French Free Summer Festival in Battersea Park

On Saturday 11th July, Battersea Park hosted the French Free Summer Festival to celebrate Bastille Day in London. For all the French living in London or anybody in love with that fantastic culture, this event was a must. Stand Out modelling agency could of course not miss such an event, France being one of the countries where fashion plays a major role.

London Macadam, organizer of the event, is a media group that wants to create links with French people living in London and last Sunday, they organized the second edition of the Bastille Day in Battersea Park, London. This year 8,000 people were expected to show up, wearing French fancy dresses, and believe me there were some very interesting things to see.

First things first, we go for a typical French breakfast: a croissant and some very good coffee. Then, we started strolling among the stands.

The first important stand at the fair is a stage-like venue with dancers of the highest level. Indeed, this year, the Lido (Avenue on the Champs Elysées in Paris) celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Bluebell Girls, famous dancers in Paris. They quickly took our breath away, interpreting glamorous Charleston and famous Cabaret Rouge French Cancan. The girls who must be at least 1m75 are dancing on such high-heels I could barely walk on them and sporting immense and feathery hats and costumes. The representation took place every hour during five to ten minutes, and then the Bluebell girls invited people to have their picture taken with them. I have seen more than a man go back with a smile.

The second stand that immediately catches my eye is entitled “Ooh la la vintage, Tara Starlet and Madame Tralala”. It’s a fashion stand. Soon, I am lost in the racks, finding a Paris vintage dress that seems to have been translated into today’s modern fashion. All very interesting, so much that I can’t stop myself from asking questions and soon I am speaking with Alice, one of the designer.

She and her friend Tara have been looking out for vintage clothes in Paris and transform these collection items in order to have them fit current figures (as she explained, today’s body shape is very different, “we are much more muscular than at the beginning of the century”, she said), expectations and tastes. These women are simply wonderful, I very much encourage you to go and take a look as their Bow Belle collection is soon to be launched: vintage dresses and hats, headbands, lingerie, stocking and tights, and most important, vintage SHOES! All a shopaholic fashionista needs to see is there!

Between the dances and my frenzy shopping spree at Madame Tralala, I played pétanque, ate tartiflette, macarons (some evil sweet biscuit filled with chocolate, champagne or vanilla cream. When you start, you can’t stop!), viennoiseries or French cheese and of course, oysters and champagne, all the best of French gastronomy.

To finish with, London Macadam organized a Bal Populaire. Everybody started dancing on a mix of old French and current songs and they all finished singing the French National Anthem, la Marseillaise. “Allons enfants de la Patrie, le jour de gloire est arrivé!” I’m going to Paris next time I have a holiday, don’t worry, I will keep you posted.

Written by Anne de France

Many thanks to Nancy for the beautiful pictures

Labels: summer festival

posted by Stand Out Model agency @ 10:46   0 Comments