How was the Vuitton family home & museum in Asnieres?
The house was lovingly maintained by subsequent generations of Vuittons. My eyes were drawn by the brilliant blue ceramic fireplace, while around the walls, in delicate shades of cream, pink and green, that created an atmosphere that is at once joyful and serene. The garden seemed to spill over into the house, preserving a little haven of tranquility alongside the busy activity of the workshop next door. The Travel Museum brings the history of Louis Vuitton vibrantly to life through some of its most celebrated and outstanding creations.
Sonakshi Sinha is one PYT who is definitely on a roll. After making a smashing debut and also becoming one of the most sought after brand ambassadors by many FMCG companies, she is in the news yet again. The actress was at Paris recently to attend the Paris Fashion Week.
Satish Sundaresan of Bollywood Hungama caught up with her for an exclusive tete-a-tete about Fashion week, her brands and much more!
Sonakshi, to start with, how did you get invited for the fashion week?
The Louis Vuitton team from Mumbai contacted me directly as they felt I had a fashion connect and was the right mix of Indian as well as international appeal. That's how I got invited!
How was the feeling when you got invited?
It was surreal actually. For someone who is just one film old, it was a great honor to represent India. In short, it was absolutely fantastic. I even tweeted about how it was my most extravagant fashion experience till date! Taking in all the beautiful sights and sounds, the grandeur and finally the glamour will always be memorable to me.
Can you share some of your experiences about your experience of the fitting and shopping session at the Champs Elysees Store?
Firstly, walking into the store was like being in Louis Vuitton heaven. A large store, with great selection of shoes, bags, belts, wallets, clothes and so much more. Any girl would give anything to be in my place at that time. There was excellent variety to choose from and was probably my quickest trial ever because the clothes just felt like they were…made for me! After a quick selection of what I would wear, the process of matching shoes and bags was fun as well.
How was it to attend the first Fashion Week in Paris?
It was like unlocking a whole new world altogether. It was very beautifully organized and the rush and excitement was a notch higher than what it usually is here. I felt like the complete Diva! Hair and make up being done by professional Frenchmen who have worked on some of the most beautiful faces in the world, a brush with international paparazzi who appreciated my look immensely, and front row seats! What more could you ask for? And also sitting in the front row - with other celebrities - Uma Thurman, Olivia Wilde and seeing Kate Moss walk the ramp was absolutely amazing!
Tell us your first hand experience when you got introduced to fashion icon - Marc Jacobs?
It was brief but memorable. He was soaking in the success of the show and I just had to be a part of that! He's a lovely person and very cordial, thanked me for coming to watch his show all the way from India, to which, I said the pleasure was all mine. It's always a great feeling when your look is appreciated, but when an icon like Marc Jacobs does it, its great!
You also toured the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton. Can you tell us about that?
Being an artistic person, I always make sure I get a chance to explore art culture and beauty of any place. Thanks to Louis Vuitton, I got the chance to do that in Paris! Although I dint get to go inside the Louvre, the outside was architectural brilliance at its best. Needless to say that the Eiffel Tower was truly a marvel in itself! The Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton was a very interesting place to be in. The themes of their exhibits changes every 3 months, this time round, it were the Indonesian arts, which were very colorful and vibrant.
Did you visit the 'Special Orders Workshop'? If yes, how was the experience?
In the workshop I was showed the entire machinery, the labour, the leather, the tanning process and much more that went into making the shoes that I was wearing! It was so very fascinating, especially from an outsider's point of view. The whole thing was even more fascinating for a person like me, who has studied fashion but never got to the manufacturing part of it! Overall, it was a great learning experience which I'm sure, that I will remember for the rest of my life!
