It is not for nothing that Ella Fitzgerald sang about April in Paris. The Wedding Edition set sail for a whirlwind trip to the city of lights, partnering with Nadine Merabi to celebrate the striking new spring-summer Untamed Glamour white dress collection. Invites were extended to five esteemed (and engaged!) guests: Emily Champion, Sian Lilly, Mercedes Benson, Veena McCoole, and Sophie Moulds, who hopped aboard a first-class Eurostar, bound for Paris.
At the end of a luxurious journey sipping Champagne, indulging in pastries, and many a wistful gaze out to bucolic stretches of Northern French countryside, the guests arrived at five-star maximalist Wes Andereson Xanadu, Hôtel Le Grand Mazarin. The salonnière-style hotel is the brainchild of singular interior designer Martin Brudnizki, who has built a unique sense of place through characterful, eclectic interiors, a joyful colour palette, plush textiles (including luxurious Maison Pierre Frey fabrics and Pinton 1867 rugs), and the thoughtful employment of some of the great French artisans, with handmade bronzeworks from Lucien Gau and epic Art de Lys canopies.
A quick refresh, a Nadine Merabi outfit change – think scene-stealing, sparkly boned corseted 60-style mini dresses, like the SIMONE, and two-piece suits (combining the NATASHA and CAMERON trousers) bottling that elusive Parisian ennui – and then it was time to head downstairs for lunch at Boubalé, ‘my little doll’ in Yiddish, the term of endearment Michelin-starred chef in residence, Assaf Granit, affectionately recalls his grandma choosing for him as a child. Guests settled in for a champagne lunch celebrating the diversity of the Mediterranean offering, pulling in influences from across the Levante to highlight Byzantine flavours and aesthetics: think vibrant, sprawling mezze-style sharing plates, wrapped up in a room filled with rich tapestries and textures (the sort of inspired interiors always synonymous with Le Grand Mazarin).
Guests popped out for some impromptu street-style photos with our beloved James Mason Photography, and then stretched out for an afternoon détente; some plopped onto plush beds for a quick kip, and others made prudent use of the gorgeous facilities at Le Grand Mazarin. Tucked at the bottom of the Hôtel’s 14th-century building is the most wondrous, fairytale mosaic spa. Guests reclined on deckchairs under the swoon-worthy celestial ceiling fresco by Jacques Merle, conjuring the poetic imagination of Jean Cocteau.
With the sun sliding down the sky and golden hour fast approaching, it was then on to the Tuileries Gardens, a symmetrical oasis at the heart of the city, for a champagne toast. Here, photographer James Mason snapped away at guests swapping macaroons, with Veena twirling around in the fluttering fringe, pearl, and white sequins of the Nadine Merabi ELLE dress, and Sophie cutting a romantic figure in the lace-lined sweetheart Nadine Merabi YASMIN dress.
As the sun set, the group headed to the glittering lights of Le Relais at Hôtel Plaza Athénée for a meal of French classics, executed to perfection by visionary chef Jean Imbert. Guests mingled in their Nadine Merabi favourites, with Mercedes and Emily in the LOTTIE dress, a sparkling flapper-fringe dress befitting the Art Deco dining room itself. Dappled by candlelight and twinkling piano, guests indulged in a veritable feast: langoustine Thermidor, beef tartare, and turbot with grilled white asparagus.
Carriages back to rest, and the dreamiest night sleep at our Parisian pied-à-terre. After a leisurely morning sipping cappuccino, feasting on buttery croissants and discussing the night before, it was time to bid adieu to bonny Paris.
The Untamed Glamour white dress collection is available at www.nadinemerabi.com, in the London Flagship store Location: 63 South Molton Street London W1K 5SU and selected retailers from 15th April.
To see the new collection head to: www.nadinemerabi.com
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