StreetMeat: Prego Venezia !

“Monsieur Nicholas, you’ve met Houry right?” yes, of course we met and even accompanied each other on the trip back to Dubai. I was now in the showroom taking a look at the samples from the A/W collection we would be shooting the next day. Our first shoot for the brand and my first big responsibility. “Ah yes, very good job with the article! She was going over her notes on the plane when I last spoke to her!” Of course, the iconic LV logo on my brown folder was highly noticeable, especially to the director of the Middle East. “You got yourself some brownie points, good job!” This meant a lot coming from the brand’s communications director, who was actually a magazine editor herself once. The thing that meant the most, however, came the next day at the right place and at the right time. I was in the middle of a crisis in the morning of the shoot, while I stood hyperventilating in the stuffy and jammed dressing room of the venue, (one that is famous for its freak show let’s just say) my boss walks in with…the Milan team. Baci. Baci. “You know your clippings werechosen as one of the best worldwide, everybody loved them!” Translation: my article/pages were chosen amongst the works of journalists from around the world, (France, Italy, UK, Australia, China…) as one of the best, I repeat. Now I’m hyperventilating even more. 

The first 4 pages of my Venice trip

My interview with the president of LV South Europe and the president of the MUVE foundation in Venezia

This is by far the biggest compliment I’ve been given on my work since I got back from my trip. Forget fans and clothing rails, dangerous props and heavy costumes for a second, and take it in. Time for a flashback.

 I’m in a taxi ride from the airport with the editor of Harper’s Bazaar Australia and the pr girl for LV. I’m way too distracted to socialize since I usually like to be alone in this moment, because the ride from the airport is the highlight of most of my trips. The feeling is very similar to the one you get at the pit of your stomach, when you meet someone from the opposite sex who impresses you at first glance, grabs your full attention and leaves you craving for more. You’re stoked, intrigued and curious but still you maintain a refined demeanor. While you’re planning a trip and anticipating it, you nurture all kinds of fantasies in your mind. This cab ride, and I say cab because somehow taxis symbolize their respective city, becomes the portal connecting your fantasy world to the real one. At this moment, the adrenaline rushes in. 

“Venice,Houry. Houry,Venice.” Nice to meet you. This time my taxi is a boat.

Taxi/Boat ride

We navigated through the labyrinth of canals, passing under small bridges and archways. The water in some areas even reaches the doorsteps to the houses, and the historic city shows signs of old age. This would be my topic of discussion with the Italian journalists I’d meet for dinner that same night. For now, I’m speechless and mesmerized by its imperfections. The Danieli hotel, the most luxurious one dating back to the 14^th century, appears in sight. I arrived before most of the international media which meant I had half a day to kill. And kill it I shall. I first spent some time sinking my eyes into the historic interiors of the hotel, today it would be considered a bit too old bourgeoisie with its golden chandeliers and pink patterned wallpaper But I love it, and I was lucky enough to be one of the few who got to stay in the “older” section rather than the renovated one. The sound of the staircase cracking beneath my feet became a source of joy, and the walk to and fro my room, a loophole into the past. I found myself wanting to run my fingers on the old wood…Now this.is.luxury.

Well Hello There! I love sensory indulgence ...

After indulging in the lovely surprises that greeted me on the dresser, I took to the streets. Oh how I love being lost in translation. Venice is a bit too touristic but if you walk far enough, you will find yourself in quieter calles and campos. I walked around for hours, without leaving any bread crumb trails. Along the way I did some shopping of course. How can I resist genuine Italian leather bags, so cheap yet so damn rich in quality? Or the unique, loose fitted and layered garments that are reflective of a nonchalant yet trendy style? This is my kind of shopping. I don’t care about labels, luxury for me is in the character and attitude that an item conveys. More so, it's about the story behind  it. “Welcome to Italy! Will you be joining us for dinner tonight? We are looking forward to meeting you!” This sms was sent to me 3 hours ago and now I was in the middle of nowhere and afraid I wouldn’t make it back on time! I drained the last bit of energy from my feet trying to find my way to a water taxi. The ticket booth was closed but the lady who operated the one heading towards my hotel was sweet enough to let me on and charge me nothing for the ride. If she hadn't done that, I would have had to walk back for an hour...which was physically impossible.
I put on my newest Italian purchase, a gray dress with ruffles at the bottom and a separate slouching top in macramé with a thick leather belt that wrapped across like a ribbon....

My Italian dress without the belt though...

I met up with the Italian journalists in the lobby and of course began to express my appreciation for Italian taste.  The Milan team, the sweetest duo, made sure I didn’t feel left out when the group got carried away in Italian. Even though I was enjoying it. “Venice is one of those magical places that we never get bored of,” says the Milanese editor at Vanity Fair Italia. “It’s very expensive to maintain these houses that’s why most of them have been turned into hotels and businesses and people choose to live in the nearby towns instead.” This is also why Venice was dead and deserted during the night, because most of the people there were either tourists or employees working during the day. Although they all knew one another from before, it wasn’t long before they made me feel welcomed, over a nice meal, delicious wine and funny industry stories.

***TO BE CONTINUED***