Daniel Faret: An Afternoon Au Bar
By Timothy Hagy
(Photo courtesy of Daniel Faret)
PARIS, Jan 25, 2003/ FW/ --- La Plaza Athénée is one of the most opulent and luxurious of
Paris hotels.
Though recently, a lack of well-oiled Arab sheiks has left a large proportion of the suites
empty.
At least Daniel Faret helped things out last Friday by staging his menswear show, the opening
event of the Paris Fall/Winter 2003-04 season, au bar.
After the most exigent of security checks, requiring four different controls, guests
were seated in lounge chairs in the pearwood paneled bar facing Avenue Montaigne.
Excellent vintage champagne was offered up in crystal flutes, and accompanied by a gourmands
treat: exquisite hors d'oevures elaborated in the kitchen of Alain Ducasse, one of the most
renowned of French chefs.
There were canapés of salmon fished from the most pristine lochs of Scotland, foie gras
from the finest of force-fed geese of Périgord; rosettes of slivered beef served with
mayonnaise perfumed with the faintest essence of horseradish.
Before the show, guests posed for photographs: impressive ladies sporting the best of almost
Lacroix smiled with men dressed to kill, in almost Armani.
The champagne flowed and flowed and flowed, to the point that one demoiselle seated just
behind had begun to slur her words.
And then it was show time.
To the soundtrack of "Diamonds are forever", the collection of black and gray was modeled by
handsome men.
Jackets and coats were full cut. Ties were wide. Lapels were medium. Trousers were affixed
with button up large pockets.
Fabrics ranged from gray pinstripe wool to black leather, and the preferred footwear,
well, that was riding boots.
One particularly regal redingote, with a trim of gold brocade was the climax of the
collection.
The piece itself was more convincing, than the look on the model's face when forced to
accompany Daniel Faret to the pit.
Ah! la dolce vita.
More is the pity that the most impressive memory of the afternoon happened not au bar,
but at the Dior Homme boutique across the street moments before the show.
Elton John and David Furnish were buying up everything in sight, and the singer was overheard to say on his cell phone "I'll see them at the Oscars".
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