MY MOTHER'S HIGH FASHION BACKGROUND CONTINUED
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I have fond memories of my own experiences with the Pierre Balmain boutique when I would come to Paris and visit my Mom at work after school once I had left Maisons Laffitte and was living in Paris at 11 rue Louis le Grand. I remember being invited to attend the Spring or Fall collections on the first floor where my Mom would reserve a seat for me. All the fashion photographers and the media people were invited as well as some special dignitaries and regular clients. It was exciting to be part of that crowd. I was fascinated by the beauty of some top models and how they walked down the runway, showing off the new collection and hearing the many ''Ohs.. " from the crowd. There were two top models I particularly liked the most, who were so kind to me and who would take the time to speak to Sylviane's daughter and make a big fuss over me once the show was over. They also brought me dolls from many countries, and that's how my famous doll collection got started. The whole Balmain boutique team were very close and would often go on vacations as a group.
Across the street was Nina Ricci
Boutique where my Mom's friend Madeleine
Martin was working and who supplied us with
perfume and cosmetics for many years.
Even after coming to the States, I had a
full year or two of Nina Ricci and Balmain perfumes I was lucky to use on a
regular basis as well as sharing them
with people around me . I did not
realize how lucky I had been till I ran
out of them after a few years. My
favorite P. Balmain's perfume was
Citronnelle with a lemon flavor that I
am still today trying to find to match
but unable to find and my Mom's favorite
was Vent Vert. Simone Paris was Mamy's sister who lived with her mother, Papy and myself in Maisons Laffitte. Tata was not lucky in love and soon divorced her husband Aime Mignon from Bourges. I believe he was a printer by trade. She moved in with her mother and sister when leaving Aime. Both sisters worked for Cristobal Balenciaga, a native of Spain, who was a leading high fashion designer, a contemporary of Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior and Chanel. Both sisters had a deep admiration for that man and were privileged to work for him. They absolutely loved and cherished those many years of hard work and did not mind a minute the long commute time of their daily life. M. Balmain was well aware that my Mom was a great admirer of Balenciaga and that she would sometimes wear a Balenciaga outfit her aunt made for her, how my Mom got around that, I still wonder! Tata was the fairy queen of sewing. She made so many of our clothes (my Mom's and mine) by hand as well as using her sewing machine, an old manual foot controlled Singer sewing machine, in the corner of her bedroom. She really had the dexterity, the fingers of a magician and could turn anything she touched into a work of art. So many fine stitches that would dissolve in the fabric, becoming invisible. I remember my sewing classes ou cours de couture in my elementary school, rue Saint Nicolas and how hard I tried to do my best for my homework, how big my stitches were compared to hers.
I can't count all the suits,
dresses, skirts and coats or redingotes or double breasted coats she made for me
when growing up and how I would spend
time trying on everything she made in
front of the large mirror of her
wardrobe in our bedroom of Maisons-Laffitte.
I remember waking up on Christmas
morning and finding a dozen outfits for
one of my favorite dolls, Wendy and Florence, laid out on the
bedspread, made out of fabric remnants
brought home from work. This went on and
on ... little did I know that, some day
she would lose one of her favorite
customers who would move very far away,
across the ocean and only keep her
niece, my Mom, as a regular customer
until Tata died of leukemia and bone
cancer in 1989 . Today I still wear her
navy blue coat (Chanel style) for church
and Mamy's brown coat as well (Chanel
style) since Tata went to work for
Chanel after Cristobal Balenciaga passed
away in 1972. Her whole world was La
Couture and her two nieces, my Mom and
I. She had nothing else and often
sacrificed herself for us. When our own
children were very young, she made their
clothes. Tata made my wedding dress. I
sent her the pattern and she made it in
a record time and it arrived just one day
before our wedding!! My sweet
husband made the veil himself and did a
great job.
Oh, how I miss Tata and how much I
look forward to seeing her again after I
go through the veil! I bet she is still
busy using her skills on the other side.
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