ATLANTA, Aug 17, 2004/ FW/ ---- One of the great things about working and living in Europe is that everyone gets a month off from work, usually August, something that is not done by my counterparts in the U.S.

Paris, like Milan and London, “closes” during August, as almost everyone is on holidays. So, although I might want to stay in Paris and work, there is really no one to interview or write about because most designers are somewhere else, other than Paris.

Another great thing about living in Europe is that we get roughly 20 holidays during the year. Compared to the 12 federal holidays in the U.S., and most companies only recognizing 8 out of those 12, I really get more time off than my U.S. counterparts.

U.S. workers have one big advantage though; they earn MORE money. Wages in Europe are very low compared to the States; hence, it is a trade off. I might get more time off than my U.S. counterparts, but their salaries are far higher than mine.

That said, it is already obvious that August is my favourite time of the year, not only because I take the entire month off for vacation, but because I have the opportunity to speak candidly and openly without fear of censure or need of praise.

Not all in what we fashion critics do is related to criticizing the work of others. Public relations play a very important part too. And because we must be in constant contact with those whose work we evaluate, it is sometimes not an easy thing to do all the time.

In spite of the sometimes deep and personal relationships that we sometimes forge those concerned by what we do, we try to remain objective at all times.

On that note, people often ask me,” Is your job always so cool or are there occasional problems that arise and take you by surprise?”

In reality the answer to that is a rather complex one. Anyone who has even the best of dream jobs knows that all professions have their moments of difficulty and awkwardness.

In January I was faced with a very difficult and awkward situation of my own. I bumped into the former couturier of a local fashion house that I had known for years. A good friend, who had also been his press attaché at the same couture house, accompanied him.

They asked me if I had attended the haute couture show of their former fashion house. This is the very same one that they had had just left under more than stressful circumstances. Needless to say, I felt very uncomfortable responding to that question.

I would have done anything to get out of that situation. I was even ready to lie. It was difficult because I had known the pair for years. I had even been their English tutor.

Well, my lie option was automatically ruled out as I was caught red-handed with a gift bag with the couture house’s name on it. The gift bags were special editions and had been created to distribute to journalists in attendance at the show.

How to tell them that I loved the show? How to tell them that I felt the show was a great improvement in terms of innovation over what the house had been known for? Not an easy one…

Well, I had no choice but to come clean. I felt really bad to speak so honestly at the time.

I often think about that experience because even though it may go by unnoticed by most, it made me realize that we journalists and critics have to be very careful in whatever we say.

I’m not pretending that our words could lead us to be blamed for a collapse in perfume stock prices, as had been Oprah Winfrey for the collapse of beef prices a few years ago. No, no, I would never be so bold as to say that.

However, if we don’t exercise the strictest of caution, feelings may get hurt and bridges burned. So we must always remain prudent so that awkward situations far worse than the one in which I found myself are not created for either us or for the people who count upon our objectivity and clarity.