Brunch, Lunch and dinner: Parisian edition

The last thing the internet needs is another article on tourist guides and must-sees of Paris.
That being said, let me show you a glimpse of what Paris is like for me personally. Having lived in the city for two years, I created a personal list of favorite restaurants and bars. Also, I do not wander around aimlessly in the sixth arrondissement gazing at the beautiful Seine as often as most movies make you think Parisians do.

This list, at most, should be seen as some form of "local" recommendations of brunch/lunch/dinner addresses in Paris from one friend to another.

Café de Flore
Home of the original French philosopher's garde, and favorite weekend hangout of de Beauvoir.  A must, perhaps one of the most expensive Coca-Cola I've had in Paris but apparently one cannot help to pay more to come close to the old Parisian spirit.

Les Deux Magots
Straight across Café de Flore is Les Deux Magots, which also has that typical, classic Parisian bistro atmosphere. Go there to experience that essentially fancy French dejeuner mingle rather than a mind-blowing meal.

Faust
Hidden under the Pont de Alexandre Faust is the perfect place to have a drink or a bottle, joined by friends on a warm summer evening.

At Café de Fleur and brunch at Derrièr

Spring

There's no actual menu:  In their words, they will just make you dinner, all sourced from the Places des Fetes.

Darocco 
I stumble upon this Italian restaurant on my way to Café Kitsune at Palais Royal. Kitch design, waiters dressed in stripes, fresh mozzarella with a picture perfect selling. Order the parmesan entree for a delightful opening act.

Hotel Costes 
Filled with designers, celebrities, editors and models, both sitting at the tables and serving the food. You'll also find plenty of unique almost mystical people,  dressed in a bright green velvet suit, smoking a pipe with a vintage Louis Vuitton travel bag hanging from their chair. Costes is the place to be seen, especially during fashion week.

Chez Janou
Parisian bistro, with good wine. Not a single tourist can be found.

Marlon
Marlon offers us some Californian delights; corn cod, ribs, shrimp tempura, chicken tenders, Oreo cheesecake well-made American classics in the middle of a quiet Parisian street.

Capri
Located on Marché Saint-Honoré and only one street away from our beloved Collette (Saint Laurent boutique in a few months)  This Italian (again) restaurant offers a variety of traditional dishes, but my favorite and the reason of my frequent visit is the Moscow Mule and the fior de latte. 

The Hemingway bar at the Ritz Carton
 This bar was once frequented by the likes of Gary Cooper, F. Scott Fitzgerald and of course Hemingway, and by having a cocktail there you might just experience a little bit of their old artistic pursuit.

Places that are worth mentioning Derriér, Café Mary, Hotel Amour, Ober Mamma and Ralph's.


Bon appétit

WHEN YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING

Helena, Paris 2017

She doesn't have a ring on each finger, or a big diamond on each ring.
She doesn't wear a gold watch that cost as much as a fancy car.
In fact she doesn't own a fancy car.
She doesn't carry an enormous designer bag.

But she might have a newspaper under her arm.

She might mention Sartre or Foucault in a conversation.  It's her personality that sparkles and nothing else: the signs of intellectual wealth.

 Julia, Paris 2016

She doesn't wear too much makeup just red lipstick for aperos and nights out. Rosé and bread go perfectly together. 

No breakfast just a simple black coffee. 

She read poetry in a bench by the Seine, watching people walk by. 

She wasn't born in Paris, but she's reborn in the city of lights. 

She believes on the Art of dreaming; 

For her life is nothing but a dream and if we are artist, then we can create our life with love and our dreams become a masterpiece of art. 

 Montserrat, Paris 2017

ESMOD

My experience: 

I decide to attend Esmod fashion business program for the prestige and knowledge of school in the industry. After just the first month I began to shave problems with the school organization, meaning that they lost all my document and they were trying to charge extra for something I already have pay. When you attend to Esmod your enrollment feed and all the year most be pay before the first day of classes, which is really hard for international student to do in only one payment, but it's understandable. What is not acceptable is that they try twice to charge me for something I have pay already.

I choose the International program which all classes are taking in English, the problem is that many  of the professors can't speak english. It's frustrating to try to learn, when you don't even know what they are saying. Other problem that I have with school was racist comments coming from the professors toward my nationality and person: I have a teacher telling me I have no personally whatsoever and that all people in Mexico are poor.

 I try to drop out before the second semester, after asking for a rendezvous with the director for a month I finally got it. I told them my reasons and their only answers where that they would not give me my tuition back, not even a penalty they will keep everything (10.000 euros a year). I was not willing to give my parents money for free so I decide to stay.

On January your supposed to have an internship for 10 weeks, after searching like crazy I finally got one. ISEM/ESMOD they have a stage department where they supposed to help you find one. They don't, they really don't care. You need to find it by yourself, I understand it's your job as a student but when your living in a another country where you are not fluent in the language it's hard.

Overall as a personal opinion wouldn't recommend going to esmod for the fashion business program, it's not worth the time or money. For 10 k you can find better programs, with better professors where they actually care about enriching you and preparing you for the industry.

Of course I would be lying if everything was being negative at school. Thanks to school I have meet really good friends and have incredible times,  I have learn a lot of the industry and of myself.

* This is based in my own experience, don't let my personal opinion influence your decision*

If you have any questions you can reach me at : reesquivelg@gmail.com 

INTERNSHIPS

Six month have pass since I moved to Paris and I have learn a lot not only about myself but about the fashion industry, specially the sale/showroom section.

Finding an internship:

Finding and internship was probably one of the most stressful task I have ever done, firstly case they required a high level of French (which sadly I still don't have) and secondly cause how on earth d

- Don't be scared of sending you cv to every brand or designer you can think off, honestly the worst thing that can happened is that they said "we are not looking for interns or your profile does not match ours".

- Patience is the key,  if you ever send your  application before you now the "We have received your application and appreciate it. Your case will be studied with great care...." keep looking and wait.

- Show them interest but don't be pushy. Sending the company 50 mails won't changed  anything.

- They always said going to the store it's better but honestly in my opinion is better to just send a mail. I have friends that went to the stores with the cv's and never receive any offer not even a called back, mostly they just throw your documents to the trash.

- Get real, if you want to work for Dior but your style says otherwise don't expect to be offer a position. Your personality and style must match the brand your looking for.

- Big names doesn't mean your actually learning. One of my friends did an internship at Chanel and she only prepared the coffee.

- Learn and enjoy what your doing, it maybe look like a nightmare right now but you will make new friends, learn and prepare for your future.

- Don't look for the internship a week before you need to start working, take your time. Actually take a lot of time if you can.

I remember a girl crying cause one of the seller scream at her cause she did the wrong task. Don't break under pressure, I don't have the strongest character but I have teach myself to be ready for any kind of feed  back. Don't be scared of asking questions, even if you look stupid. I once didn't understand the thick accent of my British seller and I asked what "pound" was, I feel so stupid but she was glad I asked, so no mistakes were make.
Your not a perfect calculated machine, your going to make mistakes, your going to run late one day, make a line sheet wrong, say or do something the other way. Your human remember, nothing that you did wrong can't be changed.

The other interns are not competition, of course everyone wants to stand out but at the end you are just an  team.  When someone get's  .....   we all do. Don't let them walk you down, even thought your on the bottom of the chain doesn't mean they can treat you without respect or ask you to do something you feel uncomfortable doing.

During the interview make sure to be yourself and be prepared for questions about the brand. Once I did an interview and by mistake I say the name of the other designer, ups. Be prepared and be profesional. If they said at 9 am be there at time, even before. Punctuality is important of the industry. Wear black, not only you look professional but gives you extra confident.
Be prepared to see the good, the bad, the ups and downs from the inside of the  industry.

It's okay if they said no, success doesn't come with out failure and struggle.

Enjoy your actually going to have fun and learn, even if you feel like your on the Devil wear Prada film.

Webpage I used to look for internships:

 Fashionunited.com
 Fashionjobs.com
 Fashionista.com/carreers

xx

We had come to Paris to study, to chase our dreams, to escape our realities, to live out our youth. No matter how difficult the classes or intimidating the language barrier or frustrating the bureaucratic logistics, we thrived on the city itself. We lived for the aimless ballades, the inebriated brasserie sit-arounds, the heated debates, the unexpected rencontres and the crazy, erratic nights. I knew that every problem I was facing would somehow fade into the pink (polluted) sunset during a well-timed walk by the Seine. Paris destroy me in every way, making me feel in a constant perpetual voyeur, lost in translation. Paris destroy  me in the best way it could, making me feel like I belong here.

xx

Mary Katrantzou Internship

During this past Paris Fashion Week (Spring 2016) I have the opportunity to work as an intern in Mary Katrantzou showroom. It's something I will never forget, with all the up's and down's I would do it all over again. 

I'm not gonna lie, it has a bad side. Sometimes I felt like I was in The Devils wears Prada, bringing coffee,  going for copy's, mopping the floor and even preparing food plates for the clients. The first two day's I was really disappointed and mad about it, that night I called my mother. As always my mom said what I needed to hear "You need to start somewhere, even if it's bringing coffee". And them is when realized that even if I was doing all those task I was learning from the inside about the industry. I  have the opportunity to meet buyers, magazine editors even Mary herself. 

And I really get to see, that the best people are backstage, the models, the interns, each one teach me something about them and the industry. Every single day, I give my best.  I'll try to see and learn as much as I could, so one day when that moment arrives someone would say she started the same way as I. 

"You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving up, keep moving forward"

                                                                       by Conrad Hall.

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Everything started when I was little a young version of myself discovered while at hair salon  a Vogue magazine and discovered a new hobby. First I didn't even understand what it was, I used make collage with them. As I grow older that hobby turn into passion. I  wanted to be a fashion designer and study in New York, I draw and even sew what I considered clothes, I got into tailoring and fashion history classes. I loved everything about it, till last summer. I took a fashion merchandising  and discovered what I really wanted to do. Don't get me wrong I still loved it, but my passion and location changed just a little, I changed the big apple for the city of light's. My dreams are still the same, I just want to be a part of this big industry. 

Of course it wasn't easy, leaving everything and everyone I ever knew. My family, friends, traditions, root's even my past, to chase my dreams. I moved 9, 063 km to a little apartment on Le Marais that now i call home. Whatever Paris brings to me i'm ready for it.

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