Marie V in Paris

I once again found myself surrounded by bustling Parisian life and unfortunately I had such limited time in Paris I was unable to source new fabrics. However, in the following weeks more fabrics will be arriving, so watch out for new products.

It was however a wonderful weekend filled with long, interesting days and glamorous evenings.

I found myself invited to the 'Ultra' catwalk held at the prestigious Place Vendome. Aside from the glamorous location, I wasn't prepared for the scale of the event. With over 700 people at the show, we found ourselves amidst beautiful French gardens in the heart of built-up Paris.

The entrance hallways were lined with floral displays caged in glass 'cloches'. And then the floral displays transformed into edible floral displays under the glass cloches, and then I realised I wasn't quite ready for this spectacle.

A superb line-up of contemporary finger foods were dotted around the gardens alongside several bars serving champagne; what else when in France? The finger foods were delicious, in particular a foie-gras rolled in filo-pastry and deep fried. The foie-gras inside was warm and melting.

The peak of the evening, at least this pre-show part of the evening, was a hollow sphere of chocolate filled with red berries and cream, showered with warm chocolate sauce. Not the easiest 'finger food,' chocolate balls were shooting across the Place Vendome. Wearing a white vintage dress I understood this chocolate ball would have to be avoided at all costs.

The Ultra fashion show was a catwalk celebrating lingerie and swimwear brands across the globes. Over 60 brands submitted hand-made prototypes inspired by travels across, Africa and further afield. Corsetry, lingerie and swimwear were styled with jewellery, lace, leather and millinery for a fabulous catwalk show. Top brands such as Cadolle corsetry to independent brands partook in the show.

The laces were inspiring, the delicate trims and intricate detailing of the laces have inspired me to collect further vintage laces and to incorporate these into my work, whether framed or simply as details on cushions we'll have to see how the design progresses.