Last Monday, I attended the CFDA ceremony with Clare Vivier.
We’ve told you about Clare’s work before – she makes very cool bags and clutches and that night, since she’s a Council member, she asked me to be her “date”. I was super flattered, and thrilled to go with her.
The CFDA awards are the fashion event of the year. Everyone from the American fashion world is there – it’s got that very New York vibe – a bit high society, still relaxed.
It’s nothing like the red carpets in Cannes or Hollywood, which are more formal with all the long dresses, Spanx, drama, and blah blah blah.
Once again, I worked with Sarah on my outfit, and Clare decided to join in the mix too. We knew we’d be side by side all evening, so we might as well come up with our looks together! Clare looked amazing in a flowy Max Mara suit and Aquazurra shoes (and obviously, we both wore her clutches) and I…
I decided to go with something slightly daring.
I wore gold sequin pants with a top that was short in the back and long in the front – it’s the kind of thing I probably could have come up with at home, but that I never would have dared to wear outside. Which is one of the problems all girls encounter at some time or another.
Is what I’m wearing okay for the dress code? Is there a dress code? Am I going to be the only crazy one? Should I tone it down immediately? That’s often my concern – it’s what always makes me go back to more classic outfits, like the usual cocktail dress, or a long evening gown.
And I have nothing against either one of those things, but honestly, they only look so-so on me. Especially when I find myself lost in the middle of a crowd of supermodels who could wear any dress and still look stunningly beautiful.
So what I’m learning now is that the best thing to do is to be different.
I think that’s Sarah’s motto as well. And even if the shy little girl in me was a little taken aback when I first saw this outfit, as soon as I tried it on, I thought it was a really great idea.
Of course, for two seconds, I told myself it might be a total catastrophe – like, I’d be arrested by the fashion police immediately right in front of the red carpet, but I also told myself it wasn’t a big deal, really – not a big deal at all. I’ve always thought fashion should be a place where you can experiment and express yourself, and I’ve never really had a huge ego about it. I try one thing, I grow and change, I try something else, I make mistakes, I share what I’ve learned with you, and honestly, there’s no need to get all dramatic about it.
So off I went…with my gold sequin pants :)
And it all went really well. As weird as it is for me to say, I’m starting to get some practice doing the “step and repeat” – or the art of the red carpet: you walk a few feet, then stop for another wave of photos. You feel pretty ridiculous but, just like anything, you get used to it. You even get used to striking a pose and holding it. And you tell yourself you should work on that pose a little more, actually. You know how to look to the left, then to the right, when the photographers call your name. You also get used to the photographers becoming totally disinterested in you as soon as a real celebrity (Kimye?) steps onto the red carpet. Plus, when you have a date, it’s great – you can hold on to her for dear life, and even try to hide behind her a little bit. Thank you, Clare, for holding my hand.
The next day, I obviously didn’t look at any of the comments about the outfits at the CFDA, since my number one advice for life is “Never Google Yourself”, but I got lots of super sweet comments and texts, and apparently Clare and I made it onto the “best dressed dates” list. Ahah.
As I was saying the other day, besides doing the hard work of searching for outfits for me, this is another reason why having a stylist is great.
Sarah encouraged me to wear something I never would have dared to wear on my own…
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Garance wears: Blouse, Hellessy ; Pants, Sass & Bide ; Jewelry, Phyne by Paige Novick ; Bag, Clare Vivier ; Heels, Christian Louboutin.
Clare wears: Suit, Max Mara; Heels, Aquazurra; Bag, Clare Vivier.
Translated by Andrea Perdue
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