Saturday with designer Ashley McDonnell: 'Paris is the kind of city where you’re not sitting at home very often!'

Ashley McDonnell: "I am not a morning person so it would be rare that you’d find me awake before 8am."

08.00

I am not a morning person so it would be rare that you’d find me awake before 8am.

On a Saturday morning, I’ll go to my favourite local coffee spot: Noir.

I live in Paris’ 16th arrondissement — a couple of streets away from the Irish embassy. 

I love the architecture, the trees, and how close I am to the forest and the lake in Bois de Bologna, but also that you can walk to the Champs-Élysées.

09.30

I love being active. I don’t want to have three consecutive days without sport or exercise. 

I try to run, do weights, or a HITT class a few times a week.

I also love to set some kind of goal for myself — whether that’s a run or an expedition, like the one I recently did on horseback in Kyrgyzstan.

I was very lucky in my years at LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), and at Dior, in particular in terms of travel.

As I was setting up international e-commerce for the brand, they wanted me to meet with retailers.

For three years, I travelled more than I had done in the previous 20 years of my life. 

That period really opened up my eyes to other cultures and to all of the opportunities in the world for the fashion industry.

If I’m not in Paris, an ideal Saturday for me would be spent in Blackrock in Dublin. 

I like to get a nice coffee, catch up with friends and family, and to step away from the hustle and bustle.

11.00

I’m always trying to catch up with my friends, many of whom I met when I was studying or when we were interning at the early stages of our careers.

We love a good brunch. My favourite place is probably Season in the Marais.

After that, we’ll usually walk around the Marais. We might pop into some nice boutiques or into Ofr — a bookstore which is quite focused on design and fashion. 

I probably visit two fashion exhibitions a month in Paris.

One of the things that I love about the French is that they really give fashion respect as an industry, not just as a craft, which means it’s constantly focused on in terms of where the government spends its money.

There are many museums dedicated to fashion, and we are spoiled for choice here in terms of museums and galleries.

I love going to the Fondation Louis Vuitton where they hold the LVMH Prize every year. I don’t think I’ve missed an exhibition there since about 2016.

Ashley McDonnell: "One of the things that I love about the French is that they really give fashion respect as an industry, not just as a craft, which means it’s constantly focused on in terms of where the government spends its money."

16.00

I’ll head home to get organised for Saturday night out in the city. 

It’s such a social city with endless offerings in terms of restaurants and nightlife.

It’s the kind of city where you’re not sitting at home very often!

20.00

I have some friends who are very engaged in theatre so, if they’re in a show, I will certainly go to see them.

I also love to go to music festivals and gigs, and the price of tickets is really accessible here. I love to go to Rock en Seine and Lollapallooza Paris.

When Irish bands are playing in Paris I always make sure I go too. I think I’ve seen Picture This three times now and saw Inhaler last time they were here.

22.30

I love to go for a late dinner with friends. It’s always the 10.30pm reservation in, perhaps, Mondaine de Pariso or Gigi where you have live music and stay until closing.

I’m a vegetarian, which is probably the worst way to be in a city that has endless great fish and meat dishes. 

It means I’m usually having one of the least exciting dishes, but it’ll probably be something great — truffle pasta or something with eggs if I’m in a French restaurant. 

I’ve a sweet tooth, so dessert is always on the agenda.

Fashion is one of the world’s biggest polluters but so is agriculture, so I decided that one of the things I could do to be more sustainable was to stop eating fish and meat.

02.00

Usually by 2am it’s time to go home.

During the week I read every night but on a Saturday night, if it’s a late one, I will head straight to bed.

I’m reading almost exclusively books about business — private equity, building a fund. I

’m hyper-focused on business right now, and am making sure that I’m keeping up on what I need to be knowledgeable about.

Whatever night of the week it is, I have a strict rule about having no phone in the bedroom to prevent me doomscrolling before I go to sleep!

• Ashley McDonnell is the founder of Irish Fashion Week. 
• From October 6 - 10, some of the country’s leading designers and international industry figures will come together for seven shows showcasing established names, emerging designers and thriving graduates alongside a variety of fashion-focused experiences. 
• For all the latest news and updates go to Instagram: @irelandfashionweek