Paris is one of the 4 major fashion capitals and its semi-annual Fashion Week closes the Big 4 series. This event is attended by the fashion’s who’s who and international celebrities in the homeland of haute couture houses like Channel or Yves St. Laurent. For this March edition, among the ‘crème de la crème’ was Gael Froget, a Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) student. This young fashionista experienced one of the biggest fashion world’s events from the inside. This ambitious lad tells us how he went from Mauritius to Paris via Kuala Lumpur.

Gael Froget has always known he wanted to be a fashion designer. After high school the Mauritian put his design chops to the test by interning at IV Pl@y, a Mauritian street wear brand, and soon became the designer’s main assistant. He later started his own brand “Razzmatazz”, under which he created a line of recycled garments named “Refashion”.

However, recognising that he needed to develop his knowledge and skills further in order to move up in the industry, the grounded young man decided to pursue a Fashion Design and Retail Diploma at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.
“I had no clue that this decision would lead to such an amazing experience!” exclaims the 24-year old designer of his journey to Paris Fashion Week, the most definitive fashion event of the big four series (the others being New York, Milan and London fashion weeks).

Gael had met Syeba Yip, Malaysia International Fashion Alliance’s (MIFA) CEO at the Malaysia International Fashion Week’s (MIFW) when he, together with LUCT’s fashion design students, volunteered as crew members of the MIFA-organised event. Yip invited him to do an internship with her organisation, an offer that would pave the way for Gael’s unforgettable Parisian adventure.

“It’s great that the University encourages industry integration in our learning process. Working on MIFW gave me the opportunity to meet one of the most important players in the Malaysian fashion industry and opened the door of opportunity for me,” he says.

As part of the MIFW, MIFA had organised the “Trip to Paris with MIFA” contest offering one winner an once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris with MIFA and a photo shoot crew during the biggest fashion event of the year: Paris Fashion Week.

Since Gael is a native French speaker, it was natural that he was asked to plan the trip and accompany the team.

An irresistible offer, an experience of a lifetime

The working trip was packed from the moment Gael landed in the beautiful city. The busy trip schedule saw him rushing from photo shoots for Malaysian magazines to fashion shows, visiting tradeshows with the MIFA team and networking with the industry’s elite. “It was a hectic trip with much to do but to be honest, it didn’t feel like work because it was such a privilege to be part of the Paris Fashion Week,” he says.

A typical day in Paris for Gael started at seven in the morning. Fashion shoot days kicked off with morning makeup sessions for the models, among them Deborah Henry, MIFA’s face of 2011 and Miss Universe Malaysia 2011. “By nine, the whole crew is out of the hotel and headed to the day’s photo shoot site, which included iconic destinations like the Petit Palais,” he explains.

With temperatures dipping below five degrees Celsius, the outdoor photography sessions were tough on the models as well as the crew, Gael recounts. “My task was the film the behind-the-scenes of the photo shoots. It (filming) was new to me but the photography module at university helped, particularly in framing and lighting techniques.”

Afternoon and the evenings were dedicated to trade visits and fashion events. Gael had the opportunity to visit the Tranoï Tradeshow a couple of times during his time in the French capital. “I chose to spend my time at two venues: Carrousel du Louvre and Montaigne,” he shares.

“The first is at the famous Louvre Museum and features lesser known but very avant-garde fashion designers who push the boundaries with their innovative and experimental work. Montaigne Gael was primarily focused on luxury fashion. I discovered many high-end designers like Farah Khan, Jonhn Rocha and La Petite S*****, which was simply amazing.”

As the fashion week is also a big networking opportunity, many fashion industry players from around the world congregate in Paris including those from Malaysia. “I met many of the who’s who in Malaysian fashion, including fashion icon Dato’ Farah Khan, Founder of The Melium Group. I had the chance to share my work with her and hope to meet her again back in KL.”

The day ends with exciting after parties in some of the most luxurious hotels of Paris. The city is known to come alive even more during fashion week with the most happening events. Gael says he brushed shoulders with celebrities like Lenny Kravitz, Katty Perry, Kate Winslet, Jay Kay from Jamiroquai and French Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Carine Roitfeld at these parties. “I didn’t even recognise some of them at first!” he laughs. “They were just like everyone else.”

An Inspirational Experience

Gael says his whirlwind 10-day Parisian fashion adventure was a great experience that gave him fresh insights into fashion and the industry. “I have learnt the process of a professional fashion photo shoot, met many influential fashion people, soaked in the heart beat of fashion…and above all, I have been much inspired by the city, its people, architecture and culture. It was truly a priceless experience,” he concludes. 

Gael is sharing his experience and inspiration on the web. His pictures of Paris are published on his “street fashion blog”, United Streets of Style.