Marvin Brooks is my cousin, but I didn't know him or that he was my cousin before he called me this week to tell me. It's not often that one gets a call from a family member to say, "Yeah, I'm here in Paris, living and working." Sure, you get calls all the time saying that family members are coming to visit, but actually having someone from your family living here, well, that's quite freaky, especially if you've never ever met them.

After getting past that initial surprise and then tracing our family ancestors, I found out that Marvin, cousin or not, needed to be in Prissy Mag! He's an amazing person who has just landed in Paris and already gone to some of the city's hottest fashion shows. Besides that, he used to work at Prada. How could we not talk to him? Shoot! I'm not afraid of a little nepotism.

Essentials:

Name: Marvin

Age: 32

Nationality: American

PM: How long have you been in France and what brought you here?

MB: I have been in Paris for about two weeks. I recently accepted a position to teach fashion merchandising at French University.

PM: What keeps you here?

MB: My new position keeps me here for now..After that fashion would definitely keep me here! Not to mention the scenery isn't too bad!!!

PM: What?s different for you here, versus where you?re originally from?

MB: Well, I am originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati is no comparison to Paris; however, there are wonderful French restaurants in the city. This is a big, diverse melting pot! I really love it

PM: What do you not like about living here, if anything?

MB: I really can't think of anything..I haven't been here long enough to comment.

PM: What do you miss most from your own country?

MB: Cereals, mouthwash, hair products! Those are all things I could easily sacrifice to live in this beautiful city!

PM: If you didn?t live here, where would you live?

MB: I would just be happy back home, in good old San Francisco!

PM: And if you left France, what would you miss the most?

MB: The Eiffel tower at night, the tarte tatin and caramel tea at La Durre at St. Germain, shopping for sweaters at Sonia Rykiel, escargot, and Galeries Lafayette!

PM: Tell me about your work here. What do you do?

MB: I am in charge of a group of 19 American students from the Art Institutes. Los Angeles, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Seattle are most of the represented cities. I really enjoy sharing my experience of over ten years in fashion. Currently, I am teaching classes on trend forecasting, international buying, and current French designers. This is the first time out of the country for many of the students. I feel honored to be a part of that experience!

PM: What does it feel like to attend a big fashion show, especially a big Parisian fashion show?

MB: A bit overwhelming! Press, buyers, stars! Kanye West at Vivienne Westwood on Monday caused a huge paparazzi scene! An Asian student cried in awe at the end of Vivienne's show. I've seen this at movie but never at a fashion show! At Jean-Paul Gaultier, invitation holders were fighting to get out of the rain and into the show! A man even pushed me so he could stand under my umbrella. I saw everything from pushing and shoving to a student dodging a security guard. This is all done for the love of fashion. Fashion is enthusiasm;moreover, Paris is fashion!

PM: Got any favorite quotes short antidotes?

MB: "Life is too short to wear horrible clothes." "You can never over dress for an affair" "There is no such thing as packing too much, only too little" "You can never be too rich or too skinny"-Nan Kempner

PM: Do you really believe that too skiny quote? Because some of these models are way, way too thin when it comes to fashion. Otherwise, you can see painfully thin women on the streets of Paris and I just don't think it's attractive.

PM: Complete these two sentences: Paris is...

MB: a never ending amusement park of food, culture and fashion.. There is something here for everyone.

PM: French people are...

MB: honest and sincere. Treat them with respect and they will respect you .

PM: What advice would you give someone who wants to move here?

MB: Upon moving to Paris, have education,goals and ambitions. You'll need it to survive in this city!

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