Special guest Laure du Pavillon (left) with 2011 French Exchange recipients (from left) Drew Williams, Peter Nguyen, Peter Yang and Lisa Relth at May's Spring Fashion Show. (Photo credit: Randy Brooke)

The Academy of Art University’s exchange students cross continents to learn their art (and craft), and get exposed to the capitals of Europe, the Far East, New Zealand and the four corners of the earth. We will be featuring reports from students (and faculty) about their exciting adventures, here and there.

The first installment comes from Peter S. Yang, a B.F.A. fashion design student who was awarded a scholarship to study at Studio Berçot through the school’s Sister City Scholarship Exchange in Paris. Peter’s report came in the form of a letter to School of Fashion Executive Director Gladys Perint Palmer. It was so sweet, and revealing, we felt compelled to share it with you. More traveler’s tales will be coming your way shortly.

Greetings Gladys Perint Palmer,

I arrived around 10:00 yesterday and met with my friend from high school who lives in the 14e of Paris. Honestly, the language barrier is so severe, without her, I would not know where to go or what to do.

But I am trying to adapt to the language and culture quickly. I am so in awe of this city; seriously, my first day here has felt like a fantasy. Aside from taking care of the essentials like finding an apartment, setting up a bank account and trying to attain a phone, I have been exploring the lifestyle of these beautiful people. My first day here was so relaxing.

I got a chance to see some delightful sites along the taxi ride from the airport – I briefly saw the President’s home, the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais (where Chanel shows haute couture) and a few other sites I could not retain. But sightseeing was not my first priority. I just needed to set up all of these errands before school starts on the 7th. We really took advantage of the fantastic Metro system (it seems difficult, but I think I can pick it up quickly) to complete these tasks. Along the way I was familiarizing myself with this magnificent city.

So far the standouts of my first day were the streets and buildings, the gorgeous men and the relaxed lifestyle of the French people. My friend Michelle and I really enjoyed just sitting at a cafe or restaurant for a couple hours having food, a glass of wine and cigarette embracing the weather, architecture and again emphasizing the most beautiful people around us. We did this maybe four or five times yesterday. I enjoyed it very much! It is so different from San Francisco in that the pace is slower and the people just really are enjoying life bit by bit. Why wouldn’t they? It’s Paris! People just love being around people and I love that! Everyone is so polite, greeting others as they walk into places. “Bonjour Monsieur”, “Bonjour Madame”, “Merci Beaucoup” and “Au revoir,” always with a smile.

I’m sure you know what it is like, so I do not want to bore you with my ramblings. I just wanted to take the time to tell you how much I appreciate this amazing experience. I did not have the opportunity to thank you so much for the chance you gave me to go on this exchange program. It feels like a fantasy being here and I cannot thank you enough for this. I really want to immerse myself in the culture and the people. It’s going to be really hard to make friends, I can tell already. But I will persevere! I’ll keep updating you on my journey. Thank you again for everything. I need to go back and cure this jet-lag soon.

Sincerely,

Peter S. Yang

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday’s presentation by Gladys Perint Palmer! The Executive Director of the School of Fashion recounted her experiences from the Fall/Winter Haute Couture shows in Paris this past summer and shared a few tidbits from the fun at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The insightful presentation took students behind the scenes of the maisons de haute couture in Paris. This past July, Gladys took a tour of Atelier Lesage, a famed embroidery workshop that creates beautiful embroideries for many of the top houses including Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy. This “backstage pass” was arranged by Laure du Pavillon, formerly of Christian Lacroix, who was an honored guest of the school last May. According to GPP (and we must agree), it is this dedication to preserve these types of traditional crafts that makes Paris THE center of fashion – where it is still an art. Du Pavillon recommended School of Fashion graduate Hyunjeon Jeong for an internship at Atelier Lesage, after he saw her work at the annual Graduation Fashion Show. After a rigorous screening process, she was offered the position at the Atelier.

Delicately embroidered chiffon and inspiration boards at the Atelier

Stitching the beautiful embroidery and the School of Embroidery next to the Atelier

Follow the jump for more! Read more…

Today’s Monday Morning Photo comes from our very own Gladys Perint Palmer!

The famous and ever-stylish Véronique Vienne was strolling along rue Bonaparte in Paris on Sunday afternoon and spotted my drawing in the window of Assouline. (It’s a Valentino Haute Couture.) Veronique, a former art director for the San Francisco Examiner’s Image magazine when I was the fashion editor there, is the author of “The Art of Being A Woman – A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter,” among other works. She’s also famous in many quarters for her sardonic accounts of being hired – and fired – at Condé Nast. Merci! Also to Prosper and Martine Assouline.

Happy Monday! Hope this beautiful photograph (and illustration) inspire you throughout the week!

We caught up with recent School of Fashion Graduate Maggie Mo Luo as she prepares to move to Paris for her internship with Sonia Rykiel, for which she was hand-picked by our honored guest Nathalie Rykiel, Sonia’s daughter, CEO and Creative Director of the Brand

How has your summer been, without the stress of designing a collection?
It was really great. But I felt a little bit empty. Maybe because I was so used to being busy. I was still taking two classes which is really fun. I learned a lot and it was really interesting.

How were your summer classes?
It was great. I took Corsetry and the Tambour beading class. It is all about hand work and couture technique. It will be really helpful for my future work in Paris I think.

Read more about Maggie after the jump! Read more…

Eric Holbreich is in the center wearing a shirt from his collection.

(Photo Credit: Billy Farrell Agency)

We wanted to catch up with B.F.A. Fashion Design Alumnus Eric Holbreich. In May 2010, he presented a women’s wear collection with Camille Bucu at the annual San Francisco Graduation Fashion Show. Since then, he has lived and interned in Paris and is now in New York. He tells us all about his Parisian adventures and why NYC is the place for him!

How long where you in Paris and how was it being there?

Living in Paris is like living in museum. Everything is very coiffed, the buildings, the gardens the people. I was there for a year and I felt it was definitely enough for me! Living abroad made me realize how much of an American I am and want to be.

Tell us about your internship at BLESS?

BLESS is an amazing company that gave me so many opportunities and responsibilities as well as creating friendships that will last a life time. I felt I was part of their family and at the end of my internship that feeling was validated with a job offer; however, I knew that my life was not in Paris and I declined it. Also on the last day of work they told me I had an interview at Balenciaga at 7 and that I should go home and get my portfolio. That was a little insane! I went to the interview and got the job but I ended up getting deported because of Visa issues. I had a feeling I should be in New York anyway!

Read the entire interview after the jump! Read more…

Videographer/photographer, Justin Wu makes videos of “the Boys of Fashion Week” with each Paris and Milan Fashion Week. In one of his latest installments, he keeps the momentum going and gives us a behind-the-scenes look male model hijinks:

It’s kind of weird seeing all of them acting not so model-like, isn’t it? But it’s still fun!

La Belle France:

Some scenes in Paris are belle; others, such as a Christmas shop in July are odd; and sometimes the message at the tea shop Angelina gets lost in translation.

Written by: Gladys Perint Palmer

Click here to read more of Picture This by GPP

Every year since 1991, there is this annual event called European Heritage Days in September — specifically the 17th and 18th of this year. Countries all over Europe open the doors of historical buildings (which are usually closed to the public). This year the people at Lanvin decided to join in on the fun. They will be opening the doors of their original office (which apparently hasn’t changed much from Jeanne’s days) at 22 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris.

On top of that, the famous fashion house is having a contest for a private tour of the office — but you have to work for it. If you go to Lanvin’s website, you have to take an online quiz with four questions about Lanvin which all must be answered correctly for the player’s name to be entered into a final drawing.

It would be interesting to see the office where Jeanne’s genius was at work, right?

Trust me. Going to Paris is a challenge. Returning, even more so. And once there, life ain’t easy either.

My luggage was not lost often just mislaid over and over and sometimes not entered in the “system”.

Two suitcases permitted from San Francisco to London. One suitcase allowed from London to Paris. Paid through the nose.

Internet in hotel room not working for 4 days. Padded to lobby at all hours in sleep-suit.

Very confusing. I draw by hand, with a fat eagle feather, add paint, pastel, glitter etc (Picasso said, “I don’t look for things, I find them.” Lucky Pablo –- if he had wanted to post a feather drawing he’d have found a carrier pigeon). Prepping a drawing that took 5 minutes involves hours of stuff: charge batteries, photograph drawing, download to iPhoto, enhance, consider, un-enhance, crop, email…

The fact is, as you probably all know, social media is for people who want to waste time because that’s all they have.

The first half of the Twentieth Century was famous for creativity in literature, art, dance, music, film, fashion. Everyone was not an expert, not even equal.

(Check out the 1924 Ballet Russes production of ‘Le Train Bleu’: Stravinsky, Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Chanel, Diaghilev.)

My Old Year’s Resolution. Turn off the BlackBerry and check emails twice a day and let friends, foes and followers on Facebook and Tumblr carry on without me for a few hours.

When I was asked to take over the School of Fashion in 1995, I suggested “Everyone must cut, sew and draw.”

Forget digital. Use your fingers.

Written by: Gladys Perint Palmer

Click here to read more of Picture This by GPP

Potholes are an urban epidemic in any city — and Paris is no exception. The street eyesores that are the woe for any driver and/or pedestrian can be repaired, but artist Juliana Santacruz Herrera has found her own special way to repair the holes — with a tad bit more style. Using dyed, braided, and coiled cloth, she fills the potholes strategically to create guerilla-like street art that is not only fun to look at but it alleviates the pain of potholes. Click the link below for more photos.

[Source: EcoFabulous.com ]