Paris Fashion Week always moves like a dream on fast-forward. It’s a blur of runways, fittings, and late-night calls that roll straight into morning glam sessions. But for Candace Marie, the real rhythm of the week unfolds away from the shows. It’s found at the table, in the chair and in those rare pauses that feel like luxury.
“Meals are how I recharge,” she tells us. “It’s where I find balance, joy, and a sense of home no matter how hectic Fashion Week gets.”
Cheval Blanc was her first stop of the week, where she and her assistant Fatou exhaled over dinner that felt like a soft landing after days spent racing between venues. The energy was calm, the view was cinematic, and the food reminded her that stillness is sometimes the best accessory.
Then came Waly Fay, her non-negotiable Senegalese spot. It’s a place that holds tradition and community in every dish. This season, it doubled as Fatou’s birthday celebration, a night filled with laughter, warmth and friends from all over the world.
Her latest discovery, Giuse Trattoria, quickly became an end-of-day ritual. The pasta was so good she went back two or three times. It’s the kind of place where a long day finds its reward in a perfect plate and a familiar face behind the bar.
No Paris week feels complete without Aminata, the London-based stylist who has become Candace’s creative counterpart. Together they built a sculptural, Erykah Badu-inspired hairstyle that grounded her throughout the week. “Hair is storytelling,” she says. “Each session with Aminata feels like a grounding conversation.”
Between shows, Candace found peace in the quiet corners of the Musée de l’Orangerie. It has become her personal reset spot. Standing in front of Monet’s water lilies reminds her to breathe and slow down, even when the schedule doesn’t.
There were soft, social moments too. She stopped by Dorothée Schumacher for coffee and sugar cookies, savoring the simplicity of a fashion pause. At the Empowered Vision Award Luncheon at Victoria Paris, she connected with women shaping the industry from the inside out. And she wrapped the week at VSJ Consulting, previewing new collections from SKALL, Malene Birger and LIÉ Studio, each one carrying the elegance and light that define Paris itself.
“Off the clock, Paris is connection,” she reflects. “It’s the laughter at dinner, the quiet moments between shows, the beauty tucked between the chaos.”
And just like that, another Paris Fashion Week closes. Not just with runway memories, but with the rituals that make the magic feel real.