My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in

My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine

A charming and insightful memoir about coming of age as a fashion journalist in 1980s Paris, by former Vogue and Harperâ‚¬s Bazaar editor Kate Betts, the author of Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of Style

â‚¬Å“You can always come back,â‚¬Â my mother said. â‚¬Å“Just go.â‚¬Â

As a young woman, Kate Betts nursed a dream of striking out on her own in a faraway place and becoming a glamorous foreign correspondent. After collegeâ‚¬"and not without trepidationâ‚¬"she took off for Paris, renting a room in the apartment of a young BCBG (bon chic, bon genre) family and throwing herself into the local culture. She was determined to master French slang, style, and savoir faire, and to find a job that would give her a reason to stay.

After a series of dues-paying jobs that seemed only to reinforce her outsider status, Kateâ‚¬s hard work and willingness to take on any assignment paid off: Her writing and intrepid forays into la France Profondeâ‚¬"true Franceâ‚¬"caught the eye of John Fairchild, the mercurial fashion arbiter and publisher of Womenâ‚¬s Wear Daily, the industryâ‚¬s bible. Kateâ‚¬s earliest assignmentsâ‚¬"investigating the mineral water preferred by high society, chasing after a costumed band of wild boar hunters through the forests of Brittanyâ‚¬"were a rough apprenticeship, but she was rewarded for her efforts and was initiated into the elite ranks of Mr. Fairchildâ‚¬s trusted few who sat beside him in the front row and at private previews in the ateliers of the gods of French fashion. From a woozy yet mesmerizing Yves Saint Laurent and the mischievous and commanding Karl Lagerfeld to the riotous, brilliant young guns who were rewriting all the rulesâ‚¬"Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, John Gallianoâ‚¬"Betts gives us a view of what it was like to be an American girl, learning about herself, falling in love, and finding her tribe.

Kate Bettsâ‚¬s captivating memoir brings to life the enchantment of Franceâ‚¬"from the nightclubs of 1980s Paris where she learned to dance Le Rock, to the lavender fields of Provence and the grand spectacle of the Cour CarrÂ©eâ‚¬"and magically re-creates that moment in life when a young woman discovers who sheâ‚¬s meant to be.

Praise for My Paris Dream

â‚¬Å“[A] glittering coming-of-age tale.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"Entertainment Weekly (The Must List)

â‚¬Å“Fashion and self-examinationâ‚¬"froth and wisdomâ‚¬"might seem like odd bookfellows, but Betts brings them together with winning confidence.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"The New York Times Book Review

â‚¬Å“As light and refreshing as an ice cream cone from the legendary Berthillon, My Paris Dream evokes the sights, sounds, smells and styles of 1980s Paris.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"USA Today

â‚¬Å“My Paris Dream is awesome.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"Man Repeller

â‚¬Å“What was Bettâ‚¬s Paris dream? Her dream was her awakening, [which] is elegantly chronicled in these pages.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"The Daily Beast

â‚¬Å“For those who are interested in the men and women involved in haute couture, Bettsâ‚¬ reminiscences will be a delight.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"Kirkus Reviews

â‚¬Å“Full of slangy French, delectable food and swoon-worthy fashion.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"BookPage

â‚¬Å“An amazing story of a young woman in Paris trying to break into the fashion business.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"Sophia Amoruso, author of #GIRLBOSS
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â‚¬Å“Kate Bettsâ‚¬s story brought me back to my own young self and the journey I madeâ‚¬"in my case, from a small town in Illinois to New York City.â‚¬Ââ‚¬"Cindy Crawford
Country USA
Brand Spiegel & Grau
Manufacturer Spiegel & Grau
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2015-05-12
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780679644422

Country	USA
Brand	Spiegel & Grau
Manufacturer	Spiegel & Grau
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2015-05-12
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780679644422

My Paris Dream: An Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction in the Great City on the Seine

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