and sunglasses. The bags are simple, elegant and priced well. I was particularly excited about the bags made from vintage levis with the back pockets intact for use. Smart. Also this is a still from a video on their landing page:
Ester Manas // Founded in 2019 by Ester Manas & Balthazar Delepierre, the label is known for inclusivity and bold femininity. I loved the line - a lot of color and ruffles and excitement. The pieces are extremely stretchy and most if not all are One Size, meant to work on a variety of body types.
Puppets and Puppets // I wanted to look at this up close so that I could see if it was a real brand. Meaning — It’s new, the shows are wild, the clothes look great on the runway, but what do they look like and feel like IRL? Happily, they felt really good. The fabrics were nice, the fit was spot on which is important when thematic elements are corsetry-heavy and tailored, and it feels wearable. The Banana handle and Telephone handle bags coming up next season are adorable. I know the fashion world loves the Cookie bags but these were the winners for me.
Vitelli // I stumbled on Vitelli by accident, but what a happy accident it was. An Italian Knitwear brand, Vitelli makes every piece from upcycled yarn and deadstock. They even recycle their own cuttings and trimmings and re-purpose them as bags. The knits are weird and trippy and very unique, which is hard to do in Knitwear.
Extreme Cashmere // Not an unknown, this brand is popular and for good reason. Each piece is One Size, but not one size fits all. Some pieces fit small best, some fit XL and up best. It’s directional for knitwear — it feels high fashion. They also send each piece off with a cashmere comb and detailed instructions on caring for your piece so that it lasts a lifetime. Spoiler alert — no dry cleaning.
Johanna Parv // Based in London, Johanna Parv is another designer I found by accident and fell in love. She’s an LVMH finalist so, not unknown, but new to me. Her designs are inspired by (and technical enough to even be used by) women who cycle through the city streets, and they feel luxurious and functional. I love the hyper-specific angle and how well it translates into wearable clothes that have a sophisticated, quiet distinction.
I also stopped in to say hi to Lauren Rubinski, a jewelry goddess with a chic office + studio in St Germain (featuring an adorable dog!). Everything she does is magic and she’s a lovely human so if you’re going to invest in statement, forever jewels — do it with her.
WHAT I WANT TO WEAR TODAY //
This weeks WIWTWT is inspired by one of my favourite follows, Reese Blustein aka @double3xposure. She and her twin Molly (@accidentalinfluencer) are insanely stylish women who always look perfectly, joyfully put together. I’m also impressed that having started early in the content creator world, they have such a clear, singular style that has evolved without changing too much over time. Also, I ALWAYS discover new brands and designers on their accounts. I bought the mini kilt to wear over leggings (with ankle interest of course) after I saw Reese wearing it in Paris. Anyway I think it’s nice to give people their flowers and be honest about inspiration in a world where you absolutely don’t have to. Follow them, you’ll enjoy it.
Extreme Cashmere Bi Blouse, Timeless Pearly Double Layer Necklace, Black Jersey Wide Headband, Johanna Parv Belt Bag, Le Kilt Black Mini Kilt, Nué Black Thea Leggings, Toteme Kitten Heel Suede Ankle Boots
DREAM WITH ME //
You can rent the Sex Education house that Otis lives in with his mom. I dream of a coffee on the porch in my silk robe like Ms. Milburn. It’s on the border of England and Wales and I’d like to move there for eternity.
ENJOY YOUR MONDAY IF YOU CAN!