PARIS DIARY: PLANET ROCK

Courtney Love rocks V Loves Paris. PH Rad Hourani for vmagazine.com

Did the scattered models in the massive domed room on the 6th floor of Printemps twitch when Courtney Love climbed that makeshift stage, snatched her mike and screamed "Skinny Little Bitchhhhhhh!".Courtney couldn't have been talking about the supreme model in that room that night, Ms Kristen McMenamy who had been pacing the back walls in black lace before stomping up to TI and crew whispering dramatically, "Have you seen Riccardo?" It's the big " V Loves Paris" bash of course. Ms Love had just launched into her second number of the night, emanating God given rock goddess perogative in her white Givenchy lace bellbottom extravaganza. Because center-stage was such a cluster-fuck I had given up fighting for a ringside berth. Well actually, ringside was a long row of VIP seats (just one row mind you) where the blazing stars of the night were to have premium vantage points . You knew it was show time when at exactly 11am, Mr Lagerfeld came pumping in (however does one acquire that bow legged slink) with Sebastian and Brad Kroenig and Baptiste flanking him even as Riccardo Tisci came cutting through the opposite side of the room with his faboo crew. (Y'know like Kristen McMenamy and Lea T whom I have a massive Scoop du Jour on...more later)

I've now gotten used to that precise deployment of shade that only French VIP room security can truly muster. Just ask Liv Tyler. When she floated up late to that VIP circle to join the others of her privileged species, the door masters weren't having it. " She's Liv Tyler!" wailed the lovely lass from KCD Paris, splitting the TY-LER into two thunderous syllables. "Its uhm-possiblllle. We are at fire AZ-ard" barked the besuited security-master, proving that he too could split syllables to disastrous effect. A few minutes later, the magic mantra "Lord Of The Rings" puts the TY-LER in perspective and the radiant Liv is allowed to join her flock. Miss Love did indeed give a performance of healthy duration, so much so that I found myself completely distracted by the huge white ball floating in the center of the domed palace that was that 6th floor. Seriously for a department store, Miss Printemps boasts a grandiose dome that is seriously "basilica" . It could have taken its place in Constantinople with no shame (or twitching). So with Love roaring in my ears and my eyes transfixed by this glittering dome, the real visual genius of this event staging was that white ball flashing a live video feed of Courtney's carrying on. The hiking of the lace pantsuit (don't you want one now), the wailing of the guitar, the messiah poses with the mike. OK now I get it.

You have to give it up to V and their parties. They commit. Champagne gushing like the myth of them 70's soirees, the endless parade of little trays of food, boldfaced fashion stars cruising the cute boys and girls down, chic little French teenagers tongue locked like nobody else was watching and then there was the sighting of this gorgeous young queen in a serious Chanel Homme tweed jacket. Boucle and all. My eyes have seen the glory. All the blue chips kids were all out... from Charles Guislain to Madame Diane von Furstenburg to Mr Gan and Cecelia Dean of course. There's Gareth Pugh, Valentino's Matteo Marzotto, there's Olivier Theyskens, Rose Cordero, Nicola Formacetti, Daphne Cejas, Panos Yiapanis and all that hot and spicy contingent you saw in the Rad Hourani pics on vmagazine.com. Of course the long night gets messy. So messy that I'm swearing to dear friends that Princess TNT is in the house before I'm slapped and told that the lady in question is Maria Luisa. Ellen von Unwerth comes over to say hello which is eerie because I have only met her once before and that was like...10 years ago. Now that's what you call total recall.

Towards night's end my favorite new person in Paris, a badass chick named Michelle looks me dead in the pupils and says "Are you drunk? You seem like a completely different person now. You're actually relaxed". "Drunk? Possibly. Happy? Very." I counter. Planet Fashion may very well swing in a strange and erratic orbit but they really do know how to have serious fun up there, in that gilded basilica in the sky.

Kristen Mc Menamy, Panos Yiapanis and Mr Tisci get all up in Courtney Love PH Rad Hourani for vmagazine.com

Kicking up his Rad Hourani heels PH Rad Hourani for vmagazine.com

Party revelers carrying on: PH Rad Hourani for vmagazine.com