“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.
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| The first 4 pages of my Venice trip |
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| 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.
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| 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 14th 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.
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| Well Hello There! I love sensory indulgence ... |
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....
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| 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***
HAPPY INSPIRATION! :)
