Paris Kyne in 2001 / 2002

February 2001 saw me embark on a buying trip to America and also a chance to ride the “Ghostrider” - the largest and the most technologically advanced wooden roller-coaster in the world. With another trip to Europe in July, firstly for a week at the London College of Fashion for Millinery Workshop II under Andrew Bristow. Then to Europe for supplies and Nancy in France, the home of the French Art Nouveau movement and Lalique glassware. Art Nouveau started playing a part in my life back in 1998 on my first trip to Brussels and Belgium and by this time its theories on design had branched out into every part of my life. So studying its origins and effects seemed only logical.

This year also saw the first piece of my work to go into a public institution. A pink and mauve headpiece, made for the 2001 Spring Racing Carnival marketing campaign. The image was shown on posters, banners and billboards all around Victoria and was acquired by the Australian Racing Museum.

 

Early 2002 saw the revamp of Gertie Hoff (the House of Paris) with a new, improved garden, including water feature and three fish named Helga, Olga and Iguana, new furniture in the lounge room, complete surround sound system in the living area and a new shower with tiles that want to stay on the wall in the bathroom.

London and Europe were again visited this year with two weeks’ work experience undertaken in the workroom of Frederick Fox Ltd in Avery Row, London. I had always wanted to work in London, so this dream finally came true. Whilst in Europe, I visited St. Gallen for the first time, saw Montserrat Cabelle perform at the Zurich Music Festival and went to World Expo 02 in Switzerland.

A few weeks after returning from London “The Theatre of Fashion” was staged at her Majesty’s. This was the first of the new look spring launches, staged in an unusual venue with the invited guests being only media, stylists, fashions on the field coordinators and people working in the P.R. industry. The aim of a spring launch is to generate high quality media exposure in the lead up to the spring racing carnival.

Late in the year, work commenced on “Miss Paris”, the first diffusion line of Paris Kyne - THE MILLINER. As I had often been heard to say, “Miss Paris is a younger, funkier, cheaper version of me”.