A Parisian Education in Style, Slang, and Seduction

A Captivating Memoir of Coming of Age as a Fashion Journalist in 1980s Paris

As a young woman, Kate Betts nurtured a dream of venturing out on her own in a faraway place and becoming a glamorous foreign correspondent. After college, and not without trepidation, she took the leap and set off for Paris, renting a room in the apartment of a young BCBG (bon chic, bon genre) family and immersing herself in the local culture. Determined to master French slang, style, and savoir-faire, she was on a mission to find a job that would give her a reason to stay.

Despite a series of dues-paying jobs that only reinforced her outsider status, Kate's hard work and willingness to take on any assignment paid off. Her writing and intrepid forays into la France Profonde – the true France – caught the eye of John Fairchild, the mercurial fashion arbiter and publisher of Women's Wear Daily, the industry's bible. Kate's earliest assignments, from investigating the mineral water preferred by high society to chasing after a costumed band of wild boar hunters through the forests of Brittany, were a rough apprenticeship, but her efforts were rewarded, and she was initiated into the elite ranks of Mr. Fairchild's trusted few.

From the woozy yet mesmerizing Yves Saint Laurent and the mischievous and commanding Karl Lagerfeld to the riotous, brilliant young guns who were rewriting all the rules – Martin Margiela, Helmut Lang, John Galliano – Betts offers a captivating view of what it was like to be an American girl discovering herself, falling in love, and finding her tribe in the glamorous world of 1980s Parisian fashion.

Betts' memoir brings to life the enchantment of France – from the nightclubs of Paris where she learned to dance Le Rock, to the lavender fields of Provence and the grand spectacle of the Cour Carrée – and magically re-creates that pivotal moment in a young woman's life when she discovers who she's meant to be.

"You can always come back," Betts' mother had said. "Just go." And go she did, embarking on a journey of self-discovery and professional fulfillment that would shape the rest of her life. Betts' captivating memoir is a testament to the power of following one's dreams, even when the path is uncertain, and a celebration of the transformative experiences that can await us in the most unexpected of places.

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