My guide to Paris, simplified
My relationship with the city of light may be complex, but this travel guide isn't.
I have a complex relationship with Paris. It might seem strange to have a complex relationship with a geographical location, but that’s the only way I can really describe it. It’s not a place that I organically feel at ease (despite years of high school and college-level French classes). But I’ve been working on seeing the positives in it more prominently, which may seem crazy to people who see it for what it is: One of the most beautiful cities on the planet.
For the last seven years, I’ve been going at least once or twice per year for work. There are a few things to know about going to Paris for fashion week that will help give background to this here city guide.
First, it’s competitive, and can be a bit cutthroat, in the context of fashion week. When I explain this to friends, I explain how at New York Fashion Week, it feels to me like having home-field advantage. It’s where I initially built up my network and my reputation in fashion — I have roots in NYC, and so during fashion week, it feels like a fun reunion of seeing everyone I know. In Paris, it feels more like a popularity contest. Not only are the brands there, and their events, that much luxurious and exclusive, but I’m also competing against all of Europe, Asia, and beyond for a seat at a fashion show, which are all largely just on a more international scale in Paris. I’m competing against the fashion people who call Paris home — I’m on their turf.
And so, it’s a place I associate with a lot of rejection. Even after all of these years, my network abroad is still not as cemented as my network here. Sprinkle a little judge-y Parisian attitude over all of this (pardon the stereotyping), and you’ve got situations where I’m often calling my mom crying on the corner of the street. She always tells me it’s not personal.
Next, when I’m in Paris for work, the things I do for enjoyment are secondary to the things I have to do for work purposes. I’m there to network, go to fashion shows, meetings, events, showrooms, cocktail parties, stores, and capture content of all of these things for my audience. If there’s a vintage store or café I want to check out, it’s often squeezed between appointments and work commitments. So even after so many years of going, there’s still so much more to discover. And of course it’s ever-evolving, just like any big city.
Lastly, Paris fashion week doesn’t really care about your personal life. Every year, it happens at the end of February and the end of September. That means I’ve gone at times when I was freshly broken up with, and off the heels of super-crazy-busy New York fashion weeks (not sure how people do the circuit of all four cities, I usually need a few weeks to recover between New York and Paris, and even that is often not enough). And often when I do land in Paris, I’m confronted with a wave of anxiety. When I went in February/March 2023 following a super messy breakup, I spent my free time between shows walking around with sad music in my headphones and weeping into a Kleenex. The moments you don’t see on Instagram.
But, even all of this can’t completely strip the city of its magic. The food, the taste level of everything, the beauty of the architecture, the bountiful history and impressive art, the perfect bakeries and delicious wines… The many late nights spent with new and old friends.
The last few trips, I’ve been doing my best to brush off the sting of rejection or the trauma of past trips that always seeps in, and enjoy the immense privilege of being able to travel to Paris for work. I’ve been trying to form my routine in a city that’s not so routine. I’ve been discovering gems that make it feel like home when home is so, so far away. If I don’t get into something fashion-week related I was excited about, I now see it as a free hour to discover something new and truly inspiring.
I don’t want this guide to be as complex as I feel my relationship is with this city. Rather, I want it to highlight the places that keep me coming back despite it all. And since my other October newsletter was about craving simplicity, we’re still leaning into that sentiment with this one. So let’s get into it: My simplified guide to Paris. I hope it brings you lots of comforting meals, good clothes, and no tears.
Friendly reminder: Every month, I send one free newsletter (essay-style, usually with some shopping sprinkled in) and one paid newsletter (usually a travel guide which includes a small brand spotlight, and a detailed list of places to hit across categories). The guides take me days to put together, hence why they’re paywalled. Thanks for being here and for considering supporting my work as I get re-acquainted with my first love: Writing.