Fashion Week: A Member's Diary

I've attended fashion weeks before, as a buyer, as a journalist. But this was the first time I went as an Aksal Black Diamond member, with invitations arranged through the program. The difference was notable from the moment I arrived in Paris.

The Balenciaga show was first. Front row, which sounds like a cliché, but there's a reason it matters: you see the fabric move, the construction under stress, the way a piece is intended to be worn rather than photographed. These are things that affect your decision to buy — or not.

What struck me most was the access to the private after-show at Fendi: a conversation with the creative director, an early look at pieces not yet publicly announced. This is the intelligence that changes how you think about your wardrobe over the coming season.

I came back with three pieces and a completely recalibrated eye. That is what the Diamond tier makes possible.