Chic-Chic-Store

Well, I thought I had just about my share of surreal experiences this year but I think today just about trumped it.  So la la la la, off to Brussels I toodled (actually it was more like dragging myself out of bed to catch a 6.00 Eurostar...) today to be a part of the La Cambre school 4th and final year fashion students jury panel...

Of course little did I know, wired with copious cups of black Americano, I'd be thrust into a bright white photo studio for the students to show a selection of their silhouettes from their collections and to explain their work to us jury panel members that include...

...Jean Paul Gaultier as the jury president, the fashion director of Dansk magazine, designer of Lanvin menswear Lucas Ossendrijver, the studio director of Maison Martin Margiela, along with the designer of the Martin Margiela Artisanal line,  the studio directors of Max Mara and Sportmax and um.... err.... Susie Bubble (which they misspelt as 'Susy' on the jury list...nice...)...

As it was, bright white space, echoing voices, models standing around in extremely well-executed student collections (yup...this school officially rules in the European fashion school stakes but more about that later...) and my wired caffeine drenched brain were all elements to cause a bit of a mind warp. 

To then be seated next to Jean Paul Gaultier and for him to be laughing and smiling away (he is the smiliest man I've possibly met...) and then...and this is my cringe moment... very kindly translating what the students were saying for me because 'Miss Susie Numpty' comprends UN PETIT PETIT PEU de Francais....(thanks Mr Gaultier...).... and discussing the students' work with him as if I was supposed to be any sort of authority...well, that just pushed this day into Susie's Surreal Days/Dazed Chart...

I'm not surprised the students were shit-scared presenting their work.  I was on the bloody jury and I was feeling the fear...

The La Cambre jury shenanigans will continue until tomorrow but hopefully a trip to the (apparently) DIRT CHEAP flea market in Brussels tomorrow morning will jolt me back to the very familiar bargain hunting, food scoffing reality...