An Interview with Laura Reilly from Magasin
“Paris is a piece city—it’s focused on beautifully showcasing a singular garment”.
Hello everyone, hope you had a good weekend.
It’s boiling point hot in Paris... With AC being a scarce commodity in Europe, I am happy to be back at the office today. I was on a writing hiatus for the most part of last week taking a step back from this letter to research stories and read about designers. I have a good lineup for you these next few days.
On the first day of men’s fashion week, I met up with
, writer and founder of Magasin. She hosted a meetup at a wine bar next to the Marché des Enfants Rouges in the Marais (thanks for the invite, Laura!). She spoke to me about her Substack, what keeps her coming back to Paris, her outfit, and the collections she’s most excited about.There’s lots to unpack, so let’s get to it.
Interview: Laura Reilly from Magasin
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Kevin Robles: What makes the fashion in Paris different from what you feature in New York on Magasin?
Laura Reilly: I think people work more with a baseline understanding of the avant-garde in Paris. Being here this week reinforces that for me, that Paris is a piece city—it’s focused on beautifully showcasing a singular garment. Whereas New York is more of a styling city, so it’s not necessarily as focused on the brand, but rather on putting things together and working a fit.
KR: What have you seen so far in Paris that has caught your eye?
LR: Just walking around the Marais has been interesting, and seeing youth culture here, the way people dress is so phenomenal. There is so much expression on the streets, without necessarily so much color. I think the streets in New York have a lot more color and pattern, whereas here you get more from nuance.
KR: What collections are you most looking forward to this week?
LR: I saw ssstein today which was so fun, very elegant. It was a co-ed show. It feels like a shame to compare it to Auralee because they are doing very different things, but both were focused on showing ‘real clothes’, which was fab. I am really looking forward to Lemaire, which is always the best and most exciting show for me on the calendar.
KR: Do you find that during the menswear shows, you also see a lot of womenswear?
LR: Yeah, the shows tend to be more co-ed during menswear week. Women will always wear men’s clothes anyway, so it’s good to frame it for that type of buyer. It’s nice to see how I might embody it.
KR: How did you break into your career? And how did Magasin get started?
LR: I was working at InStyle before starting the newsletter, and before that I worked at Thrillist. I got started with social media jobs. I always knew I wanted to work in media and I had studied fashion journalism.
The newsletter grew organically, by word of mouth and support from other media projects. It was beneficial to get in at the right time on Substack.
KR: What did you pack for the week?
LR: Chaotically, actually. I’m travelling between a few places, so I had to think about beach stuff, different cities, different climates. So I threw things I know I wear all the time in my suitcase, and I’ll figure it out when I land and do a little shopping.
KR: How do you feel about beachwear in the city?
LR: It’s fun! It makes a lot of sense in the summer, and it works to keep us cool when it’s really hot like today.
KR: What are you wearing today?
LR: I’m wearing a swimsuit dress from Miu Miu, a vintage Saint Laurent scarf around my waist, The Row bag, and Khaite shoes.
KR: You look great! One more question, what is your favorite restaurant during fashion week?
LR: Such a good question. I like Au Passage because it feels a little tucked away. You can kind of get away from things a bit.
Thank you again to Laura for talking to Style Beat. It was lovely to meet you!
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