{Yes; I was at an Yves Saint Laurent Prêt-À-Porter Show in Jakarta!}

• After I'd been for the first time to the USA with Pieter in 1983, we also went to Jakarta, Indonesia where we stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. 
• We were making a choice as to where we wanted to work and live... Our boss in Jakarta did the utmost in making it a pleasant stay for us, even though we were flying and driving to other cities to view all the work areas. So here we are, back in the capital city of Jakarta at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (see picture further down). When we checked in on this Thursday morning, also a group of catwalk models from Yves Saint Laurent arrived with us from the airport and checked in to their rooms. They came from Bangkok where they did a catwalk show... Now some rest for them, and again at 7:30 PM they would start a whirling Prêt-À-Porter catwalk show for Spring Summer 1983.

We went first to the Bogor botanical garden and came back to the hotel where we dressed for the evening. It was obvious, that our boss wanted to please me with this dinner and show, right up front near the catwalk! As I've studied fashion and design and obtained two diplomas for drawing and making dresses, costumes, jackets and coats, I certainly was more than thrilled to be seated right there.

• The three years that I studied fashion, this catwalk life looked very glamorous to us students... like a dream. But nothing is farther from the truth; it is hard work and that night after night on such a tour through Asia or to any other continent. We could see underneath the curtain, and there the shoes got kicked off and skirts, pants or dresses fell to the floor as they hastily changed into the next garment. And that for hours... My goodness, I felt for those girls. Here we were, sitting in posh chairs, only observing. Meanwhile feasting on a yummy four-course dinner.

• But it was one of those once-in-a-life-time events that will stay with me forever!
• Many thanks to our generous boss for whom we did work years later...
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• All of you probably know Yves Saint Laurent's perfume and cosmetics line. Several items I do use from this designer as you can see below:

• Some blush, lipstick, nail polish and Poudre Sur Mesure Semi-Loose Powder, which replaced their Silk Finish Powder (contained 2% of silk powder).

• It is not easy to photograph such glistening gold items; but they sure look elegant!
• Sadly Yves Saint Laurent died of brain cancer on June 1, 2008.
• Did I ever own a garment from YSL? No... only a wool paisley scarf and a pair of silk, low-heeled pumps that you can see in the photos below.

• Soft wool paisley pattern from YSL

• I'm holding my belly for laughter as my husband Pieter prepared the camera on its tripod for shutter delay. As is evident, it went off before he could merge next to me... Hilarious!

• So that's both of us now; it went perfectly well with the camera.
• My YSL silk pumps and Pieter in his silk shirt; kind of partner-look.

• And than there is coffee in the gazebo... Wearing my Pearls that got strung for me in Singapore.

'En dàn is er koffie!' or 'And then there is coffee!'

A well known Dutch slogan for their famous Douwe Egberts Coffee founded in 1753, which is now also available in the USA.