LizBell's Kyla Love

Kyla Love

April 16, 2010

Day four back in Paris, and I hardly even recognize the city. That cliché saying, "the whole is more than the sum of its parts?" This has never been more true than when those parts happen to be Paris and April. Bright green leaves fill the trees that stood naked throughout the casting marathons of couture and prêt a porter fashion weeks earlier this year; the cherry blossoms have appeared alongside Notre Dame Cathedral, and just the other night I found myself still outside gazing at the Sacre Coeur church well past 8pm!

With this beautiful walking weather putting a spring in my step, I've been spending lots of time outside the last few days, but the afternoon I arrived I didn't even have a chance! I Landed at 11:30 a.m., called the agency, took a bus from the plane to the terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport, cleared immigration, picked up my baggage, was met by a driver (to clarify: sent by the agency but paid for using money I made on my last trip to Paris. I mention this because oftentimes people express surprise when they discover how many of their own expenses models cover whilst traveling), and found myself at my new home around 1:30 p.m. I then spent about two hours rearranging the furniture in my room, pilfering less-ratty quilts from unoccupied beds (sorry, future roomies), and unpacking. I may have confused my flat-mate, who regarded this entire process with an expression of goodhumoured disbelief. Upon finally calling my agency, I was asked by my wonderful booker Emma whether I'd had a good nap? "No? A shower, then?" Nope again...

Apartment feng shui-ed, I figured I had time for the aforementioned shower before heading to the agency. And maybe a quick nap... I set my alarm for 10 minutes and was woken up in 5 by my phone ringing. "Can you go to a casting now?" So it was off to pick up my book, speedwalk to a casting, scurry back to the agency to add new photos to my book (Grazia outed me as a French speaker, writing that I blush at my accent and pretend not to speak French when really I've mastered it - they were definitely exaggerating with the word 'master'), then to a fitting. While waiting for the stylist to arrive, the casting director took me to a cafe a few doors down, where I observed elderly French peoples' style with ecstatic delight (Also noteworthy was the respect which the young bartender/waiter awarded them). Our late-night fitting went splendidly, including the moment when I tried to move in skintight suede pants and managed to rip a huge hole in the crotch of them, which elicited good laughs from both stylist and casting director. Then all of a sudden it was 9:30pm and I was back on the train to my Montmartre residence (I wouldn't rather live in any other neighborhood, and my grandmother would be proud!).

My second, third, and fourth days involved castings, friends, and lots of exploring. Parisian clients include well-established photographers, beauty companies, magazines, and top designers (the schedule for Paris fashion week is like a who's who in legendary fashion houses). In colder months, castings in Paris involve cold treks through unheated subways and beneath grey skies. In April, however, castings in Paris are more like the pit-stops on a delightful walking tour of the city. I've managed to view the Notre Dame Cathedral (one of my favorite buildings in Paris), Le Bon Marche (a legendary department store on the Left Bank), the Louvre, the Pompidou, Musee D'Orsay, Hotel de Ville, the Latin Quarter, et al. I cheated a little by making a bike tour of the entire right bank yesterday, which involved taking in most of the sights Paris has to offer. Paris by bike is an unforgettable experience.

While I've spent enough time in Paris to automatically seek out street markings on the sides of buildings rather than stand-alone signs, there are many things about this city that continue to surprise me. For one thing, the striped shirt is not just a 'stereotypical French thing' - it really is the Parisian uniform. For another, people here don't wear toques! In fact, like my American roommates when I use the word 'toque' rather than 'knitted cap,' the average Parisian might not even know what a toque is (or perhaps only in the context of a ski hill). McDonald's charges for the use of its washrooms (thus spoiling my attempt to make a free toilet-pit-stop), AND offers whole wheat buns! I found this shocking in light of my view of France as The Land of White Bread, but maybe this is something all McDonald's do? I had some fresh orange juice at a sidewalk café yesterday and the glass arrived half-full. It wasn't a mistake - I'm pretty sure any complaints on my behalf would have garnered nothing but a look of total confusion from the waiter. This point served useful in the NYC vs. Paris conversation I was having, but otherwise probably would not have been noted by either me or my café companion.

In terms of work here, The French Way means my bookers call to ask me whether I can make it to a new casting (note: this may just be the delightful team at Major Paris), rather than texting me to go to one. People take LUNCH BREAKS, often an hour long - on set this entails the entire team breaking together and sitting down to eat. Which is not to say that I've never found myself standing on set eight hours into the day, stomach growling, while the rest of the crew stood behind the photographer with plates of food in their hands; however, I find such occasions to be particularly rare in Paris. If New York taught me how to get a million and one things done in a single day, Paris has taught me the importance of life's daily pleasures; food, drink (coffee is the favorite here but I stick to tea and mineral water), and good conversation, amongst others.

I find it easy to lose touch with important things in my life - things like friends, family, study, and creative outlets - while abroad, allowing work (the only reason I've ever gone abroad, after all) to take absolute priority over everything. While it's difficult to do anything more than make it to ten castings, three fittings, and two shows in one day during fashion week, I always try to remain present to things that bring me joy outside of work. It is when all aspects of my life intermingle that my experience of it becomes most colourful. As George Bernard Shaw said, "life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." While my bookers may create my work schedule, I create my life, and within my life: myself. I am deeply grateful to have gained a greater understanding of this idea here in Montmartre, the historic neighborhood of Paris' famous painters. A big, big thank you to Matteo at Major for inviting me to Paris is due (and to the entire team for bringing me back). Merci, Thank You, Grazie.

LO
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Kyla Love is an Liz Bell model, currently with Major in Paris.