EXT TIME someone
tells you that Paris is
@ ahead of us in fash-
ion, say ‘Balllloney.”’ Ditto
next time you hear it’s more
expensive than Vancouver
‘— or that it’s a nicer city.

Louise Aird
BRIGHT LIGHTS |

! went there for “Vendanges
Avenue Montaigne,” a client ap-
preciation night hosted by the
“merchants” on this most chic of
avenues,

The merchants include Dior,
Cartier, Escada, Sander, Vuitton,
Caron, Rochas, Ferragamo, and
Mugler, so partiers were dressed to
the nines.

The street was blocked off, each
shop had its awn party, then
everyone spilled on to the street.
Great fun. oe

In the middle of this was the Ca-
nadian Embassy, which had the |
largest party.

At least 1,000 people were
greeted by Canadian Ambassador

‘Benoit Bouchard, former Minister
of Health and Welfare, Transporta-
tion, and FOB (Friend of Brian). |

wt: aS 4
KEN THOMAS, Aboriginal Eco-
nomic Program chairman.

@
%

hear the July arrival of Bouchard
and his wife Jeannine caused a stir
— it’s much more prestigious to
have a former MP (as opposed toa
civil servant) as ambassador.

Bouchard’s job, I’m told, is the
only post guaranteed a PQ politi-
cian (er, what about prime
minister?) and he is enjoying
himself. Jeannine, who's very nice,
says she misses Canada but that
she’s glad to be out of politics —
people are nicer,

But she should watch what she
says.

| noted that she was wearing
YSL. She said she tries to wear Ca-
nadian but that ber dress, by Mon-
treal’s Michel Robichaud, arrived
late and too big. She'd forgotten
that Vancouver's Dorothy Grant
was staying two blocks away, and
then said something abaut there
being few Canadian evening wear
designers. ;

| said that Vancouver's
Catherine Regehr is one of North
America’s top evening wear de-
signers, and that North Van‘s
Feizal Virani is no slouch. Blank
stare. :

Western Canadian designers:
call External Affairs.

Canadian fashion was one of the
things promoted at the embassy,
specifically First Nations fashion,
and Dorothy Grant's clothes were
displayed while Okanagan wine
was served,

| spoke with Regina’s Ken
Thomas, chairman of the
Aboriginal Economic Program.
He's done his job — Arctic char
from Cambridge Bay is selling in
France and Germany, and Saska-
toon wild rice is available in.2,000

tne o

French stores.

| met Canadian singer Patsy
Gallant, who's in Paris doing
StarMania, the huge Tim Rice
musical which is running at the
Mogador, Edith Piaf’s old haunt.

Gallant has just finished doing
Piaf in Montreal and hopes to do
the show in Paris.

There was talk about the lack of
celebrities at the parties (he one
notable was the mayor's wife,
Madame Chirac) and the lack of ti-
Ues (the only titled person was
Vancouver's Aline Dobrzensky).

There may have been politics
too — the whole street was sup-
posed to participate but Laroche,

ulgari and Harry Winston were
decidedly dark (Ricci’s party was
the tackiest, Porthault's the most
boring).

Afterwards, die-hards converged
upon the art deco cafe at the
Hotel Plaza Athenee, where |
discovered that big hair is back,
but evidently you're supposed to
dye the first three inches of your
hair black; that it’s fashionable to
dig out your precious gems and
wear them all at once; and that
daily bathing has stil/ not caught

on,

Other fashion. Versace, Mon-
tana and Boss are cheaper here,
Chanel and Givenchy cheaper
there, | saw one dress | liked at
Balenciaga, but, wouldn't ya
know?, | was down to my fast
$7,000.

| wandered into the Galleries
Lafayette in the feather ankle boots
| bought at Woodward's two years
ago and saw them displayed under
the “New From Kenzo” sign.

Rubber shoes, jodhpurs and ver-

| H.H. SHRI MATAJI
NIRMALA DEVI

PS
ty

Thursday October 7th at 7:30pm
Robson Square Conference Centre

“In Sahaja Yoga ‘joy of God’ passes into the
hands of man and His light comes into the
heart of man as ‘Spirit.’”

For Information Call: 261-0203, 985-9391, 850-7475

OTTAWA RCHP Public Information Officar Danielle Polvier with
Canadien entertainer Patsy Gallant. ; ; aoe

Everyone smokes constantly,
ashtrays are passe.

| saw six cyclists and three jog:
gers. Driving is hip, exhaust emis-
sion controls not. Littering is ex-
tremely fashionable. The men
there don’t seem to mind all this,
the women look defeated.

So! get home and I'm (stuck, of.
course) on the Lions Gate Bridge ©
as the sun was setting. And they ~
call Paris the City of Light?

tical stripes are in, corduroy is
back, denim is out, For men,
brightly colored, non-matching
separates are in, as is being rude to
women, especially wives and
girlfriends,

As for Paris, it's taken a dive
since | was last there.

They're tearing up the courtyard
of the Louvre and half the Tuileries
to put in a parking lot and mall.
Dogs are in, pooper scoopers out.

an afternoon of

ER MUSIC |

performed by the

/PRO NOVA ENSEMBLE |

Join us in the relaxed atmosphere of
MOUNT SEYMOUR UNITED CHURCH
; on
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2:30 P.M.
and listen to chamber music the way
it was meant to be enjoyed

‘Featuring works by
Donanyi « Schubert ¢ Gordon Jacob

Performed by
The Pro Nova Ensemble with guest artist
Jerry Domer, oboe. Ensemble members are
Aurora Felde (violin), Audrey Nodwell (cello) -
and Hans-Karl Piltz (viola)

FREE ADMISSION

This concert will be repeated October 14, 7:30 pm
at the Ferry Building, West Vancouver

Mt. Seymour United Church is at 1200 Parkgate, North Vancouver =f
(North off Mt. Seymour Parkway just west of the Mt. Seymour turnoff)