The ALIA INSPIRED
SUMMER IS ALL I'm DREAMING OF

As I arrived around thirty minutes before the show, something surprised me.
There were people, of course, but nowhere near the crowds I'd expected.
—

Observations from couture paris fashion week

As I arrived around thirty minutes before the show, something surprised me.

There were people, of course, but nowhere near the crowds I'd expected.
—

The ALIA INSPIRED
SUMMER IS ALL I'm DREAMING OF

As this was only my second time shooting Couture Week, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

One thing I quickly discovered?
I think I actually prefer Couture over the regular Fashion Week.

It's calmer. Less crowded. Fewer fans. Less elbowing your way through a sea of photographers just to catch a glimpse of someone walking past.

There's more space to breathe, to observe, and actually enjoy what's happening around you. If you've ever photographed street style during Fashion Week...
you'll know exactly what I mean.

And then there are those rare Paris moments.

The ones where you stop for a second and think:

"How on earth did I end up here?"
Standing in front of Petit Palais waiting for Schiaparelli's Haute Couture show was one of those moments.

"The venue itself deserves its own paragraph"

Petit Palais has become almost synonymous with Schiaparelli. Sitting opposite the Grand Palais—Chanel's iconic home—you can usually bet that if Schiaparelli isn't showing here, they're presenting the collection from Place Vendôme.

And honestly...

I can't imagine a more beautiful backdrop.

The grand staircase. The golden entrance doors. Pont Alexandre III just around the corner. Everywhere you point your camera looks cinematic.

That's surprisingly rare during Fashion Week.

Most shows take place on ordinary Paris streets where photographers are squeezed between parked cars, scooters, traffic, security guards, and about two hundred people trying to capture exactly the same moment.

There's something exciting about that chaos too.

But when everyone has spent months preparing incredible looks, it's a shame not to have a beautiful setting to match them.

"As I arrived around thirty minutes before the show, something surprised me"

There were people, of course, but nowhere near the crowds I'd expected.

During the ready-to-wear shows, fans often arrive two or even three hours early to secure a front-row position behind the barriers.

Here, I simply walked to the front.

No stress.
No running.
No Hunger Games.

Just enough people to create excitement without losing the magic.

"It almost felt... intimate."

From there, the morning unfolded exactly how I'd hoped.

Guests arrived one after another, taking their time on the staircase, chatting, posing, greeting friends. Nobody seemed rushed.

I found myself completely in flow.
One look after another.
One frame after another.

Days like this remind me why I fell in love with photography

I photographed one guest in particular wearing a velvet Schiaparelli corset dress paired with dramatic black lipstick.

I never found out who she was.
Influencer? Stylist? Editor?
No idea.

But editing those images afterwards, they barely felt like street style anymore.

They looked like an editorial.

Sometimes that's the magic of Couture Week.

I also met an American photographer who had recently moved to Paris for three months.

We ended up meeting again later that week for a shoot together—which deserves a story of its own.

With a couple of hours to spare before Jonathan Anderson's highly anticipated debut for Dior Haute Couture, I decided not to rush across Paris.

Instead, I made my way straight to the Rodin Museum and found a little café nearby for lunch.

The Rodin Museum is one of my favourite places in Paris. Not because of the museum itself—although it's beautiful—but because of the garden.

If you've never been, put it on your list. It feels like a hidden pocket of calm in the middle of the city.

I found a classic Parisian café just around the corner, complete with a tiny terrace and red café chairs.

It was January, so I happily escaped inside with a coffee and something to eat.

It didn't take long before I realised I wasn't the only one waiting for Dior.

Almost every table seemed to be occupied by photographers.

Some were editing images from the morning. Others were chatting, checking their cameras, comparing schedules for the rest of the day.

It felt like a little temporary headquarters had formed without anyone planning it.

I found myself quietly observing them all.

Photography has always been a very solitary journey for me. I'm completely self-taught, and most of what I've learned has come from countless hours of experimenting on my own.

I've never really had a photography community or colleagues to exchange ideas with, which is probably why I was so fascinated watching everyone around me.

Part of me wanted to walk over, introduce myself, and ask a hundred questions.

Who do you shoot for?
How did you get started?
What's your Fashion Week routine?

The introvert in me, however, won that battle.

Or so I thought.

A few minutes later, the woman sitting at the table next to me—a cool blonde photographer from Germany—started a conversation.

Before I knew it, we were talking about photography, Paris, Fashion Week, and our different paths into the industry.

As the time was getting closer to Dior showtime more and more people gathered outside
hanging around.

"There is something special about PFW that hour before a show starts"

where creative people, fashion enthusiasts, fashion people, celebrities and interesting personalites all gather at one place hanging out, talking, laughing, making connections.

It’s a unique setting and vibe I have never experienced before -

it’s one of those rare moments where you feel a special energy, excitement...

the best of all?

it’s open for everyone.

Just show up- you don’t even need a camera your phone will do just fine.

You can met you new best friend, connect with creators, plan a new creative collab, learn new things and get access to this magical world.

If you’re new in Paris, or dying to get into the Fashion world

It’s a magic place to start making your way in

How Is Life in paris?

MARY, PARIS

A collection of journal entries, creative observations and
behind-the-scenes stories exploring photography, creativity and living an artistic life

join the journal

Notes On Creativity

A collection of journal entries, creative observations and
behind-the-scenes stories exploring photography, creativity and living an artistic life

join the journal

Notes On Creativity