A MINI PARIS ADVENTURE

Maggie Smart - 9 Oct 13

Maggie Smart, Director of Macandi Showrooms and Folk, shares her experience of travelling to Paris for buying appointments with her new son, Finlay, 4-months-old

• My timing hadn’t been great having a baby during SS14 sales and I felt torn between my commitments – to my team, my brands, my customers, and to my son.

• Finlay has been at the showroom for key appointments this season and was so charming with the customers that it felt like the sensible solution to take him with me to Paris. Usually I would visit for at least a week but a 48-hour trip was the compromise so this was a whistlestop tour.

• An hour out of London on the Eurostar, he started to dribble and babble over my shoulder at a woman who was soon chatting back and telling him how sweet he was. I turned to say thank you and realised it was none other than Victoria Beckham along with 3 of her team. She was getting paparazzi ready with her make up but was very sweet (and smiley!)

• On arrival in Paris, first stop was an appointment with one of our new brands, Charlotte Taylor. Finlay burst into tears on arrival but I soon discovered he has an eye for print – he was completely and utterly mesmerised by the quirky prints in Charlotte Taylor’s SS14 collection.

• We then went to the Woman show where Folk was showing, and Finlay got lots of attention from the exhibitors. Who knew the Parisians were so hospitable? Every single metro without fail at least 2 people offered a seat to us – that never happens in London!

• Day two was a mix of trade fairs and showrooms, meeting with international agents to find out what is selling well for them and to see if we can pick up any exciting new brands or AW14. Having a baby with me in appointments has been lovely; I have got to know clients that little bit more as they share stories about their children or parenting experiences that they would have never shared before.

• Paris was different this time because at 5pm I would usually be thinking that it was “wine o’clock” and attending events and dinners in the evening; this time it was thinking about bath time and bed for Finlay, with a movie for me on the iPad.

• The VB moment was amusing but I have to say my trip highlight was just a small thing – morning sun shining and strolling through Paris with my son for the first time was just quite a special moment in itself. I felt like Maggie again, not just a Mum, and thought – ah this is how it should be done!

• Other than his meltdown on the return leg of the Eurostar it was such an easy trip with the baby. He loved all the attention he received from the friendly faces. That said – if I were there to write sales orders it just wouldn’t be practical. I’m not sure how much work it’s really possible to get done with a baby in tow.

Maggie Smart

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