Ahhhh, springtime in Paris...Tiny little green buds on the trees, bright jonquils and saffron dotting the meadows, blue skies, fresh strawberries with creme fraiche, bustling mornings with happy enfants walking to school in packs past a fast moving river Seine, jewel like Ile Saint-Louis and Ile de la Cite winking out of the water, Eiffel tower doing it's romantic Christmas tree nighttime routine and warm croissants straight out of the oven (damn freaking delicious croissants totally ruining my record 3 month gluten free run! ). I hate to be so lyrical, so positively full of sparkling, wholesome adjectives but unfortunately it is all true - it is so disgustingly beautiful and horribly nice this Paris in springtime business that every time I wish I was staying, perhaps in a little attic apartment somewhere up high, on the end of a 5th floor walk up, where I could eat all the croissants and drink all the wine I want because, let's face it , when you live up a 5th floor walk up, you are the epitome of that book "French Women Don't Get Fat".

Look, I could talk about food all day, but in Paris, fashion is equally as important, in fact, this is the epicenter, the Vatican of fashion. Other cities might try to deny this but they are the spurned ugly stepsisters just being jealous. So for my newest Coach edit, I wanted to take on the patchwork trend that is currently sweeping the world. A bit 70s and all art class, patchwork is not so much a trend as a way of incorporating different ideas, textures and colors into a unified new entity. For late Spring 2015's collection Stuart Vevers has remixed the classic turn-of-the-century bandana prints and combined them with denim and florals, for an uncontrived femininity inspired by the wilderness of the American Prairie Badlands. Prints such as Badlands Flora, Bramble Rose and Bandit patterns, either printed or appliquéd on bags and accessories or introduced on rugged blue “demin washed” burnished leathers create a modern iteration of one of America’s most loved style propositions. I mixed this gorgeous bag with some great new season patchwork pieces and took it all out on a spin in the iconic Luxembourg gardens ...

(Above and here: Coach Americana bag, Karen Walker top, Topshop skirt, Proenza Schouler booties, Olivier Peoples X Isabel Marant sunglasses)

( Coach Americana bag, Lover trench coat, Tigerlilly top,Citizens of Humanity jeans, vintage Marc Jacobs sandals )

( Coach bag and sweater, jeans and shoes as before)