Diary Item - Haute Couture Spring Summer 2001
Less commendably I became entangled with a front row of top fashion scribes - paws everywhere - ending up in a very public and playful tug a war with Hillary Alexander of the Telegraph. Hells bells, my hunter instincts got the better of me. Sat between two VIP journos the photo op turned to hisses when I began ferreting for the Lacroix carnations under the chairs. Raised eyebrows turned to curt remarks, about it being a fashion not a dog show, as Hills, gamely tried to wrestle me into postion for the photo op. In the furore my assistant tried to spirit me away when a shriek went up from Hills. "I'm still attached!". Trying to exit in a dignified manner we were dragging the fashion editor of the London Telegraph out of her front row seat on the end of my lead!
Quelle fashion moment. The pictures were great and a framed copy was presented to Miss Alexander the very next day after Yves St Laurent for being such a jolly good sport.
Despite the lapse in decorum my Lacroix appearance was a huge success beginning backstage before the show even began with Monsieur Lacroix I was installed on a flightcase plinth and we mugged up. Behind the cameraman encouragement came from none other than Paris Fashion Queen Bee Marie-Christiane Marek. Before you know it she was in position for a snap.
Backstage at Dior it was a different story, I didn't put a paw wrong. The Sex in the City stylist and milliner Stephen Jones cuddled and the seamstresses were angels. Noticing I was a little dry they improvised a Dior dog bowl for some Evian. I lapped it up!
But before the show had started I was on front row patrol and sidled up to Liv Tyler and her Brit boyfriend Roy, now New York-based and in band Atomic Kitten. Meow! Next to Liv No Doubt's Gwen Stefani and gave great face we did in an art shot, lining up with the illuminated stripe on the catwalk's edge.
And then there was Sophie Dahl so pleased to see me for the first time when as a young debutante I popped into Paris fashion shoot. Ms Dahl was a complete dream. Atop the Dior catwalk we struck a happy pose. Afterwards I popped my head between Jaquetta Wheeler and Sophie but unfortunately it was those paws again. Poke, pow, wham into the ampleness of Sophie's bosom.
Snap. The ecstatic (!?) of the flailing paws meant back at the lab it was revealed the ladies both had their eyes wide shut. Shucks!