My Trip to 12

So here's the back story of that photo below: Last week, I cold emailed Filipa Fino, accessories editor of Vogue, asking if I could have the honor of presenting my bag line to her (well, that's almost how I said it) and got a response from one of her assistants immediately. Yes, I could come to Vogue, at 4 Times Square, and show my collection.

So, on Thursday of last week, I woke up my first morning in New York and put together - out of a hastily packed suitcase - an outfit worthy of Vogue. Miu Miu coat, vintage leather skirt, black tights, Miu Miu boots and a lovely silk, Gucci scarf.

When I arrive on the hallowed 12th floor of Condé Nast,

I'm instructed by said assistant to lay my wares out in the lobby. Yes, lobby. So I do. And they look beautiful. They ended up keeping white things from my line for a story they were doing. That is to say, a couple white clutches and a white iPad case made especially for them that day in Los Angeles and FedExed for the following morning. By my account, it was a pretty good initial meeting with Vogue. As I leave the building dragging my suitcase full o bags, I notice my reflection in a window at Times Square and think it's pretty cute with my giant Alpaca hat purchased at one of the only non-chain stores at the Mall of America, I think actually called the Alpaca Store, at Christmas time, so I snapped a picture. I love how you can see the black messenger bag on my arm, too.



After Vogue, I have a few other meetings around town. When I'm finished, I'm back out on the Manhattan streets with my suitcase promptly at rush hour. Something you learn very quickly while trying to hail a taxi in NYC with a large roller suitcase: cabbies don't stop for you because they think you're going to the airport and they only want to go to the airport at very certain times of the day. Not rush hour. So I'm freezing, extremely uncomfortable in my very high Miu Miu heels, when I discover that not only I've been walking in the wrong direction(!) but that I'm now on the corner of 5th avenue and Saks Fifth Avenue and I am about to cut my legs off at my feet if I don't purchase another pair of shoes immediately.

So I drag my big ol' suitcase through the very lovely aisles of SFA. Here I am waiting for the elevator. Observation: Hard to be classy with a black roller suitcase any place other than the airport. When I got to shoe department I tried on many sensible pairs of shoes.

But I settled on these. Sensible? No. More sensible than Miu Miu 4" heels? Yes. Thank you. I'll wear them out of the store. And, no I do not need the box, thank you.

With the new "sensible heels" on my feet, I stride back out onto 5th Ave with my mega suitcase in tow, and still no taxis stop. So when the 25th gypsy cab stops for me, instead of shoeing them off like the rest, I say yes, thank you very much, jump into my 80's stretch limo gypsy cab and arrive chez Simone many dollars lighter but very happy to be home away from home.

These are the types of flowers Simone keeps chez elle.
Ahhh, pour me a glassa!