There is no grey in Paris fashion this summer, only black and white and vivid colors; fushia, magenta, cobalt, lime, tangerine, and rose red.
There are magnificent prints; Sweet English flowers, Icat, African, Tropical, Liberty, Delft Dishes, Splashes of Neon color and even Zuber wallpaper scenes for pants.
There is black and white; polka dots, stripes, checks, plaids and stars. There is no grey, no caramel and no beige. There is white in the windows but not on the street as the only grey in Paris this summer is the skies.
While America is on fire, England and France are very wet. The roses however in all the city parks are perfect.
I arrived in Paris to search for the perfect strappy black shoes to wear on my next HSN TV show and I had to see the latest shoes from Little Moon, my first destination on 12 Rue de Roi des Sicile in the Marais. Carole Berger of China is the designer and the shoe last is total comfort and they are exclusive in France.
I brought back hot pink and purple hose for my HSN models wearing pre-Fall.
Of course for The Oscars, Emmys and MTV awards you can't beat Louboutin (especially if some one else is paying) and their pop up outstanding shoe this year is this all hand beaded bejeweled shoe in solid gold or diamonds but I would take the multi stone. It's perfection.
The handbags and shoes in Paris today are telling a tale that grey is gone. Here is the laminated purple bag. It is not to be worn with a grey dress but with an orange melon dress!
My second fashion destination in Paris is Vintage shopping for my design inspiration. I recently bought a striped blouse in SoHo that I can redo for next summer fashions. In Paris I shop at Corinne Than -Trong at 14 Rue de Beaune, Paris 7th , where this vintage Yves St Laurent beaded coat is paired with Chanel jewelry. Corinne later that night drove me and Sue Bloomberg (a big Chanel fan) to eat fish at L'Ecailler du Bistro, 22 Rue Paul Bert in the 11th arrondissement, and what FISH, 20 beautiful sweet ecrivisse as I've never tasted before and a fish platter larger than the table!
Menswear in Paris has also been thru a gay upheaval with demonstrations for and against and men's gay fashion is out of the closet and influencing the mainstream Frenchman who as my French son says is often just a fashion metrosexual .
Being a left bank junkie, I eat near my studio and shop on 21 Rue Bonaparte. Sunday breakfast is my joy. I eat my cafe creme and croissant at the Buci cafe on the corner of Buci and Rue de Seine, where I read the British Daily Mail for all the uncensored news and sit for a good hour watching the "Paris Cool "walk by. It is my favorite people watching spot on the planet as it also includes dogs.
My lunch is at Cafe Flore ( also Karl's place) or La Palette.
My dinner is at Brasserie Lipp (for 48 years) but La Societe, Ralph's and 21 are my new spots.
For a casual dinner do try Pere et Fils on the Rue de Seine. It is sidewalk dining restaurant at its best with casual gourmet food, good wine and more people watching in the famous Buci food market. Ah the smells; stinky cheese, fresh made breads, melons, beautiful young fashion models and more dogs!
Vicky Tiel began designing clothes 40 years ago in Paris and still owns a boutique there. See Vicky and her new collection on HSN and online. Her couture is available at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, and her perfumes are carried in Perfumania. Her memoir, It's All About the Dress: What I Learned in 40 Years About Men, Women, Sex and Fashion was published by St. Martin's Press in August 2011.