The crowd of people around 64 Rue Pierre Charron – the venue for Klarna-sponsored Americans in Paris showcase – on Saturday night was a sure sign that the seasonal cocktail party to celebrate the program is a must-attend. The fans were hoping to catch a snap of popular fashion celebrities such as Kaia Gerber, Anna Wintour, Aquaria, Gigi and Bella Hadid, and many more VVIPs.

The evening’s host, Paloma Elsesser, has joined the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund as a judge this year. “I’ve always been a major fan of the underdog,” Elsesser, in Matthew Adams Dolan for the occasion, said. “So I always feel akin to the designers and models, and connecting with creatives in the industry is one of the most important parts of my career.”

The model and body positivity pioneer added that American fashion distinguished itself from the rest for its “hybrid of newness mixed with a know-how to make money. Other cities do one or the other.”

So, what advice has she offered the young designers in this year’s fund? “Be thoughtful of everyone who wants to wear their clothes,” Elsesser offered. “As a plus-size woman I believe it’s really important to be able to express ourselves through clothes, and it’s beautiful to see the designers stepping in to expand their sizing as the new norm.

“Of course, I will always advocate for every part of what it is to be a minority, but the goal one day is not always sing from the rooftops but to walk into every space equally and safely,” she added.

Her happy place is “keeping it mellow and hanging out with skaters at parks and cool bars.” Enter pro skater Tyshawn Jones, who came out to celebrate this season’s Americans in Paris and was especially drawn to Jonathan Cohen’s Mexican-American shirt motifs from the designer’s upcycling program.

Jones wasn’t the only fresh face at the designer fête. Model Kaia Gerber, also in Matthew Adams Dolan, was a newcomer to the bash. “It’s really great and exciting to see them all together in Paris,” she said of the designers showcasing their collections.

This season’s participating designers are Batsheva Hay of Batsheva; Emily Adams Bode of Bode, who was a 2018 CVFF Runner-up; Christian Cowan; Danielle Corona of Hunting Season;  Jonathan Cohen, also a 2018 CVFF Runner-up; Matthew Adams Dolan; Rebecca de Ravenel, and Scosha Woolridge of Scosha. They mingled and celebrated American creativity with Perrier-Jouët champagne.

Aquaria was a first-timer to the Paris shows. The model is looking forward to eating lots of cheese and bread, and doing a show in Paris “with some of the fabulous French drag entertainers.”

C’est si bon!

The showroom is open through Monday, September 30.