Titles: Red Carpet Cow Girl
The personal shopping experience- a collaboration between Galeries Lafayette and Berlinsixsenses.
The department stores Galeries Lafayette in Berlin are now providing their customers with the opportunity to shop by appointment with a stylist. What it takes is some spending budget, a bit of desire to experiment, a lot of good mood. What you get is a real treat, starting with the makeup at your favorite cosmetics parlor, to end up with some key pieces, a glas of Moet et Chandon and hopefully a new way to look at yourself and your wardrobe. Because personal shopping is about taking people by the hand and leaving them a little further in their own style journey. And it has to be fun. A lot of fun! This at least is the philosophy of Sean St Lewis (Berlinsixsenses) and this is how his new personal shopping format in cooperation with<ahref=”http://www.galerieslafayette.com/”>Galeries Lafayette works.
We have been lucky enough to test it with the actress Manon Kahle, who not only possesses an american all natural beauty, but has the most charming playful attitude and sense of humor. The appointment is at 11,00 in front of the house. She comes in a check cotton dress and flat boots. Her long blond hair is pulled back in a pony and she is wearing eyeglasses. A bottle of water in her right hand and a smoothie in her left one: if this is what healthy living does for you, well we will start drinking red beet, too!!!
While Sabrina, atLaura Mercier, is doing her make-up (a primer hydrating as a base, followed by a frische kick, ballet pink baked eye color, mascara and lip glacé violet gloss with a mint and cherry taste) we start talking about fashion. Her do’s and dont’s.
“My personal style? Comfortable!” declares Manon. In Saxton River, the place I come from, there are more cows than people. Your clothes have to be functional.There is no question about it”. “Colors?” she continues “I hate violet!” (at this one Sean gulps). “Why?” Asks Sean. I don’t know. I associate it with the idea of being cheap. I don’t like neon colors, either. That’s because they are too far away from nature….You know what? Actually I am afraid of color, now that you make me think about it”.
It turns out that Manon, who can very well champion glamourous and sexy outfits when she is acting (you can see her starring in a recent episode of Vienna police television drama Soko Donau, and in the romantic horror movie by Andreas Schaap “Must love death” ) in her private life goes rather for a very safe, low-key dress code. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t want too draw too much attention to her stunning beauty.
“I am difficult, I know. But I would love to become more style savvy” she concludes. That’s a good starting point for Sean. He disappears for half an hour to come back again with a pile of clothes and many boxes of shoes. We head to the privée, a Private salon with a champagne mini bar and a changing room. Let’s take a look at Sean’s selection for Manon: nude and earth tones, steel blue, natural green… oh, but there are some red and some purple too! “Maybe she will change her mind…”.
The first pick is a olive green top and slounge pants by Patrizia Pepe, one of Sean’s all time favorite brands.The good thing about this very comfortable “peau the peche” and casual outfit is that you can easily turn it into a glam look if you only replace the denim jacket by Closed and Repetto ballerinas with a sand tailored blazer (also by patrizia pepe) a red clutch by Valentino and high heels by Pura Lopez.
“If you just take a good pair of trousers, three tops and combine them with the right accessories you can have up to ten different outfits with no big damage to your wallet” explains Sean.
One of the highlights of Manon’s personal shopping session is Sandro-Paris long pleated skirt, worn with the slightly pointed espadrilles by Castaner. A piece of true fashion poetry, that works with the Sonia Rykiel marine striped blouse as well as with Patrizia Pepe’s nude dress or tailored blazer.
But Manon is a practical girl. After trying on so many things, in the the end, she gets away with a pair of Closed jeans, an Odd Molly steel blue knit jacket and -her big favorite – a gray bandeau pleated dress by French Connection. Last but not least, a studded cluch by Karen Millen. Guess what color? Purple! For the Joy of our personal shopper….
Photography @Christian Del Monte
See the photos by Christian del Monte
Love Barbara!!!!!
