Well the title sounds very interesting but perhaps it’s not...I just think it is worth telling my little story, as it makes me smile every time I think about it.
I was about 30 years old and as well as designing clothes for lots of famous people like Sandy Shaw and Julie Christie in my boutique called HARRIET I also worked 3 days a week for a group of shops called WALLIS shops as an advisor. I helped create something special called PICK OF PARIS…read my story about that in my website www.shoestringbooks.co.uk.
I was working late in my studio when I had a call from Jeffry Wallis saying “I want you to go with Lady Rendlesham to Paris tomorrow to meet Yves St Laurent. Tomorrow! You are both booked on the 6am flight to Orly Airport where a meeting has been set up with him. This is an amazing chance for Wallis shops so don’t let me down.” The line went dead. That was what Jeffry was like!
About 10 minutes later Claire Rendlesham called me. “I hope you have your passport to hand. We are not staying the night so don’t bring luggage. The car will pick me up first and then come on to Kensington to collect you. The car will be with you at 3am. Don’t keep us waiting.”
Now let me explain. I was young and very important as I was the new inspirational woman in the fashion world BUT Lady Claire Rendlesham was one of the most important dictators of fashion, she worked for Vogue, she was terrifying, she could look at you and if you were not strong you could be reduced to tears. She thought she was the ‘cat’s whiskers,’ and I suppose she was, so I didn’t sleep much that night as you can imagine.
Before I went to bed, (hardly worth it really) I worked out what I was going to wear. Simple is best. A classic pencil skirt and a round neck sweater, can’t go wrong I thought but just before I shut my eyes I added my new mink tie and a black jacket. Yes that is right and then fell asleep.
The car came. Lady R was sitting bolt upright with a glazed look. She nodded to me and we set off to the airport. Not a word was spoken.
When we got to the ticket desk she threw her enormous full length mink coat around her shoulders and pointed to one of the porter to collect her ‘make up bag.’ She obviously was about to stay for a little longer than me. Anyway the flight was fine and still not a word. I wasn’t sure what to do I thought we should be preparing for the meeting. I had made a few notes and when I mention it Lady R flicked her hand towards me so I think she meant ‘don’t bother me’…or was it ‘don’t mix with me kid!” Who knows.
Once through customs we were shown into small room which had painted black walls. The lights were low and I wondered if we were in the wrong place but no…this was where we were meeting the great HIM!
We sat in silence waiting. If it was now I would have said ‘what the hell is the matter with you?’ Or, ‘So what the hell are we going to talk about?’ But that was then and not now, so I just rummaged through my bag and lit a cigarette. I put it out almost at once as I knew it was not right but I was really nervous. Then the door crashed open and 2 men came in with an elegant man behind them. It was Yves. We all nodded and someone bought a Cafetiere of coffee.
I sat upright and pretended to be making notes. At once Yves and Claire started talking, well I speak some French but not at the speed they were talking. At first I caught the odd word, so I jotted it down. Then another word, then another and my note book read…Soldes, that means Sale I thought, then all the other words didn’t make sense but I thought I could bluff them all so I just nodded and said ‘Oui,’ and from time to time and the occasional ‘non.’ After half an hour of this my lids felt heavy and I felt that I would have to close my eyes just for a second. Nobody would notice…
I felt a nudge, then another nudge from Lady R but I had to sleep and I did sleep through the whole meeting.
The meeting ended and Yves came over to where I was slumped over my notebook and said’ bon nuit ma petite.’
The shame. The embarrassment . How could I have slept through the most important meeting in my life.
The day later a beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived at my studio...the note on the card just read. ‘ma belle mademoiselle!’ Y.
Lady R did in fact open several SOLDES shops for Yves and together they made a heap of money selling all his old stock. Thinking back now I realise that the meeting was a front, a way to get Wallis to foot the bill for the plane tickets...the cheek of it…but I did get to meet him and he did send me flowers so I was one up on ghastly Lady R…
