The Observatory of Light

Enza Costa top (c/o Shopbop)
Aritzia skirt (similar)
Jonak flats (similar)
APC bag
Rosefield watch (c/o)
Strut Jewelry ring (c/o)
Madewell ring
Keltie Leanne Designs earrings (c/o)

I love colour. I know, I know, that sounds absurd coming from me, but I actually do. My appreciation of colour just doesn’t extend as far as wearing it. I spent most of my teen years at work on some kind of art project, whether it was painting or collage. I see an array of hues and shades where many people just see red or pink. The Fondation Louis Vuitton has been on my list of places to visit in Paris since it opened in 2014, but when we arrived in Paris this year, Daniel Buren’s the Observatory of Light exhibit was on and I had to see it because of all the colour.

The visit left me so inspired that I wrote about our experience walking under the colour glass that made up the Observatory of Light within a week of our visit. But I’ve held onto the photos we took of my outfit from that day for months, saving them for exactly the right moment. Why? Because this was the first day during our three months in Paris that I wore an outfit that absolutely felt like me. We had been in Paris for four weeks and I was just beginning to sort out my style versus the clothes in my closet. But as I wandered under the colourful sails in the Observatory of Light, I felt entirely like myself. I remember saying to Ian, “This is how I really dress, isn’t it? But how would anyone know that?”

It seems strange to think that the Observatory of Light, with its vivid colour reflections, inspired me to embrace wearing even less colour. But that’s exactly what happened. I felt perfectly at ease in monochromatic black while walking under a rainbow.

These days, navy and brown do sneak into my outfits occasionally. I love my cognac coloured bags and boots from Sezane, especially with an all-black outfit. But those are the only two colours left in my wardrobe, which is otherwise all black, white and grey. And I couldn’t be happier about that.