What a dream. To live in Paris during Paris Fashion Week. To be surrounded by beautiful clothes everywhere you go. To walk down the street and watch street style photographers snapping pictures of all the insane outfits that will be listed in articles online the next day. To casually run into famous celebrities and models. It sounds perfect in theory, but I promise you it is not the case at all.

Now I have always listed fashion on the list of things I love. After being around what the world thinks of when they hear fashion, I'm starting to think people might make incorrect assumptions about me. I honestly believe the people who participate in fashion week don't understand what fashion is. It seemed like these girls would layer on as much designer clothing as possible in strange enough ways and call it a "look" and people eat that shit up. Everyone else at these shows and events act as though they understand and love it, but inside they are probably just as clueless as I am. Yet, everyone keeps it to themselves and goes along saying it's revolutionary and inspiring. It's all code for "I don't know how to feel so I'm just going to say what everyone else is saying."

It's a week all about following the crowd. They trick themselves into thinking they are being individuals and daring but the reality is they are following the mainstream by being "different." Nothing seen during Fashion Week would be considered attractive outside of Fashion Week. The funny thing is all of their "different" outfits look very similar, probably because they are all subconsciously copying whatever the supposed trend is. Well isn't that what these fashions shows are meant for? They are put on to show the trends for the next season. We are letting these designers and journalists decide what the world is going to look like. The creativity of fashion then lies within just a few people because they have the influence. As much as I love clothing, this concept is something that I will always struggle with.

I have always seen fashion as a way of self-expression. It's our way of creating a costume to tell the story of the character that is you. The whole idea that surrounds fashion week and trending goes against my idea of fashion. So if you ask me what I like and I answer fashion, I by no means am talking about this high-end stereotypical stuff, but just creativity through clothing in general. My dream is to create a brand with those ideals in mind for girls who are intimidated by the world of "fashion" kind of like I am. I think the one good thing about being here in the middle of Paris Fashion Week is that it reassured that this dream is really what I want to bring to the world in my life.

I'm happy Fashion Week is over now. The crowds of people are gone. I get my city back, free of pretentious "high-end fashion" tourists. No more secret fashion shows spread around the city. Just nice quiet Paris. It was an adventure, but I'm glad I got the Fashion Week bug out of my system.

xoxo
Julia Carrington