In 2023, she launched SELIIJAN in tribute to her grandmother, an elegant ready to wear label that is essentially her dream wardrobe brought to life. The production is European, kept in reasonable quantities and every piece is designed to last.

When I started The French Edit, I already had in mind that I wanted to interview Lison. Since moving from the South of France to the Bay Area, she has kept a distinctly French way of living while embracing what California has to offer. Behind her polished photos is a French girl with a lot on her mind, and someone far more layered than she appears online. It is a real pleasure to share this conversation with you today.

Hi Lison, thank you so much for opening up to The French Edit, and welcome to Substack!

Who is Lison ?

You started your career as a nurse in Nice before becoming a content creator and then a founder. What triggered that shift, and were you afraid, at the time, of leaving a stable and respected profession for a field that many still consider illegitimate?

Yes, absolutely. I made the decision in 2020, at the end of the lockdown, to permanently leave my job as a nurse and dive 100% into content creation. It was becoming increasingly difficult to manage both, and I was receiving so many incredible opportunities that it was hard to pass them up.

I felt a lot of guilt in the years leading up to that decision, because beyond leaving a job I deeply loved, I also felt like I was abandoning my patients. I worked in a nursing home, caring for people at the end of their lives. It was a true and beautiful life mission, and I still miss it sometimes today.

But I don’t regret making that decision at all. It allowed me to become freer and more independent, to earn a better living from another passion of mine, fashion and photography, and above all, later on, to be able to live abroad and follow my husband.

Looking back, do you think French society has changed the way it views content creators as real entrepreneurs, or is it still more skeptical than the US on that front?

Since the early years when I started, yes, there’s clearly been an evolution. Attitudes have opened up, and many now consider content creation a profession in its own right. That said, I think there are still a lot of prejudices. Many people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes and only focus on what they see on the surface on social media. But I can’t judge them, because I completely understand it.

I have followed you since your Nice days. I also lived in the Bay Area for a while myself. What do you miss most about France once you are there, and on the flip side, what do you miss most about the US when you are back home?

Just my family and friends. I don’t really miss France in general. Sure, the south of France in summer, the little French villages, the outdoor cafés... but there’s so much to do in the United States that I don’t really feel a sense of missing out.

When I’m in France, actually, I miss everything about the United States, mainly the mentality and the fact that everyone is in their own bubble, focused on their own life and work. I’ve really felt at peace and aligned since I’ve been here.

Following up on my last piece, what would you bring back from the US if you ever moved back to France for good?

It's definitely not planned. If one day we have to move back to Europe, it will probably be to a country other than France. But I would definitely say open-mindedness, and the fact of encouraging people to live their dreams, to start their own business, and to remind them that the sky is the limit!

What are a few of your go to skincare or makeup products, ones you can only find in the US, and ones you can only find in France?

I'm not a beauty or skincare expert. I pretty much always use the same brands: Biologique Recherche, which is also available in the United States, a lot of Korean skincare like Skin1004, and for makeup, Merit, Summer Fridays, Hourglass, Chanel Beauty and Rhode, which are also available in France.

Victor Wembanyama has spoken publicly about missing French food while living in the US, and it is a common thread among French expats. Are you someone who checks ingredient labels closely when you shop in the US? How do you personally navigate the fact that, from a food science standpoint, a lot of American products are simply less regulated than their French equivalents?

So actually, I really don’t agree with that, and I might make some enemies here, but I’ve never eaten as well as I have since living in California, and particularly in San Francisco. There are tons of organic stores or chains trying to offer products with very clean ingredient lists.
When it comes to restaurants, we have some of the best chefs and an incredible diversity of cuisines and specialties, all gathered in one single city. I even have to say the best croissants I’ve ever eaten were in San Francisco!
Of course, there’s often this image of the United States associated with fast food, but day to day, if you grocery shop, cook at home, and eat lunch or dinner at good restaurants, I genuinely think we have nothing to envy France for.

Do you find American culture more encouraging toward creators and entrepreneurs in general? France has a reputation for being harder, more skeptical of individual success. Do you feel that difference in a concrete way day to day?

Yes, yes, and yes! It has absolutely nothing to do with each other. Here, people want to see others succeed. There isn’t necessarily this notion of competition or this desire to crush others in order to succeed. Every girl I’ve met in the industry in the United States is very open and won’t hesitate to connect you with their PR contacts, with no ego issues whatsoever.

But generally speaking, this is really true across all professional fields: if you’re motivated, want to succeed, and give yourself the means to do so, you’ll always find a way to get there, and you’ll eventually cross paths with someone who can help you along the way. I really admire this mentality, which I find very inspiring. You work, you give yourself the means, you succeed, you earn a good living: you’re congratulated rather than criticized. Really, what could be more normal than that?

Any favorite addresses you can share with us, in Nice or in San Francisco?

In SF, the MoMA for its beautiful selection of works by Cy Twombly and Calder, and as a restaurant, Garibaldi's, an Italian place that serves, in my opinion, the best chicken Milanese in the city.
Generally speaking, Blue Bottle is a sure bet for a matcha or coffee. And Loving Cup for the best frozen yogurt in town.
I also really love heading over to Marin, to Tiburon or Mill Valley, for the day when it's foggy in San Francisco. It's a lovely way to escape the city for a bit.

The business of being seen

You have over half a million followers and, unlike a lot of creators, you take on very few brand collaborations and are rarely seen at brand events. How do you choose your partnerships, and when did you decide to position yourself this way, even if it meant leaving money on the table?

I think that since my early days, I've always tried to stay true to my image and only share things that fit who I am, that I could genuinely use or wear.
That said, it's true that when you turn this into your job, and some months are quieter, you sometimes end up accepting deals that feel a little less "you," but that can still speak to certain people in your community. And that's also part of the game when you're your own boss. I won't hide it, especially in a context where content creation isn't what it used to be as a profession.
But I always try, as much as possible, to be selective and work with brands I love and that represent me. Otherwise, I simply wouldn't enjoy working or creating content anymore.

The influencer profession is increasingly scrutinized, sometimes harshly, in France and elsewhere, particularly around undisclosed partnerships, the display of wealth and lifestyle, and the broader question of whether creators are quietly encouraging overconsumption even while selling a minimalist aesthetic. How do you experience that shifting public perception, and if you had a magic wand for regulating the industry, what would you change?

It's a big debate. It's genuinely hard to take a firm stance on this topic, because I might sometimes say a bit of everything and its opposite.
I agree, I'm the first to admit it: I talk a lot about consuming better, but I'm also always tempted to buy new things. I think we should simply learn to regulate our purchases more intelligently. But that's also part of the game of social media and influence: brands pay to showcase beautiful collections and new pieces, and it's hard to completely ignore that when it's also our job.
I especially think we need to find a balance and be mindful of what we buy, rather than falling into excessive, systematic consumption.

The move from Instagram to Substack reflects a broader trend of creators trying to step away from dependence on legacy platform algorithms. What pushed you personally toward Substack, and what do you want to share here that you could not show elsewhere?

I decided to start my own Substack because I sometimes feel frustrated not being able to share everything I want to on Instagram. As you mentioned earlier, we're very tied to the algorithm, and sometimes sharing too much can work against us. I also think that on Instagram, people have sometimes gotten tired of always seeing the same type of content. With Substack, I want to reach mainly my most engaged community.
I also think it will let me share advice around entrepreneurship and building my brand, but also share my inspirations, my desires, my wish lists... in a much more spontaneous and natural way, without constantly worrying about stats or content performance.
Above all, I want Substack to become a space again where I can share freely, without thinking about the algorithm.

Do you have favorite Substacks, or voices that inspire you right now?

I admit I'm really new and just starting out on the platform. So yes, I've subscribed to a few girls whose world on Instagram I already love a lot, like , , , , , , ...

A Label of Her Own

You founded SELIIJAN in 2023, and it is genuinely refreshing to see you actually wear what you design. Was it frustration at not finding your ideal wardrobe already on the market that pushed you to build your own brand?

Yes, among other things. I'd always wanted to create my own brand, but I didn't really know how or for what reason.
My mother always worked in fashion and passed on to me, very early on, a certain way of shopping. She always advised me to pay attention to fabrics, cuts, and the quality of clothes. Because let's be honest, it's hard to always find pieces that fit us perfectly, whether it's high-waisted pants or jeans.
Take the tank top, for example: when launching my brand, I really wanted to create the perfect tank top, one you could wear without a bra, with good support and a fabric thick enough to feel comfortable in. And it was a mission accomplished! It's actually one of the pieces I wear most on a daily basis.

Choosing European production kept in reasonable quantities is also an economic and political choice, against the grain of an industry dominated by fast fashion and offshoring. How did you build that supply chain, and what trade offs have you had to accept to keep it sustainable over time?

Yes, I want to stay in Europe, even if that doesn't always work in our favor. European production is very costly, and above all, there are certain things that aren't yet done as well as in China, for example when it comes to coats or slightly more complex pieces. Europe still has work to do on that front.
But with SELIIJAN, I'll always try to maintain reasonable production and avoid overconsumption. For example, we never produce in excessively large quantities. We launch a production run, try to have the right quantities for our customer base, and then restock if needed. This lets us avoid dormant stock and unnecessary production.

What other ready to wear brands do you like and actually wear, aside from your own?

I've always been a big COS customer, because my mother was too. Otherwise, I wear a lot of Almada Label, and have for at least six years. I really like what they do, I find their pieces very high quality. When it comes to coats and trench coats, I'm a fan of The Frankie Shop. I also really like Sœur in France, as well as Sézane for basics.
I still try to diversify my wardrobe, otherwise I'd only wear my own brand! And working in social media, I think it's important to feature different brands: there should be something for everyone.
I'm also a huge vintage fan, so I spend a lot of time curating finds on Vinted or The RealReal in the United States, hunting for unique secondhand pieces and good deals!

It must have been a full circle moment to see , someone so many of us grew up admiring (since Gossip Girl), wearing SELIIJAN. What does that kind of recognition actually change for a brand that is still family run and European?

Indeed, it wasn't on my bingo card to see the iconic Kelly wearing my brand! I think that when you create a ready-to-wear brand, you always dream of seeing celebrities you admire wear your creations, but beyond the celebrity factor, they're mostly women who genuinely inspire us through their style. And Kelly is one of them. To me, she embodies casual chic and is, of course, an icon of my generation, who grew up with Gossip Girl. For a small brand like ours, it's an immense source of gratitude and recognition. Above all, it helps us gain credibility, and also gives SELIIJAN a more international image.

SELIIJAN remains a family business based in Europe for now. Do you picture a corner in an American department store one day, or a physical store, or would you rather stay online, and why?

Yes, I'd love that! It's one of the things I'd like to accomplish with the brand. I'd also like to develop SELIIJAN in the United States, but since the reforms and the increase in customs duties, the American market has become more complicated for small European brands. I think the first store will most likely be in France, either in Nice, our hometown, or in Paris. But before that, I'd love to do a pop-up when I get the chance.

How do you find inspiration when building a collection? Any hint about the next one?

As for collections, it really depends on my mood, my daily life, and what I feel like wearing. For example, I found out I was pregnant while working on the next Fall/Winter collection. So it felt essential to create a collection I could wear pregnant, but also during my postpartum period.
I don’t necessarily think about trends when creating my collections. I really think about what I feel like wearing and how I want to dress.
So it’ll be a collection of essentials arriving for fall, with beautiful basics, quality fabrics, timeless pieces, and above all very comfortable ones, that all women, pregnant or not, can wear to feel chic yet relaxed.

What Inspires and what Lasts

Do you keep a sprawling wardrobe à la Carrie Bradshaw, or are you someone who lets go of a piece before bringing in a new one?

I'm lucky, through my work, to receive a lot of clothes, so I very rarely buy ready-to-wear pieces myself. And for the past three years, I've kept one piece from every SELIIJAN collection, so that's starting to add up quite a bit in my wardrobe! I regularly get rid of pieces I no longer wear, even if it's sometimes hard. But with a baby on the way, and having built up a timeless wardrobe with SELIIJAN over the years, I really want to stick to a minimalist approach to my closet, even if it's not always easy. So I try to only keep well-made pieces, from brands I love, that I actually wear and that I'll be able to keep for many years to come.

There is a lot of talk right now about heirloom jewelry, pieces meant to be passed down. Do you think about that when you buy something significant? Are there pieces you own today that you already picture handing down to your children one day?

Yes, indeed, I don't necessarily think of clothes first, even though I'd like to keep certain timeless SELIIJAN pieces for my children. I think more about passing down watches and bags, which I'm a big collector of. I've always loved buying secondhand and one-of-a-kind pieces, and it's something I'll keep doing as I get older, with the idea of being able to pass them on to my children later. I find jewelry relatively easier to pass down than clothing. Although I do carefully keep a shirt of my grandmother's for its sentimental value, as well as her ring, which is one of my most precious possessions.

I notice a clear Jackie Kennedy influence, an American who loved France and spoke French, a nice nod given that you are a French woman living in the US. What other figures inspire you, in fashion or elsewhere?

Many. I have to say, since being in the United States, I've taken the time to draw inspiration, to read a lot, to focus on things I wanted to learn and discover. I've also really refined my inspirations, even if the foundation remains the same. I'll mention my mother and my grandmother, because they're the ones who passed on this passion for fashion to me. My grandmother was born the same year as Brigitte Bardot, and it's an era that touches me and speaks to me in particular. I spent my childhood watching documentaries with my mom about Françoise Hardy and Jane Birkin, Jackie Kennedy, as well as Audrey Hepburn or Catherine Deneuve films. But I was also influenced by my dad's tastes, who is a diehard fan of Elvis or Gainsbourg. Even today, my icons and references aren't at all the figures of my own era, but rather those of the 1960s. I know it's very trendy right now, but the '90s are also a real reference point for me in fashion. I find it a very easy era to recreate looks from today.

What is your go to uniform, the thing you reach for when you have no idea what to wear?

Before pregnancy, I'd say a white T-shirt with Levi's or SELIIJAN jeans, paired with ballet flats, loafers, or sandals. Since I've had a baby bump, it's more like elastic-waist pants. I actually designed some for the new collection, which I wear with an oversized T-shirt. Now I pretty much only wear my own brand's T-shirts. A simple look, easy to wear, that works everywhere!

Any advice for elevating a simple outfit without overdoing it?

Precisely, it's about not overdoing it. Always keep fairly neutral tones, even though I admit I like wearing color in summer, just without mixing too much.
Same with patterns . I prefer to focus on accessories: a nice handbag, a beautiful pair of shoes, a scarf, or a pretty pair of sunglasses. It's often the small details that really make the difference in an outfit.

Life, Beyond the Feed

I cannot wait for you to eventually share details about your wedding and your outfit, whenever you feel ready to. Did you know from the start (or since you’re a teen) what you wanted, an intimate ceremony, a religious venue…or did it all come together over time?

Yes, indeed, I think I'll really enjoy talking about it and sharing that very special moment. To say a bit more, it was actually a very intimate wedding in the United States, which served as our civil marriage. I never would have imagined getting married in that particular place. And actually, a little hint: it was inspired by one of the figures I mentioned earlier! But we'll also have a religious wedding next year or the year after. It's very important to me to be able to share that moment with my loved ones, and also to have a church ceremony. That's really something I've always dreamed of, and so has my husband. As for the destination, that was also a given, because I always knew I'd get married one day in Corsica, my island of the heart.

You have also shared beautiful photos throughout your pregnancy. Finding maternity wear that actually feels like you can be difficult. Any go to addresses or advice?

So, yes... and no! I don't find it that much more complicated. On the contrary, you can dress pretty much the same way, you just need to adapt your wardrobe to your changing body day by day. I didn't want to buy new things specifically for my pregnancy, but rather rework what I already had in my closet. I did cave and buy a pair of low-rise Levi's jeans, which I had taken up a size, because I wanted to keep wearing jeans throughout my pregnancy.
I really recommend not buying a whole new maternity wardrobe, but rather making do with what you already have at home, or even borrowing a few things from your husband: bigger T-shirts, jeans, or oversized shirts…

Women’s bodies have always been scrutinized, their weight, their transformations through pregnancy, illness, or simply age, long before Instagram gave that scrutiny a new stage. Pregnancy tends to bring all of it back to the surface, often filtered through a narrow, curated lens online. Does any of that resonate with you, or affect you personally? And how are you navigating your own changing body right now?

I admit I'm very attentive to my body and my image, especially since being on social media, because ultimately, our body also becomes our work tool. But I never felt any apprehension about the physical changes that come with pregnancy, because I'd always dreamed of having this body one day and living this experience. I think we should be much more forgiving with ourselves as women. It might sound a bit clichéd, what I'm about to say, but I think we need to learn to love ourselves as we are, without necessarily comparing ourselves to others, even though that's obviously very hard in our generation, with social media. It's a bit the same with cosmetic surgery. I find it unfortunate to no longer have confidence in oneself and to want, from such a young age, to change certain things about your body or face solely because of how others perceive you. So no, I'm not at all worried about the physical changes linked to pregnancy or postpartum. I'm giving life, and soon, a little being will be with me. I think that's a much more important concern than physical appearance.

Being a content creator, a founder, and soon a mother all at once is an enormous workload, in an industry with no maternity leave and no traditional safety net. How do you think you will manage your time once the baby arrives, and do you expect to scale back your professional ambitions, at least for a while?

That's an excellent question, and I honestly have no idea! I just know it'll be fine, because I have a husband who's very present and invested, even though he works a lot. I'm also lucky, with my job, to work from home and not have to go into an office every day. So I'll be able to take care of my baby for as long as possible. Since I've been on social media, I've never really taken a real break or a true offline moment. I've always wanted to stay very consistent and present. But for the first time in my life, I think I'm going to try to really unplug and fully enjoy this new life, at least for the first few months.
But I also know I won't be able to stop for too long, because my work is a genuine passion. I can afford to put Instagram on pause for a few months, but I can't do the same for managing the brand, since I personally handle close to 90% of the tasks related to SELIIJAN. So it'll simply be a new way of organizing things. I admit it scares me a little, but I'm going to try to stay positive and see how things naturally fall into place.

Do you already have a sense of how much, if at all, you want to show your child on social media? It is a question more and more creators are grappling with publicly, especially in France, where a 2024 law now gives parents a legal duty to protect their children's image rights online. How are you thinking that decision through?

I was actually talking about this with my husband last night, and I told him I didn't necessarily want to put my child front and center on social media, even though they'll obviously be part of my daily life. Honestly, it doesn't bother me to see children's faces on social media, whether it's my friends' kids or people I follow. I just find that when they're really newborns, they change so quickly that it doesn't matter all that much. But from around one year old, or even two, you clearly start to recognize a child, and I think it would worry me if someone could recognize them on the street.
So I'm going to try my best to simply share a few life moments, without necessarily putting my child at the center of my content. Again, I'll be spending a large part of my time with my baby, so I'll also need to find the right balance and adapt, while making sure to protect them.

Before we go…

If The French Edit were to interview someone else next, who would you point me toward?

I’d say my friend Victoria Monfort, who moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams in film. She’s someone I admire a great deal for her determination, but also for her style, and I think she’d be perfect for your next interview.

Thank you so much Lison for your generosity and honesty. All the best to your growing family, to your baby’s arrival, and to SELIIJAN’s growth ♡

Thank you again for your love, your support, and for taking a closer interest in my journey. I wish you all the best, and I hope to see you again very soon.

Bisous!!

Mathilde Favier, Dior’s international director of public relations, died tragically on Monday in a car accident, alongside her partner, film producer Nicolas Altmayer.

Beyond her role at Dior, she had faced and beaten breast cancer, an experience that led her to found the association Esthétique & Cancer, dedicated to restoring confidence and self-esteem in women.

My thoughts go out to her children, her family, and everyone who loved her.

Thank you, Mathilde. 🤍

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“Air conditioning has an outdoor unit and an indoor unit, we’re not in New York here, we simply cannot ruin the beautiful Haussmann facades with a unit!”

Apparently, in Paris, you must suffer to be beautiful. But don’t worry, the new mayor has decided that parks and gardens will now be open 24/7, and that you can finally jump into the Canal Saint-Martin without catching leptospirosis. Great!

But the Parisienne knows how to cool down without weighing herself down. On rue du Cherche-Midi in the 6th arrondissement, she indulges in an ice cream at Plaq, 84% pure dark chocolate, or at Fruttini for whole fruits filled by hand with artisanal sorbet, before taking refuge in the true temple of air conditioning: Le Bon Marché.

There, she’s on the hunt for a flat, comfortable shoe for this sweltering summer. Deeply disappointed not to have spotted the new Ilio Smeraldo sandals in collaboration with Maria de la Orden, she settles for the equally chic collaboration with Call Me By Your Name. Who said a flip-flop couldn’t be elegant?

And because she has diligently read The French Edit, she remembers she needs a new hat for the season, which is, in fact, far more refined than a cap. She’ll try on at least ten, forgetting her head size every single time, then agonize between a chic structured style from Maison Ola or a raffia bucket hat from SESSEI.

And then, quickly, she hops on a bike (the metro in this heat? absolutely not), her new summer tote Casa Lopez x Oh My Cream tucked in the basket, heading to the Wellness Sunday at Hôtel Bristol on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré for her new Sunday ritual: an experience combining Pilates, yoga and stretching with Laure Dary, professional dancer and founder of the online wellness platform Maison Of(f) Wellness.

“It’s expensive but the space is stunning, Laure is brilliant and lovely, I highly recommend it, it does you the world of good.”

She’ll learn from one of her friends that a new sauna and cold plunge has just opened in Paris and that it’s nothing short of a revolution:

(Want to try it? Buy one session and get one free through this link: https://referral.sant-roch.com/ref/079mS4Xu.)

She takes note, but doesn’t linger. Madame has a dinner and she must get herself together.

In this relentless heat, simplicity is non-negotiable, because sweat erases even the most carefully applied makeup. Ever wellness-minded, she pays close attention to what she puts on her face. In summer, it’s the tinted serum from Typology (foundation that will slide off in this heat? out of the question) or a light moisturizer from Mimétique with a T35 Concentré Éclat Rosé. She never skips her Aime sunscreen and always keeps a

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A gigantic yacht off the coast of Cannes. Five women in Alo sets, doing yoga facing the sea. A few days ago, Vogue France posted images from a wellness retreat, and this is what it looked like: white, blonde or light brunette, lean, effortless, young. The event was billed as a "mindful pause" for "high-performance women."

I'll admit, it looks tempting on “paper”, but what, exactly, is being sold here? An aspirational fantasy most of us will never access? A physical ideal most of us will never reach? And the real question: does this kind of content (the extreme luxury, the exclusivity, the model-thin bodies) still make people dream?

I like to think beauty standards evolve. But then I see these images on social media, and I watch the red carpets, and I am less sure.

* * *

From heroin chic to Ozempic chic

We tell ourselves we have moved on from the 1990s, from the pale-lipped, hollow-cheeked aesthetic that Kate Moss built on cigarettes instead of lunch. But we have not really turned the page. Today’s thin woman does not smoke or take drugs (and would find it repugnant), but she paradoxically takes a considerable quantity of dietary supplements, frequently beyond any medical recommendation. She would tell you she doesn’t deprive herself, that she does intermittent fasting or she eats mindfully. And the arrival of GLP-1 drugs, of Ozempic, the medical promise of an appetite that willpower alone can no longer tame, has not helped. The packaging has changed. The contents have not. From heroin chic to Ozempic chic, there is only one step, and the ideal size is still a 0.

Of course, the women in that Vogue post look relatively healthy. The problem is not thinness itself. The problem is the assumption that only a very thin body is healthy, and that is why it gets shown more than any other. But if thin bodies are overrepresented, it is not because we have established they are the healthiest. It is because “we” have decided, for reasons that have far more to do with colonial history and economic interest than with medicine, that they are the most beautiful. Do you follow me?

* * *

White thinness: a colonial history

To understand why thinness carries such moral weight in the West, you have to go back much further than your Instagram feed. Further than the Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar ads, than the fashion week runways or the first diet pill.

In her landmark 2019 book Fearing the Black Body, sociologist Sabrina Strings traced how thinness became a racial ideal long before it ever became an aesthetic one. What her research uncovers is far more unsettling than a beauty myth.

During the Renaissance, painters celebrated full, round female bodies. (Rubens’s Venuses, Dürer’s women, Titian’s Venus of Urbino or Raphael’s Three Graces…) They were generous and glowing. Fullness signalled prosperity, femininity, desirability. It was the body of someone who had never been asked to make herself smaller (Fullness meant feast, and feast meant wealth and status. And no one had started fearing the strong female body yet. That would come…)

Then the transatlantic slave trade happened, and with it came a need to justify the unjustifiable.

The mechanism was ideological as much as visual. Enlightenment thinkers (Kant, Buffon, and later the race pseudoscientists of the 19th century) began mapping moral and intellectual qualities onto physical characteristics. The body became a text that could be read, classified, and ranked. And fat, in this new taxonomy, became evidence of excess: of appetite unrestrained by reason. It was systematically associated with African and Indigenous peoples, who were being simultaneously stripped of their humanity to make their enslavement legible. Black women, in particular, began to be represented in European art and literature as bodies to be controlled, consumed, or pitied, rarely desired in the way European femininity was desired. The ideological inversion was not accidental.

And thinness, once associated with illness and poverty, underwent one of history’s most convenient reversals: it became a marker of moral and intellectual superiority. Physical austerity became proof of civilisation. Of refinement…of being, essentially, better.

Then race pseudoscientists completed the structure. The fat body was linked to African “laziness” and absence of self-control. Thinness became, structurally, a marker of whiteness. A way of being visibly, measurably, not them. That narrative never ended. It simply shed its explicitly racial vocabulary, put on some Alo Yoga, and dressed itself in the language of wellness, discipline, and high performance.

So when a woman is told her body signals discipline, willpower, health, and moral seriousness, she is inheriting a story that was never really about her health. It was about power. It was about race. It was about constructing a hierarchy and making the body its most visible proof.

It no longer simply communicated beauty. It communicates discipline.

* * *

The body as social status

In a world that feels structurally out of control, with wars, climate collapse, rising inequality and ambient violence, the body has become the last sovereign territory. We cannot influence financial markets or political decisions. But we can control the 6am alarm, the training plan, the macros, the calories, the kilometres logged. We can post the run on Strava. We can document the hike, the cycling route, the cold plunge. We can prove, with data, that we are progressing.

The lean, trained, optimised body has become a CV extension. It signals: here is someone who keeps their commitments. Who declines the bread basket. Who gets up when it is raining. Who does not let herself go.

I do not think this is entirely a bad thing. If the aspiration toward discipline genuinely motivates people to move more and live better, there is something real in that. But this new social currency, like all currencies, has a serious access problem. We are far from the days of hunting for food or working the fields. In a world where most corporate jobs are sedentary, where the cheapest food is often ultra-processed, and where the wellness industry is the one making money, discipline alone is not enough. You also need the right cultural exposure, the time, and the budget.

* * *

The economy of the body

The issue with this vision of wellness is that it has been so thoroughly branded that it has become both aspirational and impenetrable for anyone who doesn’t already speak the language. The fitness cycle moves fast: HIIT was everything, then we were told high-impact training was wrecking our joints and spiking our cortisol, and that yoga was the answer. Then Pilates emerged as the gold standard, precise, expensive, working muscles you didn’t know you had. Now, apparently, we should all be lifting heavy after all. « Don’t worry : it won’t make you bulky ». A new discipline surfaces every eighteen months. A new reason to start over.

The message, however, should be simple: move your body regularly, eat whole foods, limit ultra-processed products, go outside.

But telling you that you don’t need a $300 monthly gym membership, specific activewear or supplements does not sell, so that is not what gets romanticised. The essentials, in reality, are accessible to almost everyone. What is not accessible is the entire industry built on the idea that they are not enough.

Instead, you are sold a more seductive equation: that wellness, health, and thinness are synonyms, and that the aesthetic has a price that reflects its value. A single reformer Pilates class runs $35 to $50. A personal trainer, several hundred dollars a month. A luxury gym membership, around $300. What about : Fresh produce , year-round (obviously from Erewhon, it’s always better), time to meal prep or a maternity leave long enough to recover?

Ozempic, activewear labels, clean eating content creators, Pilates studios and fast-fashion retailers share no formal commercial relationship but they belong to a category ecosystem: a constellation of brands and industries whose messaging reinforces a single aspiration without any coordinated effort. Each participant normalises the same ideal; collectively they generate a cultural momentum that feels organic rather than engineered.

So you want to be skinny? I understand. It is, after all, what you have been shown as the picture of health.

Take Alo Yoga: every model, every campaign, the same silhouette. Or Sporty and Rich, a brand that carries a curious name, because the bodies it presents are exclusively thin and not remotely what most people would call sporty. The brand fills its imagery with girls playing tennis, but none of them have the kind of bodies that actually win at tennis. Not Sabalenka. Not Williams. Not anyone who has ever had to serve at 180 kilometres per hour...

I am not arguing that every brand must show every body. That debate is more complicated than it looks. But there is an entire spectrum of powerful, muscular and/or healthy bodies that are almost entirely absent from these campaigns. Bodies that train. Bodies that perform. Bodies that work. Here, the word sporty implies strength. These brands have quietly decided it means something else.

* * *

Health, harm and the limits of body positivity

Let us state the obvious: just as we know that a body carrying excessive weight almost always generates health consequences, the same is true at the other extreme.

Many models who built careers on their bodies have spoken out, years later, about the pressure they faced. Between the ages of 17 and 25, model Bridget Malcolm frequently lost her period as a result of extreme diet and exercise, a clinical sign, not a lifestyle inconvenience. She was not alone. Multiple Victoria’s Secret models have spoken publicly about hormonal amenorrhea brought on by severe restriction. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, estimated at between 5 and 10% over ten years, and remains one of the leading causes of premature death among adolescents and young adults. And yet, for decades, those bodies were the ones on the runway while the industry applauded.

What I am trying to show is not that a thin body is unhealthy, far from it. The issue is the monstrous effort required to sustain a weight the body was never designed to hold. Every body has a weight at which it functions best, which is not a universal number. That is why the line between slim, skinny and underweight is so difficult to draw.

The confusion runs deeper than runway culture. Some athletic bodies, powerful, dense, muscular, get “corrected” in comment sections by people who find them too big. Tennis players. Swimmers. Gymnasts. Bodies performing at levels their critics will never reach, deemed aesthetically insufficient because they exceed a size 4. And yet these are, by any clinical measure, exactly what healthy looks like.

Serena Williams spent her entire career answering questions about her physique. Too muscular. Too large. In Teen Vogue, she described a lifetime of being told her body was an anomaly. Her response was to win 23 Grand Slams. Then, after retiring, she announced she was using GLP-1 medication to lose weight.

The reaction was predictable: betrayal from some corners, a defence of personal choice from others. But perhaps both responses miss the point entirely.

In the music industry, Lizzo, Meghan Trainor, Adele: each spent years in the spotlight as a figure of body acceptance, celebrated for occupying space that popular culture routinely erased. When each lost weight, for reasons entirely her own, the backlash was immediate. The expectation that a woman remain a particular size because others have found meaning in that size is, in its own way, as restrictive as the pressure to be thin in the first place. Every body deserves representation. No body should be required to stay fixed.

The problem is not that she wanted to change her body. The problem (and this is where body positivity shows its structural limits) is that she was expected to be a symbol at all times: to love her body without ambivalence, without faltering, without revision. As if self-acceptance must be a flawless and permanent performance, particularly for Black women who have historically been excluded from dominant beauty standards.

Wanting to lose weight: a legitimate choice. Wanting to gain weight: equally legitimate. True body positivity, to my mind, means wanting what is best for your body’s health. And no one can know that except your doctor and yourself. What deserves scrutiny is not the desire itself, but whether it originates from within, or whether it was quietly manufactured by a culture that has never stopped imposing its own image of what a body should be.

* * *

Can a law change what a healthy body looks like?

The question of whether societies can or should legislate around body image has produced meaningfully different answers on either side of the Atlantic.

America’s robust First Amendment protections make direct legislative regulation of media imagery politically and constitutionally fraught. The burden of change has therefore fallen on civil society and the private sector. The response has been uneven but not without results: Aerie and Dove have both been widely credited for campaigns that foregrounded bodies outside the industry standard, while the Council of Fashion Designers of America introduced a model wellness initiative built on education and voluntary commitment rather than enforceable rules.

France has taken a more interventionist position. Legislation introduced in 2017 requires that any commercially retouched photograph be labelled as such, with the explicit stated purpose of ensuring the public is aware when a model’s physical appearance has been digitally altered, in order to counter the embedding of idealised and dangerous representations of the human body in the collective imagination, particularly those celebrating excessive thinness, and to contribute to the prevention of eating disorders. Models working in France must also present a doctor’s certificate confirming a healthy BMI before agencies can book them, with fines and potential criminal liability for non-compliant agencies.

The UK operates differently, relying on the Advertising Standards Authority’s case-by-case adjudication system rather than statutory requirements. The ASA has the power to ban advertisements featuring what it determines to be unhealthily thin models, and has exercised that power repeatedly. In 2025, it banned imagery from Zara on those grounds, the third such ruling issued against a women’s clothing brand in Britain that year alone. Zara removed the flagged photographs from its website and application, along with two further images under review, while stating that the photographs had not been digitally altered and that the models held medical certificates from physicians specialising in eating disorders, as required under French law.

Neither country has taken the sweeping legislative approach that would be required to address the structural incentives of the fashion industry as a whole. But some have moved further than the United States in treating body image as a matter of public health rather than editorial discretion.

* * *

The economy of inadequacy

Finally, let us not forget: a culture obsessed with women’s thinness is a culture that can sell women solutions indefinitely.

Meal planning programmes. Detoxes. Supplements. Injections. Calorie-tracking applications. Shapewear. Anti-cellulite creams. Wellness retreats on yachts off Cannes. An entire industry, worth hundreds of billions annually, built on a single equation: convince women they are not quite enough as they are, then sell them the correction.

The numbers are not subtle. The global weight management industry was valued at over $250 billion in 2024 and is forecast to exceed $400 billion by 2030. Novo Nordisk (Wegovy and Ozempic) spent more than $900 million on advertising in 2023 alone, more than Apple spent that year. Alo Yoga just opened a flagship on the Champs-Élysées, between Louis Vuitton and Dior, with price points that have very little to do with the quality of the product and everything to do with the aspiration it sells.

And there is a reason the body, specifically, is the chosen terrain. A luxury bag can be duped. A house can be rented for a photograph. A sports car, leased for the weekend. But the body cannot be borrowed. It is the last true status symbol: the one you cannot fake for a night.

And that is precisely why keeping you convinced that your body is never quite right remains so profitable.

* * *

Are you even the right kind of skinny if you don’t drink matcha, do Pilates and wear Alo Yoga? I’m kidding. Mostly. Take care of yourselves!

Bisous,

The French Edit.

When I was an intern at a BigLaw firm, I sat down with the director of human resources for what I thought would be a routine conversation. She was a white woman in her late forties who had an unusual trajectory: no college degree, started as a secretary twenty years prior, climbed her way to the C-suite through sheer determination. The kind of success story you’d expect someone to celebrate, particularly for other women trying to break through.

Midway through our conversation, she mentioned she was hiring an assistant.

“I don’t want a woman,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I work better with men.”

I must have looked stunned, because she continued unprompted: “Women gossip. "They can’t handle female bosses. Men don’t talk behind your back. They tell you straight.”

I sat there, a woman, listening to another woman recycle every tired gender stereotype as though she’d personally invented them. The irony was sharp: this woman, who had spent two decades navigating a male-dominated industry, had apparently concluded that her greatest professional threat wasn’t the system that had required her to work twice as hard for half the recognition. It was other women.

She had become what the internet now calls a “pick-me girl.” And she wasn’t alone.

When they make you think there's only room for one…

In 1991, essayist Katha Pollitt coined the term “Smurfette principle” to describe a pattern she noticed across children’s media: groups of male characters, each defined by personality traits or skills (Handy Smurf, Greedy Smurf, Brainy Smurf), accompanied by exactly one female character whose sole defining characteristic was being female.

Smurfette wasn’t “Inventor Smurf” or “Adventurer Smurf.”

She was just the girl.

This underrepresentation in animated films installs an imbalance early, one that compounds rather than corrects with age. The Smurfette Principle didn't stay confined to Saturday morning cartoons. It appears in Inception, where Elliot Page's character is the lone woman among the dream architects. In the original Star Wars trilogy, Princess Leia is the singular female presence in a galaxy of male heroes…

For as long as anyone can remember, the competition that exists among women appears to be significantly more complex and strenuous than that among men. The patriarchal system has imposed numerous demands on women, and their integration into the workforce has not alleviated these expectations.

This anxiety has historical roots. From the late Middle Ages through the French Revolution, noblewomen at court engaged in elaborate schemes to secure advantageous marriages. Their social and economic survival depended on distinguishing themselves from other women to attract male patronage. These stories permeate our collective unconscious even now: Cinderella and her cruel stepsisters, Snow White and the vain queen, every fairytale where women are pitted against each other for male validation.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

The criteria for distinction were narrow: physical beauty, domestic competence, docility. Women were expected to be ornamental and useful, desirable but not demanding.

Fast forward to 2026, and the expectations have multiplied rather than disappeared. Modern women are still expected to be beautiful, but now also fit, educated, professionally successful, financially independent, excellent mothers, competent household managers, sexually available but not promiscuous, ambitious but not threatening. The goalposts didn’t move. They multiplied.

And so the rivalry intensified, because now women are competing on ten dimensions instead of two.

Anatomy of a Pick-Me Girl

The term “pick-me girl” refers to a woman who seeks masculine approval by performing a carefully curated version of femininity that distances her from other women. She is the woman who declares herself different, exceptional, unburdened by the supposedly frivolous concerns of her peers.

On a political level, she aligns herself with male power structures and may hold views discordant with feminist ideals, opposing abortion or dismissing workplace harassment. During #MeToo, a group of French actresses rallied behind Catherine Deneuve to defend what she termed "the freedom to bother," framing it as indispensable to sexual freedom. Clumsy seduction isn't assault, they argued. Gallantry isn't machismo. The implication was clear: French women are sophisticated enough to handle unwanted attention without calling it violence. American feminists, apparently, are not.

In social settings, she is the woman watching the game with a beer in hand, favoring a natural appearance, abstaining from makeup. She prides herself on demolishing an entire pizza while maintaining her figure. She'll casually mention she "doesn't understand girls who eat salads." Naturally, she has a metabolism that lets her eat like a linebacker and stay thin… She seeks to emulate the qualities of a male friend, avoiding stereotypically feminine behaviors that might align her with other women. Paradoxically, she is also adept at cooking and can present herself as seductive and feminine when the performance requires it. In her calculus, the ideal woman for heterosexual men is neither the stereotypical masculine woman nor the superficial, scatterbrained “Barbie doll,” but rather herself: the exception, the anomaly, the one who transcends her gender.

The pick-me girl has been around for a long time. Before she had this name, she was known as the “cool girl.”

In Gillian Flynn’s thriller Gone Girl, protagonist Amy Dunne delivers a searing monologue about the “Cool Girl” archetype she performed to seduce her husband Nick:

Amy’s monologue exposes the performance for what it is: exhausting, impossible, and ultimately self-erasing. The Cool Girl has no needs, no boundaries, no authentic self. She exists entirely through the male gaze, molding herself into whatever shape men find least threatening and most convenient. The “cool girl” or “pick-me girl” aspiration is to be distinguished from other women and to distance herself from them in both her private and professional life. The “pick-me girl” wants to be alone at the boys’ table, the favorite one, the one who is not like the other girls.

When being “Too masculine” is also Wrong

In 1978, Ann Hopkins joined Price Waterhouse as a project manager. She was good at her job. Excellent, actually. She brought in major clients, outperformed her peers, and by all measurable standards, earned her partnership.

She didn’t get it.

The firm’s evaluation painted a picture: aggressive, demanding, abrasive. She cursed. She was impatient. She lacked, as one partner delicately put it, the polish that partnership required. What Ann Hopkins needed, they concluded, was “a course in charm school.”

When she pressed her supervisor, Thomas Beyer, on what exactly would improve her chances, he offered specifics: walk more femininely, talk more femininely, dress more femininely. Wear makeup. Style your hair. Add jewelry.

The subtext wasn’t subtle. Ann Hopkins was being penalized not for incompetence but for failing to perform femininity correctly while excelling at her job.

She sued. The case went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in her favor, establishing that gender stereotyping (punishing employees for failing to conform to societal expectations of how men or women should behave) constituted sex discrimination under Title VII.

The Hopkins decision codified what women already knew viscerally: the bind is impossible. Too feminine and you’re decorative, not serious. Too masculine and you’re aggressive, not leadership material. The narrow acceptable bandwidth requires calibrating your performance with surgical precision: competent enough to be respected, feminine enough not to threaten anyone, ambitious enough to advance but never so much that you make men uncomfortable.

How can you create more seats at the table?

The behavior of that HR director I mentioned at the beginning of this piece? We’ve all encountered it. On another scale, it’s Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada: the quintessential “Queen Bee,” a woman who has succeeded in her career but refuses to help other women do the same. She guards her position at the top, seeing other women not as allies but as threats to her hard-won status.

So what do we do with these women? Hard to say... The antidote to pick-me syndrome isn't shaming women for internalized misogyny. That just creates a new competition: who's the most woke, the least complicit, the best feminist… The antidote is recognizing the dynamic is manufactured, then stepping out of it. This means:

• Hiring other women. Not as tokens. As colleagues, competitors, peers.

• Mentoring without the expectation of replication. Supporting women who don’t look like you, don’t think like you, don’t adopt your strategies. The goal is not to clone yourself but to expand the range of what success can look like.

• Celebrating other women’s success without calculating how it affects your status. Her win is not your loss. In a system designed to make us believe in scarcity, abundance is a radical act.

• Interrogating internalized misogyny. When you catch yourself thinking “She slept her way to the top” or judging another woman’s ambition as “too aggressive,” pause. Ask yourself where that belief originated. Whose script are you reading from?

• Refusing the “exceptional woman” framing. When someone tells you you’re “not like other girls,”correct them. You are exactly like other girls, and that’s precisely why you’re excellent.

My admittedly snobbish list shares a common vocabulary: often European production, natural materials, limited runs. Some have been around for a century, others for a few months. But I know: no new brand is truly ethical. Creating more clothing, by definition, adds to what already exists. “Limited runs,” “European workshops,” “natural materials”… I will use all of these lovely words, but let’s not mistake commerce for an environmental solution!
The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.

Now that I've made that disclaimer, I'm presenting them because they possess genuine creative direction, because they do it better than the rest, and because that's how they've earned their place in Parisian wardrobes. A curated list, with a few gossip-worthy details. An essential guide to what French women actually wear, the kind you won't find so easily online.

Molli

The Hermès of babies. Molli started in the 1890s making delicate knit undergarments for women corseted into impossible silhouettes. Invisible, meticulous luxury worn beneath everything else. When synthetic fibers killed that business mid-century, the house pivoted to baby clothes and invented the heirloom romper. Generations of French families still pass down the same piece.

Charlotte de Fayet relaunched the brand in 2014 and applied that same obsessive attention to detail to grown women. Today you’ll find refined knit tops, fluid trousers, and high-waisted skirts in Molli’s iconic stitches. It’s beautiful, refined, nearly perfect… Even has succumbed.

Rubirosa

Behind a vintage wooden storefront hides the new “jewel” of the 7th arrondissement. There, Lauren Rubinski and Louis-Charles Aka sell a small selection of pieces exceptionally well: unisex cashmere in every color imaginable, plus pajamas, shirts, and chic slippers... It's also a family affair. The shop front was Lauren's grandfather's, who traded cashmere for French luxury houses and even supplied poplin to the Vatican for priests' shirts.

Every Saturday, the boutique offers custom embroidery: initials, first names, lucky words stitched onto each piece. Unique. This young unisex brand with Italian inspiration lives at 37 rue de Grenelle. No website, no online sales (never, according to Lauren, who's been very clear on this point). You want it? Make the trip.

Sessei

I'm not at all biased in talking (again) about Sessei, the brand founded by my friend that makes perfect shirts. Before launching Sessei, Meryl trained as a lawyer, which explains the obsessive attention to detail most brands ignore. She ships internationally, wears everything herself, and actually creates what she'd want to wear (a concept apparently lost on the industry). People call it "quiet luxury" when in reality she simply has taste and knows how to deploy it. Her clientele is international, loyal, and never disappointed. Made in Portugal with European fabrics, each shirt is designed to become an everyday essential, not a special occasion piece gathering dust. Unlike many, she doesn't follow fashion. She creates it, then wears it while raising her daughter between Paris and the Swiss mountains, looking effortlessly chic the entire time.

Réuni

Alice and Adrien met in design school, worked at Balenciaga, Vuitton, Céline, and & Other Stories, then launched a knitwear house. Natural fibers, Milano stitch, European mills, limited series.... You know this “green” story... (haha) but their knits are genuinely beautiful and well-finished, I must admit.

Adrien also hosts a podcast called where he interviews people like Max Hollein, director of the Met (nothing less!). Is it brand marketing disguised as culture? Absolutely. Does it work? Also yes…

He used to say:

“Je suis Adrien Garcia, entrepreneur, designer et co-fondateur de la marque de vêtements Réuni et vous écoutez The Bold Way”(FR)

"I'm Adrien Garcia, entrepreneur, designer, and co-founder of clothing brand Réuni, and you're listening to The Bold Way."(ENG)

DMN

Short for demain (tomorrow), because Pascal and Joanna wanted a name implying longevity. This Franco-British label

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There’s a particular kind of snobbery that disguises itself as wisdom. It circulates in think pieces, in comment sections, in the confident declarations of people who have just enough financial literacy to be treacherous. You’ve heard it before:

“Luxury is for the poor who want to look wealthy. Real rich people don’t wear logos. True wealth is quiet.” And so on, and so forth…

I spent years working inside a major French luxury house. I heard this theory constantly — from friends, from clients, from people who had never once set foot inside an atelier or a luxury store during the quiet hours when the rest of the world is at work. (The “wealthy”, apparently, keep a different schedule…).

A few months ago, I came across a clip of (Vivian Tu), a multi-millionaire, personal finance influencer, being asked about the difference between people who are truly rich and people who merely act rich.

TRANSCRIPTION

- Would love to hear the difference between like truly rich people and people who act rich.

- Can I be really really candid and a little rude?

- Yeah.

- I am very proudly and very comfortable [sic] a multi millionaire in my own right.

[edit cut]

I sometimes . . . will (we’ll?) go out to dinner . . . I’m wearing leggings. I don’t need to carry the designer bag.

[edit cut]

The New York Times wrote last year that my business made $7 million dollars. You know that someone’s business who made $7 million dollars can afford the Birkin bag. I don’t need to go buy it and prove it to you. You know that I can afford to do all the things that you’re taking about. I can afford to go to the table and pop bottles. I can afford it. Why do I need to show you that I did it.

My response ? Yes Vivian, that was a little rude.

However, I understand what she was trying to do. There is a persistent, deeply unfair stereotype that new money, self-made wealth, first-generation wealth, is inherently performative. That people who grew up without money spend it loudly because they have something to prove. Vivan Tu was pushing back against that label, distancing herself from it. I get it. But in doing so, she reached for the oldest cliché in the book. She replaced one stereotype with another. And that’s where it falls apart…

There Is No Single Way to Be Rich

Here is what this entire discourse refuses to acknowledge: the wealthy are a far more heterogeneous class than this narrative allows for. There are billionaires who wear the same grey t-shirt every day — and no, that's not minimalism, that's a deliberate uniform. Take Mark Zuckerberg: his grey tees are custom-ordered from Brunello Cucinelli, an Italian luxury house known as the "King of Cashmere," each one running upwards of $300. No logo, no recognizable silhouette, a brand most people would walk past without a second glance. Then there is Steve Jobs, whose black Issey Miyake turtleneck, ordered in bulk and worn daily, has been mythologized as the ultimate expression of purposeful, ego-free dressing.

There are old money families in Paris and London who have Birkins stacked in their closets, inherited, bought at auction, or commissioned directly at the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, because they love the craftsmanship, the history, the particular weight of a handle made in France by hands trained over decades.

There are ultra-high-net-worth individuals who couldn't care less about fashion but will spend without hesitation on an experience: a private charter, a table that doesn't exist on any reservation platform, a wine cellar curated by someone who has forgotten more about Burgundy than most people will ever know…Or an island whose location and very existence remain unknown to the general public. After all, who had ever heard of Little Saint James before Epstein bought it?

And yes, finally, there are wealthy people who love logos. Who love maximalism. Who love the visual language of luxury, loud and legible. That too is valid. There are, after all, logo-heavy pieces so exclusive they are effectively inaccessible even to the merely rich — limited editions, private commissions, archive pulls that never see a shop floor. , the magnetic queen of #RichTok, wears exactly these kinds of pieces: Van Cleef stacked with the casualness of a hair tie, Hermès not as aspiration but as habit, luxury so thoroughly absorbed into her daily life that it stops performing and simply is. All of it is valid, because money, at a certain level, is simply the freedom to have taste. Whatever that taste happens to be.

The Hierarchy Was Never About Taste

“Money Talks, Wealth Whispers” is classist. It is elitist. It is misogynist. And yes, it is racist.

Generational wealth, the "old money" this narrative idolizes, was not built in a vacuum. It was built on colonialism, on exploitation, on the cotton and sugar plantations of the American South and the Caribbean, on British colonial trading empires whose fortunes were passed down through estates and trusts for generations. The people whose labour underwrote those dynasties were legally barred from owning property, opening bank accounts, or passing anything down to their children at all. When there is no old money to pass down, there is no quiet luxury to perform. That is not a cultural failing. That is the consequence of a system that was never meant to include everyone.

We know which communities were most systematically dispossessed. Slavery, which has not disappeared but simply changed form, ensured that entire lineages began the race to wealth generations behind. So yes, some of those communities built their fortunes later. Does that make them new money? By definition. And some of them dress quietly, and some of them walk into a room in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton. Both are fine. Both have always been fine.

On the same vein, the vitriol directed at luxury handbags has always struck me as having a particular target.

The discourse about logomania, about “tacky” displays of wealth, about people “buying things they can’t afford to impress people who don’t care” lands, with remarkable consistency, on women. On Black women. On women of colour. This is not a coincidence. Intersectionality — the way race, gender, class, and body converge to compound discrimination — explains exactly why the criticism is loudest when directed at those who sit at the intersection of multiple marginalised identities. The more boxes you tick, the harsher the verdict on your taste…

How many times have we watched someone be dismissed as unrefined, as performative, as trying too hard, simply because she was wearing a luxury bag while Black, while curvy, while not fitting the narrow physical and cultural template that gets to be called chic? With no knowledge whatsoever of her background, her wealth, her history. The bag becomes evidence of overreach. On her. Not on the white man next to her wearing eighty thousand dollars on his wrist.

Because almost no one writes think pieces about men and their cars and watches. Car culture, where the sums involved make a Birkin look like an impulse purchase, is framed as passion, as connoisseurship, as the legitimate pursuit of a serious collector. A vintage Ferrari parked in a private garage is patrimony. A Hermès Birkin carried into a room is insecurity. The double standard is not complicated. It simply requires the willingness to look at it directly.

Kim Kardashian, with a net worth approaching two billion dollars, owns a Hermès collection that includes some of the rarest objects the house has ever produced. Bags crafted from materials so uncommon they were never officially offered to the public. A Kelly Cut in dark crocodile. A crimson crocodile Birkin from the Jean-Paul Gaultier era, one of the most collectible configurations on the secondary market, full stop.

She has nothing to prove to anyone. She simply likes what she likes.

And yet the criticism follows her relentlessly, whether she dresses down or dresses up, whether she goes quiet or goes loud. The idea that her taste is somehow less valid than a billionaire in a grey t-shirt tells you everything you need to know about whose consumption gets coded as aspiration, and whose gets coded as excess. The distinction was never really about the clothes.

The loudest people in the room

Here is the irony that wraps all of this up neatly: the people most committed to the gospel of quiet wealth are not, in fact, quiet about it. They are making videos on tiktok, youtube and instagram. Writing essays. Building entire personal brands around the idea that real rich people don’t build personal brands The self-appointed arbiters of what wealth looks like are, almost without exception, doing so very publicly, and often for profit.

The people they claim to be describing — the genuinely, generationally, absurdly wealthy — are not watching. They are somewhere else entirely, deciding what to name their second yacht, or whether the new wing of the estate needs a different architect, entirely unbothered by a discourse they will never encounter and could not care less about.

If this piece has done anything, I hope it has shifted something for those of you who came in nodding along to the quiet luxury gospel. Not because loud is better than quiet, or logos are better than no logos, but because the hierarchy was never really about aesthetics. It was about who gets to be taken seriously. And that is worth examining, regardless of what you choose to wear.

Now. With all of that said, with all the nuance carefully laid out and the arguments made in good faith , I would like to talk about what the genuinely wealthy actually spend their money on. Because it can, to put it plainly, be absolutely unhinged !!!

Things That Make a Birkin Look Like Grocery Shopping (you are going to love it!)

Objects

• The Montblanc Bohème Royal approximately $1.5 million. An 18K white gold fountain pen adorned with

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What Is an Engagement, Really?

First, a reassurance: engagements are not obligatory. If you wish to marry quickly, etiquette has no objection. Neither, for that matter, does anyone whose opinion is worth considering.

An engagement is the celebration of a promise — of the spoken word, and its value. No contract, no legal paperwork, no officiant required. Just a declaration made out loud, between two people, and that is precisely what makes it beautiful: a commitment profound enough to change everything, yet resting entirely on trust rather than law. Unlike weddings or baptisms, engagements are not heavily codified in etiquette manuals, which makes them, in many ways, the most human of all the great ceremonies. The rules are few and largely adaptable.

One practical note: engagements typically last up to two years. Beyond that, questions tend to quietly arise…

And He Got Down on One Knee... or Not

There was a time when the proposal was not his to make at all! When marriages were arranged, it was the young man’s father who approached the young woman’s father — a negotiation between patriarchs, with the couple as its object. Today, some still observe the tradition of asking the father’s permission before the proposal itself, a gesture that strikes us as quietly elegant: a sign of respect for the family you are about to enter, and a way of bringing someone else into the secret before it becomes a surprise. It is a tradition that is disappearing, which is a shame…

As for the proposal itself: there are no rules, though there are degrees of taste. A shopping mall, a restaurant with a ring smuggled inside a dessert, the banks of the Seine dressed in neon — we have all seen the videos, and we have all had the same (judgy) reaction. There is nothing technically wrong with any of it. My preference, for what it is worth, is for the understated and the private: a secluded spot in nature, a hotel room with a view, somewhere that belongs to no one but the two of you. The only rule worth stating plainly is this: do not livestream it. The announcement comes later, on your own terms.

Some choose to hire a photographer, carefully briefed to remain invisible. A beautiful option, if executed well — but remember that this moment belongs to no one but you both. A single candid shot taken in the minutes after is often all you need. Imperfect, unposed, entirely yours. And frankly: do you want to spend the most romantic moment of your life wondering whether your expression is camera-ready? The proposal is yours to feel, not to document. Cry, laugh, be completely undone and worry about the photographs later.

A brief note on kneeling: the gesture is, in fact, a relatively modern revival, drawn from a medieval ideal. To kneel was to express the devotion and submission of a knight before his lady — herself, more often than not, of noble birth. Romantic in origin, certainly, but recent enough in practice to carry no real obligation. The only question worth asking, as always, is the simplest one: what does your partner actually want?

On Rings, Romance, and the Diamond Industry’s Audacity

The ring is the material symbol of an oral promise, an object of profound and lasting significance. In France, the couple traditionally chooses the final ring together. This is why a proposal is most often made with a bague de demande — a “proposal ring,” a first ring offered in the moment of asking, charged with intention, and later replaced by the ring the two choose together. After all, a young man rarely knew his beloved’s ring size! The ring is worn on the ring finger of the left hand, a custom tracing back to the ancient Egyptians, who believed the vena amoris, the vein of love, ran directly from that finger to the heart.

On the questions of price and diamonds: ignore everything the industry has told you. The notion that a ring should cost two or three months’ salary is a fiction invented by those who profit from it; no etiquette manual, French or otherwise, has ever said anything of the sort. As for the diamond, its reign as the default engagement stone is more recent than most people imagine. The tradition originates with Mary of Burgundy, to whom Archduke Maximilian of Austria presented a diamond-set ring in 1477, but centuries of symbolism do not make it obligatory. Many coloured gemstones, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, alexandrites, are considerably rarer and considerably more precious. A well-chosen sapphire will outlast any trend.

One of the most enduring French traditions is the heirloom ring: a piece passed down through generations, connecting the couple to a lineage and communicating something far weightier than any price tag could. Stones from ancestral rings are often reset into entirely new settings, carrying a family’s history forward in a thoroughly contemporary form. There is a particular elegance to this practice, the sense that the ring arrives already loved.

If Cartier is the name that comes most readily to mind, the French jewellery landscape is considerably richer than a single maison. Here is the full map of houses worth knowing.

The Icons — instantly recognisable

• Cartier — the ultimate reference, worn worldwide.

• Chaumet — Napoleon’s jeweller, still the most quietly aristocratic of the grands noms.

• Van Cleef & Arpels — poetic, floral, unmistakably Parisian.

• Boucheron — architectural and bold, Place Vendôme since 1858.

The Insiders — old heritage, no logo required

• Mellerio dits Meller — founded in 1613, the oldest active jeweller in the world. The address you inherit, not discover.

• Perrigot — Marais artisan jeweller since 1935, passed down through generations. The kind of address shared in a whisper.

The New Guard — modern French vision

• Viltier — founded in March 2020 by two childhood friends, handcrafted in their Parisian atelier. Sunny, graphic.

• Pérouse Paris — founded in 2014 by Philippine Pérouse at just 25, specialising in bespoke engagement rings with coloured stones.

• Gemmyo — made-to-order, 18-carat gold, sharp and modern.

• Deloison Paris — 100% made in France, minimalist and considered.

• Leïla Buecher — ethical fine jewellery, bespoke and deeply personal. The name you find through a friend, never an algorithm.

The French approach to engagement rings is one of variety over volume — unexpected cuts, coloured stones, inherited settings given new life. It is also worth noting that going to a trusted family jeweller to create something bespoke is entirely common — choosing a stone, deciding on a setting, building the ring from scratch rather than lifting it straight from a display case. One to two carats is elegant. Beyond that, you risk crossing the invisible line between taste and performance. That said, there are no rules here, only one quiet reminder: you are not dressing for your friends.

Also, French law, incidentally, has something to say on the matter: if the ring is a family heirloom, jurisprudence holds that it must be returned in the event of a broken engagement. If it is not a family piece and qualifies as a customary gift, no restitution is required.

How to tell the People You Love

The engagement is announced by the couple together, in person, and it is the young man who makes the announcement (not on Facebook or Instagram!). If distance makes this genuinely impossible, a telephone call will do — video, if one must. Within two or three days, it then falls to the groom's parents to contact the bride's family, to introduce themselves and begin what will, God willing, become a long and harmonious acquaintance.

The Engagement Party

As a rule, the engagement reception takes the form of a lunch. Mass at eleven, table at one. On the morning of the celebration, the fiancé sends his betrothed a bouquet of white flowers and her mother a rather more colourful arrangement. A small detail, easily overlooked, and yet the kind of thing that is remembered for decades.

The celebration itself is an intimate affair. Family and the innermost circle of friends only — though two separate gatherings are entirely acceptable, one with the families, one with close friends, for those who have correctly identified that these are not always the same people. By tradition, it is the groom’s parents who extend the invitation, since the wedding itself will take place in the bride’s parish — though this rule is not without its dissenters. Either way, someone must take the initiative, and it is generally expected to be his side.

The bride’s parents arrive bearing flowers for the hostess and, with quiet thoughtfulness, a good bottle of wine for the host. After the service, one of the families may slip an envelope to the priest in the sacristy — a quiet offering, unremarked upon by everyone present. Which is precisely as it should be.

On God, and the Blessing of the Ring

A word on the religious dimension: the rules here have evolved. A betrothal mass is no longer celebrated as it once was, in part to avoid any confusion with the wedding itself. What remains, in most cases, is simpler and no less meaningful: the couple attends a parish mass with their families, and the priest may offer a few words in his homily, invite the congregation to pray for the engaged couple, and bless the ring at the close of the service — a symbol, in the Roman rite, of the joy the two intend to build together.

The Table

The table, by tradition, is dressed with an embroidered white cloth pressed without a single crease, and white flowers

Read more

What could be more exclusive than a fashion show whose images are seen by only one set of eyes — those in the room?

Nearly two years ago, in Paris’s 1st arrondissement, The Row staged its Paris Fashion Week show under a strict directive: no phones, no photos, no filming. The images would be released later, on the brand’s terms. In an era where digital immediacy governs visibility, the decision felt almost subversive. Yet the absence of instant content did not diminish the show’s impact; it amplified it. Curiosity swelled. Desire intensified. The collection became more coveted precisely because it was momentarily out of reach.

The art of privacy has long been mastered by the Olsen sisters. They understand what many brands and individuals have forgotten: mystery is valuable currency in the age of oversharing.

When Distance Cultivated Fascination

Before social media, in the 1990s and early 2000s, celebrities appeared genuinely inaccessible. Access required effort. One waited for a rare interview, scanned glossy magazines, dissected paparazzi photographs. That distance created longing. Public figures felt remote, almost mythic.

Today, many celebrities have rightfully reclaimed control over their narratives. They decide what to reveal, when to reveal it, and how. This autonomy is empowering. Yet hyper-accessibility has altered our relationship with them. Every image is calibrated, filtered, market-tested. Behind each post stands a manager, a stylist, a publicist. Spontaneity is rare and perfection, paradoxically, often feels less compelling.

The figures who continue to fascinate are those who resist total exposure…those who cultivate retreat.

The enduring allure of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy rests partly on scarcity. Her paparazzi photographs remain a reference point for fashion enthusiasts precisely because they were never meant to be content. They were glimpses, not broadcasts. One suspects that had she lived in the Instagram era, she might have abstained entirely — perhaps choosing a private newsletter like Substack over a public feed.

Similarly, Phoebe Philo has embodied a form of near-invisibility. She has never relied on personal social media presence to sustain cultural relevance. Her absence is not a void; it is a strategy. A reminder that not everything must be shared to exist.

These women understand a subtle truth: invisibility can be power. But privacy is rarely accidental and often expensive.

Privacy and Mystery are a Privilege

At San Vicente, a members-only club based in NYC and Los Angeles (by nomination only), the rules are unequivocal: no photos, no filming, no broadcasting. Guests receive stickers to cover their phone cameras. Violation risks expulsion. In a world where every “cool moment” is documented, the prohibition itself feels radical.

And desirable.

True privacy has a price. Membership reportedly begins around $5,000 annually, with a substantial initiation fee. The exclusivity is deliberate. Within such spaces, one can dine, exercise, converse — unseen. For public figures especially, this freedom is priceless. “It comes as little surprise that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s first date took place at Soho House, 76 Dean Street, rather than in a run-of-the-mill café.

Today, it’s no longer about being seen everywhere; it’s about choosing when to disappear.

The wealthy can disappear from feeds, from public scrutiny, from algorithmic circulation (the way content about you spreads automatically online through algorithms). They can curate invisibility as carefully as others curate exposure. The rest of us live differently. LinkedIn reveals where we work. Our routines are predictable. Our images circulate beyond our control.

We are, in many ways, less private than we imagine and it is partly our own doing, for we live — and are enslaved — in an age of constant oversharing.

The Illusion of Control

Social media grants the illusion of authorship over our image. We choose what to show, what to conceal, which version of ourselves to project. But curation quickly becomes performance.

Even retreat feels incomplete. A private account does not guarantee privacy. A friend tags you. A wedding photograph surfaces. A fleeting story captures you in the background. While you observe others, they observe you.

Everything is accessible. Instantly.

With a few clicks, one can find out who their ex is now dating. A former friend’s wedding abroad appears in her mother’s Facebook album. A birth announcement arrives via Instagram before the ink dries on the hospital bracelet. We consume one another’s lives with unsettling ease (sometimes at 2 a.m., drawn by some strange, irresistible curiosity.).

And often, we share reflexively — without questioning the audience. For whom are we performing? Whose approval are we seeking?

The culture of documentation has become habitual. We post not always because something matters, but because the platform exists.

Let Them Wonder

Mystery does not require total disappearance. It requires restraint.

It may mean resisting the urge to document every dinner, every milestone, every passing thought. It may mean allowing some chapters to unfold unannounced. It may mean cultivating a private garden where one can exist without observation.

In a culture that rewards visibility, withholding becomes radical. Let them wonder about you.

At the right dosage, mystery is elegant. It preserves dignity. It protects intimacy. It restores depth to presence.

***

Thanks for reading! If this article inspired you even a little, a like would mean a lot—it really motivates me to keep creating.

Bisous,

The French Edit.

TV show : Industry on HBO

Not many know this, but my day job is very corporate — worlds apart from what I usually write about on Substack. I actually like this contrast; (I hope it gives my writing a slightly different flavor than those fully immersed in Fashion and Beauty.)

In January, I binge-watched all three seasons of Industry and have just started the fourth, which has only just dropped. At first glance, it’s a dark show exposing the pressures, excesses, and occasional absurdities of the investment banking world. Think 30-hour workdays, high stakes, betrayals, and… well, a lot of drama (+ sex and drugs, let’s be honest).

Industry begins with a close look at ambitious graduates trying to make their mark in a high-stakes London investment bank. As the story progresses, it broadens, capturing the tangled intersections of finance, technology, politics, and the press…essentially, every seat of power.

What captivated me most wasn’t just the characters’ arcs, but the evolution of their wardrobes. From season three onwards, stylist Laura Smith elevates every frame, turning corporate dressing into a quiet art of power and personality. It’s confirmed: the right outfit can speak volumes before a word is even said. It’s a great source of inspiration if you’re looking for corporate outfit ideas.

For those wishing to explore the subject further, I highly recommend these two Substack articles: one by thoughtfully crafted with the help of Laura Smith, and another written by . Both are absolute gems. (Spoiler alert: read at your own risk!)

Workwear Inc.

Inside The Wardrobes of ‘Industry’

It’s a pretty big statement but I’m going to make it anyway: Industry might just be one of my favourite TV shows of all time…

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2 years ago · 17 likes · Fedora Abu

Déformation professionnelle

So, finance bros are fashion icons now ?

To celebrate today’s new episode of Industry (and cater to my increasingly English-speaking audience), here’s the English version of last week’s article. Enjoy!Subscribe. The English version is just getting started…

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7 months ago · 3 likes · 1 comment · Noëmie Leclercq-Sabbah

Industry
Sex, drugs, and risky deals. What would you trade for an all-time high?
2020 - 4 seasons
HBO

Perfume: Sujet parfums

I’ve never been one to gatekeep my fragrances. A perfume is personal, it transforms with your skin. On more acidic skin, certain notes bloom; on more alkaline skin, they soften. No two people will wear the same scent exactly alike.

When I discovered Sujet, I was immediately drawn to their vision. Their perfumes are produced in small, mindful batches (mine is bottle n°776/3162 of Batch L5K1), respecting both the rhythms of the earth and the hands that cultivate it. Crafted in France, entirely unisex, and irresistibly refined, their compositions are a delicate interplay of dried hay, blackcurrant, and black pepper. All ingredients are sourced directly from farmers in Alpes-Maritimes and the Provence-Côte d’Azur region, reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and local communities.

Sujet also honors the wearer. Each order comes with a trial vial, in case the fragrance isn’t quite right: returns are fully covered, no questions asked.

The perfume is called FOIN (French for hay). True to the ethos of high-quality, environmentally respectful products, there’s a waiting list — one worth joining if you care about fragrance done right.

Sujet Parfums
Le Foin, €95.

Skincare: Augustinus Bader lip balm

I didn’t give in to Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream. After trying it, I found it good, but I wasn’t truly impressed by its effects, especially given a price point that, frankly, felt rather blinding (perhaps it deserves a longer trial?). I was also quite disappointed by the hand cream, which does moisturize but leaves the hands slightly greasy.

That said, this is already the fourth lip balm I’ve purchased from the brand. It is simply perfect and believe me, I’ve tried countless ones. It visibly plumps the lips, leaves a beautifully glossy finish, and, most importantly, doesn’t require constant reapplication throughout the day.

I underwent fairly intensive treatments in 2025 that severely dried out my skin, and this lip balm never left my bag (special thanks to my younger brother for rushing to Paris to pick one up for me when I couldn’t travel). Quite simply, it’s a non-negotiable for me and you’re likely to see it mentioned here often.
Ps. The tinted lip balm collection created with Sofia Coppola is quite lovely, but its formula is, nevertheless, somewhat less effective.

Augustinus Bader
The Lip Balm, $47.

Bonjout Beauty: The Science of Radiance

I don’t own a large skincare collection, and I dislike having a multitude of bottles and tubes cluttering my cabinets. In both skincare and makeup, I gravitate toward products that are useful year-round and versatile enough to be applied to multiple areas of the body.

A true multitasking essential, this balm has earned a permanent place in my routine and in my bag. While it’s a little too rich for me to use all over the face during the day, it’s unbeatable as an overnight mask. I also reach for it whenever my skin needs extra care: on dry winter patches, around the eyes as an eye cream, on my hands, and even on scars. It delivers comfort, nourishment, and repair wherever it’s applied.

Already cult-favorite status and decorated with numerous awards, this balm stands out even more to me knowing it was created by a French pharmacist. Thoughtfully formulated and endlessly versatile, it’s one of those rare products that truly lives up to the hype.

Bonjout Beauty
Le Balm, $130.

Location: the new Gloria Osteria restaurant in Paris

At the moment, I’m in Paris, making the most of the chance to reunite with friends I met during my Master’s in the United States. Without sounding immodest, I’m usually the one entrusted with choosing where we go. I know Paris intimately, and my standards—especially when it comes to dining—are unapologetically high.

This month, I organized a get-together at the newly opened Gloria Osteria in Paris, which debuted in November 2025. The space is chic, the DJ has exquisite musical taste, vinyl records line the shelves, and the lighting is beautifully subdued. Located on Rue de Lille in the 7th arrondissement, this new gem is where I had the best truffle gnocchi in Paris.

Gloria Osteria
41 Rue de Lille, 75007 Paris
France

Podcast: Sabina Belli: CEO of Pomellato – Savoir-Vivre, Femininity, & Authentic Craftsmanship In Luxury Goods

I’m the kind of person who loves doing several things at once. Listening to podcasts while walking is one of my favorite rituals, and this past January I found myself re-listening to an interview that truly stayed with me: Sabina Belli, CEO of Pomellato, in conversation with The Gstaad Guy.

This is not a podcast about jewelry or design, at least not in the conventional sense. It’s a wide-ranging, deeply human discussion that touches on AI, female independence, savoir-vivre, the meaning of transaction, and, most memorably, the preservation and promotion of craftsmanship.

What struck me most is how Sabina Belli deconstructs the traditional dominance of elite academic paths to re-center craftsmanship—skills historically passed from father to son, and skills that cannot be diluted, replaced, or “optimized” by AI. Working with one’s hands is an incomparable form of wealth. There is real value (economic, cultural, and emotional) in the ability to create beauty and meaning through one’s own direct effort.

What makes the conversation even more compelling is the contrast with its host’s public persona. Known primarily for satirizing the codes and excesses of the ultra-wealthy through sharply observed characters (Colton and Constance), The Gstaad Guy reveals here a very different register. His questions are thoughtful, his listening attentive, and his approach marked by a disarming humility—far removed from the more performative energy we often associate with social media.

It’s also worth noting that this podcast is still remarkably new, yet its early guest list already speaks volumes, spanning figures from global tech leadership (Former Google CEO, Eric Schmidt) to haute cuisine (Michelin Star Chef, Daniel Humm), fashion (Editor-in-Chief of GQ, Will Welch) and jewelry (Nadine Ghosn). The ambition is clear, but so is the curiosity.

I can only hope you’ll savor this masterclass as much as I did.

The Gstaad Guy Podcast
Youtube, Apple Podcast and Spotify.

Food: Traditional Galette des Rois by Nina Meyer

As every January in France, it’s time to “tirer les rois” for Epiphany, one of my favorite seasonal traditions. This is a dessert I wish could exist all year round, but sadly, it’s only available for one month in France. This year, I may have indulged a little too much, tasting galettes ranging from my local neighborhood bakery to the elegant Ritz.

One of my absolute favorites was Nina Meyer’s creation “L’Ambrée”, which I discovered while shopping at La Samaritaine. I have a soft spot for classic almond galettes (the ones with a rich frangipane and crisp, buttery puff pastry) and I’m not much for reinvented versions with apple or chocolate. Nina Meyer’s Galette Ambre delighted my taste buds with exactly that perfect balance of texture and flavor.

It’s worth noting that in 2024, Nina Meyer was honored as World’s Best Pastry Chef at the prestigious ceremony held in Las Vegas by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. So if you find yourself in Paris next January, trying this galette is an absolute must.

“L’Ambrée”
Traditional Galette des Rois by Nina Meyer
Serves 6, €36

Book : Carolyn & John, La Malédiction Kennedy by Stephanie des Horts

Carolyn Bessette is everywhere even 25 years after her sudden, tragic death. The eternal it-girl, married to America’s most coveted heir, still floods social media (and especially Substack), competing with the Olsen sisters and Carrie Bradshaw—who, funnily enough, are all blondes too.

Recently, I learned FX is releasing a series called LOVE STORY about Carolyn and John Kennedy. (Yes, I know—the producers somehow managed to botch Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s iconic style.) And that’s when I realized: I knew almost nothing about them. Beyond the headlines: Kennedy was, well, a Kennedy. Carolyn had that timeless, minimal style. And yes, they died in a plane crash. That was about it.

Curious, I grabbed Stéphanie des Horts’ book. The synopsis alone reads like a film:

“New England cottages in pearl gray, seagulls screaming, a red-and-white lighthouse. And then them—cabled sweaters, perfect smiles… North American mythology in living color. They are the Kennedys, of whom we think we know everything. Really? But who are Carolyn and John? He, the ‘sexiest man on the planet,’ according to the American press. She, so beautiful and enigmatic that Ralph Lauren once told his team: ‘When you design a garment, think Carolyn Bessette.’ A fairy-tale wedding, a love story gone wrong, drugs, infidelity, a last-ditch effort to save their marriage… and then, the twilight plane ride.”

I loved immersing myself in that world. Beyond the glamour, their personalities emerged in sharper relief. Carolyn is portrayed as intelligent, ambitious, and magnetic yet visibly worn by the glare of public attention, manipulative, and possessing a chilling, almost hypnotic beauty. John is charming, carefree, and notoriously womanizing, yet paradoxically (and completely) hopelessly in love with her. The truth? Who can say. But the myth is utterly irresistible.

The book is in French, unfortunately, but the series takes cues from Elizabeth Beller’s Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. I haven’t read it yet, but my advice: if you’re curious about this iconic, tragic couple, a biography is the best way to truly get to know them.

Carolyn and John
by Stéphanie des Horts
Hardcover: €21.90/Paperback: €8.90

Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
by Elizabeth Beller
Hardcover: $29.99/Paperback: $19.99

I hope you enjoyed this latest piece! If it resonated, it may well become a little recurring tradition here, every month or two. As always, your likes, comments and subscriptions are the sparks that keep me writing.

Bisous,
The French Edit ♡

The luxury market is experiencing its first major slowdown in fifteen years (excluding the Covid period), a downturn not seen since the global financial crisis of 2008–2009, according to a Bain & Company report.

This slowdown is not just a phase—it reveals deeper issues within the luxury industry. Beneath the figures lies a deeper fatigue, one rooted in how luxury has been produced, marketed, and consumed over the past decade. As brands chased visibility, growth, and cultural relevance, something essential was quietly lost.

Luxury has slowly made its way behind our screens. One scroll, and an opulent world unfolds without restraint. Everyone seems to own at least one Birkin, a Chanel bag, a Cartier watch, or even an Audemars Piguet. Luxury no longer feels like luxury—it has been normalized, almost rendered accessible simply because it is everywhere online. We grow tired of seeing the same items paraded on the arms of different influencers. Worse still, it feels as though personal taste and individuality have disappeared altogether. Everyone wears the same things, across every corner of the globe—whether in Korea, the United States, or France.

Each season, a new luxury bag, watch, or pair of shoes floods our social feeds. And we grow weary of it. We grow weary because excessive exposure to luxury ultimately destroys luxury itself.

The overexposure of luxury goods online

Unfortunately, the pursuit of profit has diluted many luxury brands. In their desire to democratize and over-represent themselves, they have sacrificed authenticity. There is no longer any need to visit a boutique or purchase Vogue to discover new releases—everything is published instantly on Instagram. Information is delivered to us effortlessly, leaving no room for desire or discovery.

The Instagram account of The Row, for instance, which showcases art rather than its products directly? That is chic. Mysterious. Desirable. That is luxury.

Even worse, we often discover the latest “it bag” because it has been gifted to an influencer—who, the very next day, receives a competing brand’s bag just as easily.

The most credible influencers are those who have bought the product themselves. Those who, like most of us, reflected, saved, and hesitated before making the purchase. It is no surprise that consumers feel uninspired—or even fatigued—by brands that claim prestige while gifting products to influencers who neither cherish them nor wear them again

This is not the influencers’ fault. They are entitled to accept gifting and affiliate programs. The responsibility lies with the brands, which make their products visually omnipresent while rendering them increasingly inaccessible financially.

Rising prices for objects that no longer feel luxurious

Some argue that certain brands lost their way when they expanded into entry-level products. These items, often small accessories like cardholders, rings, or pouches, remain highly accessible, making the brand feel within reach. Yet, at the same time, their iconic pieces continue to climb in price, creating a striking contrast between approachable offerings and aspirational luxury.

A striking example is the Timeless—also known as the Classic Flap—created in the 1980s. It quickly became one of the most coveted handbags in the world. With its quilted leather, leather-and-chain strap, and iconic clasp, it embodies the timeless elegance of the House of Chanel. Since the 2010s, Chanel has followed an aggressive upmarket strategy, with frequent price increases.

• 1990s: approximately €1,050

• 2016: €4,300

• 2017: €4,800

• 2018: €5,100

• 2019: €5,480

• 2020: €5,930

• 2021: €6,200

• 2022: €8,450

• 2023: €9,300

• 2024: €9,900

• 2025: €10,300

Financial exclusion eventually becomes counterproductive. Luxury has always flirted with inaccessibility, but when prices are pushed too far, it crosses from “one day, perhaps” into “this is clearly not for me.”

Today, consumers are aware of production costs, margins, and so-called “strategic” price hikes. When increases appear opportunistic rather than justified, they breed distrust. Luxury relies on storytelling—craftsmanship, rarity, timelessness. When prices rise faster than perceived quality, the narrative collapses.

The rise of the second-hand market

Everyone knows how difficult it is to secure the opportunity to purchase a Birkin in-store. This deliberate scarcity preserves Hermès’ aura of exclusivity and fuels desire by making the object intentionally hard to obtain. Hermès is not alone in this approach; high-end watchmakers such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Jaeger-LeCoultre use the same strategy to maintain prestige and rarity.

Yet many newly wealthy consumers are less interested in the boutique ritual or being “recognized” by a sales associate. They simply want the exact bag or watch they desire, immediately. With the means to purchase, the traditional courtship no longer appeals, and they are willing to delegate the process—or turn to trusted second-hand sellers—even if it means paying twice the retail price.

Why? Because the in-store experience sometimes fails to match the purchase’s significance. Because judgments based on appearance still happen. Luxury should never feel like a transactional or toxic relationship between brand and client; it should be rooted in honesty. Producing limited quantities is not a problem—on the contrary, it shows respect for the client, the product’s quality, and the environment. Many brands also have legitimate reasons for maintaining scarcity. Still, above all, transparency and respect are essential.

Luxury should celebrate talent, not trends

Fashion’s first brand muses emerged in the 1950s, when cinema icons and haute couture models began to personify the style of the world’s leading fashion houses. Audrey Hepburn, for instance, became the timeless face of Givenchy, wearing its creations out of friendship and admiration rather than formal obligation.

Today, the principle endures: consumers forge emotional connections with figures they admire, who quickly become sources of inspiration. These modern muses span singers, actors, and other public personalities—sometimes even a few well-known “nepo babies”……..hum.

From Angèle for Chanel to Zendaya for Louis Vuitton, and Anne Hathaway for Bulgari, these faces shape how audiences perceive and aspire to the world of luxury.

Yet the relationship between celebrities and brands has grown far more structured and professional. Contracts today are as varied and singular as the personalities themselves. While “friends of the house” still exist, representing a brand through personal affinity, the majority of engagements are now formalized.

Brand ambassadors, for example, are often paid to wear outfits on the red carpet, appear in advertising campaigns, or share content on social media, generating visibility and measurable impact. Creative collaborations involve the celebrity in a capsule collection, product design, or concept-driven campaign, lending their artistic vision to the brand. And finally, the most prominent category—iconic muses—embody the brand across campaigns, billboards, magazines, and all media channels, becoming the very symbol and voice of the house. In this case, the celebrity’s presence is omnipresent, shaping public perception and reinforcing the brand’s identity.

→This list is neither definitive nor exhaustive; there are as many types of contracts as there are personalities, each tailored to the unique relationship between the celebrity and the brand.

Since 2024, with the Paris Olympic Games, luxury houses have increasingly turned to athletes, gaining unprecedented visibility. Figures such as Antoine Dupont and Victor Wembanyama for Louis Vuitton, and Aurélien Giraud and Kylian Mbappé for Dior, now embody the brands on the global stage. This fusion of elite sport and luxury is a masterstroke, as both worlds share a common foundation:

• Excellence

• Rarity (few reach the top)

Read more

In this new edition of the newsletter, I had the pleasure of speaking with Inès (@thestonesafari), a young Frenchwoman with a true passion for fine jewelry. After establishing herself as the most prominent jewelry content creator in France, she went on to found a bespoke jewelry concierge service. I was able to ask her all my questions—not only to learn more about her personally, but also to explore gemstones, gold, and the world of fine jewelry at large.

High jewelry is a fascinating world that often receives far less attention than fashion on social media, yet it is just as captivating. The timeless adage “quality over quantity” applies equally to your wardrobe and your jewelry collection. Beyond its undeniable elegance, gold has also proven its worth as an investment: over the past decade, its price per ounce has roughly tripled, climbing from around $1,060 in late 2015 to over $4,200 in 2025. Each piece, then, is more than a statement of style—it’s a treasure that appreciates over time.

But value isn’t only measured in gold. We invite you to explore exceptional maisons beyond the familiar names. By combining these discoveries with investment-worthy pieces, you can create a collection that is both thoughtfully curated and endlessly enjoyable. Our hope is that you uncover something new—and perhaps feel inspired as you plan your next acquisition.

Could you introduce yourself in a few words for our readers?

Jewelry maniac, loves anything shiny, eats, breath and talks about jewelry on a daily basis. What started as an obsession turned into a real passion, and Iʼve been sharing my vision, advice and inspiration around fine jewelry on Instagram and TikTok for the past year. I also run a jewelry concierge service where I help people bring their projects to life, from upgrading a simple piece to redesigning sentimental heirlooms or finding the perfect piece for their collection. 92% of peopleʼs jewelry is “asleepˮ in vaults and jewelry boxes, so I encourage them to transform, wear and truly enjoy what they already own instead of letting it gather dust. My goal is to help them build a jewelry collection that feels personal, intentional and fun to wear every day.

How did your passion for jewelry begin?

So young! I remember making scrapbooks about jewelry when I was 12/13 years old. I would cut out images from magazines and create my own reviews, like my little personal editorials. I would ask my mom to get me any book she could find on the subject.

My first summer job was at Messika in 2013. I was 17 and I spent a month in Paris on my own. I wasnʼt doing anything very interesting nor glamorous at all but I still felt really lucky to be there, to see things from the inside.

Was there a particular piece that sparked the beginning of this fascination?

I remember being very young, probably 11, and noticing a ring on the finger of a friend of my momʼs. It was her engagement ring, a huge emerald cut, green emerald. I can still picture the moment I saw it. I donʼt know why this moment stuck in my head, but it is the first time I was truly mesmerised by jewelry. I remember thinking that I could not wait to have my own.

I was obsessed with emeralds for the longest time, without knowing anything about them. I just knew that this deep green stone on her hand felt powerful, elegant and a bit mysterious, and that feeling never really left.

When you purchase jewelry, do you view it as a future heirloom— something to pass down to your children? Do you consider timelessness before buying a piece?

Every time I acquire a piece, I think that one day, someone will have this to remember me by. It feels like Iʼm making a choice that will stick with me and tell a story of who I am, or who I was at that moment in my life.

So yes, I think about timelessness and about transmission, but not in a cold, strategic way. More in the sense of, “If I have a daughter, I hope sheʼll love my pieces and think I had good taste.ˮ It makes me a bit more picky with what I buy, even when I fall in love at first sight.

What is your favorite gemstone, what color draws you in the most, and why?

So hard , but I have to cut it down to two stones. They are not the fanciest, but they mean something to me.

Aquamarine Aquamarine reminds me of the sea. It reminds me of my childhood in Marseille and my summers by the sea in Jamaica. I am very connected to warm weather and light blue waters, and aquamarine has exactly that soft, sunny, easy going energy. It feels like a holiday in a stone.

Onyx When I was about 15, my mother gave me a ring that belonged to my jamaican grandmother, with an onyx. I have been wearing this ring daily for the past 15 years. It is a part of me now, and the stone is so familiar that I feel like I have a special connection with onyx. I love its depth, the fact that it is not loud but still very strong. It feels a bit like a quiet signature.

Do you already have an idea of the engagement ring you would love—if marriage is something you envision?

All I can say is that Iʼm very drawn to trilogy rings. Three stones, lots of gold. I do believe in marriage, but overall I believe in lasting love. The ring represents all of that to me.

I love the idea that the three stones each have a meaning. The past, which is the road and the baggage that led me to my lover. The present, which is our everyday life together. And the future, the promise of growing old side by side. It feels symbolic without being cliché and personal without being overly literal.

How would you define your personal jewelry aesthetic in three words?

Bold, gold and powerful. It would actually be a great name for a podcast.

Could you share two or three niche or emerging jewelry brands you currently love?

My favorites are Sauer 1941, Brent Neale and Retrouvaí. I do not own anything from these brands yet, but I am obsessed with the creativity, the colors and the playfulness of all their pieces. There is a sense of fun and personality that I really connect with, and I love when fine jewelry does not take itself too seriously. If I had an unlimited budget but could only wear one jewerly brand for the rest of my life, I would probably choose one of them.

Now, Letʼs Talk Jewelry...

What are your thoughts on the tradition of offering a diamond for an engagement?

I donʼt care much about tradition. I donʼt think an engagement ring should be tied to one specific stone. People get so caught up in the “rulesˮ, but honestly, it should just be whatever feels right for the couple.

I only think diamonds work well because theyʼre very neutral, they go with everything and itʼs harder to get tired of them. But thatʼs the only reason. If someone is more of a sapphire person, or loves coloured stones, or wants something completely unexpected, I think thatʼs just as meaningful.

Do you prefer buying from traditional jewelers, or are you also drawn to high-fashion maisons such as Chanel, Dior, or Louis Vuitton and their fine jewelry collections?

It really depends on what Iʼm looking for. Iʼm usually attracted to pieces when I know the story and the person behind them, it makes the jewelry feel more intimate and special to me. I like supporting smaller creators who work out of passion rather than just profit, you can feel that energy in the final piece.

That being said, I do enjoy some pieces from big maisons too. I own a pair of Chanel earrings that I love wearing, but they feel a little less personal to me, almost like Iʼm borrowing someone elseʼs story instead of wearing my own.

Do you believe jewelry trends mirror fashion trends—for instance, todayʼs focus on quiet luxury and minimalism?

I don’t think fashion trends dictate how people wear jewelry. I don’t believe they mirror each other. Jewelry is more playful, more expressive, more daring and more eccentric than ever. With the rise of lab-grown diamonds, we’re seeing larger stones and far more unique, experimental designs. Quiet luxury isn’t new, it has always existed, especially in French culture. I love the idea of wearing something very simple and minimalist, then going bold with jewelry. We, the French, don’t tend to overdress, but jewelry is where we truly express creativity and personality. Now more than ever.

Desert Diamonds — the newly popular natural diamonds celebrated for their warm, desert-inspired hues (champagne, honey, sand, amber, and soft browns) — are gaining significant attention in high jewelry. What do you think of this emerging trend and its shift toward more organic, earthy diamond colors?

I really believe De Beers (the trendsetter on this one) is very good at marketing, and sometimes we all need to be gently pushed in a new direction. Every movement has to start somewhere. And honestly, marketing isnʼt a bad word, it can open peopleʼs eyes to things they wouldnʼt have looked at before.

Do you have any recommendations for independent or vintage jewelry boutiques in Paris where readers might discover truly special pieces?

I love the jewelry sourced by Emilie Bourguereau, everything looks like candy to me (Luce By EB). I can also spend hours scrolling on the 58 Facettes app, especially in the vintage section. I always have to stop myself from going crazy and spending all my money.

And for anyone visiting Paris, I love going to Drouot. Itʼs an auction house, and they often display pieces before the actual sale. Itʼs a great opportunity to try things on, speak to professionals and browse around to find something truly unique.

What would be your dream collaboration between a designer and a jeweler?

I think itʼs such a clever question. For me, a dream collab isnʼt only about aesthetics, itʼs about friction (the productive kind). Two creative worlds that donʼt naturally fit but elevate each other when they try.

I would love to see Phoebe Philo mix with Tabayer. They both worship sculptural curves. I could also picture Miuccia Prada working with Sophie Bille Brahe would be awesome. Elegance with quiet drama. I think jewelry and high fashion should do more collaborations actually.

How do you envision jewelry design evolving in the coming years?

I believe the classical engagement ring and all the old-school designs will be revisited. Women are not waiting for anyone to buy them jewelry anymore.

Jewelry will be more self-purchased, more personal and less about ticking a box or following a “ruleˮ. I think weʼll see more color, more playfulness, more made-to-measure pieces and also more people transforming what they already own instead of starting from scratch.

***

Thank you once again for your unwavering support.
Every subscriber, every comment, every like, every bit of financial support is wonderful and gives me the motivation to write even more.

Bisous,

The French Edit.

Maison Pechavy — Candles & Candle Holders

During a visit to the Christmas Market at the magnificent Hôtel de Crillon, which brought together an exceptional selection of young French creators, I discovered Maison Pechavy. I was immediately charmed by their vegetable-wax candles — far healthier than paraffin — which cast a warm and refined glow. Their customizable, one-of-a-kind candle holders add an effortlessly elegant touch to any interior.

Living Beautifully in Paris by Mathilde Favier

Mathilde Favier, the influential Public Relations Director of Dior Couture, invites readers into her inner world. Favier unveils the artists, designers, places, and moments that inspire her daily life. Truly a sumptuous journey into the beating heart of Parisian creativity — spanning art, fashion, beauty, décor, and gastronomy.

SESSEI — The Perfect Shirt

As I often write, the shirt is, for me, an essential piece in both women’s and men’s wardrobes. My favorite French brand, without question, is SESSEI — their fabrics, cuts, and details are exquisite. What’s more, the fact that every shirt is produced entirely in Europe is a rarity today. Consider adding a monogram to further elevate the piece. To top it all off, , the founder, is an exceptionally creative and kind person — qualities that shine through in each of her designs.

Cartier — C de Cartier Card Holder

Although I often recommend turning to traditional leather artisans for classic pieces, Cartier’s leather goods are a worthy exception. The Maison masterfully blends its jewelry savoir-faire with exceptional leatherwork: impeccable stitching, meticulous finishing, and exquisite materials. Cartier’s C card holder is an understated luxury piece that subtly elevates the everyday look.

Ex-Libris Paris — Bespoke Bookplates

Ex-Libris Paris has collaborated with prestigious maisons such as Diptyque, Louis Vuitton, and Officine Universelle Buly — a testament to its status as an essential name in the world of refined stationery. Ex-Libris’ illustrator, Lauren, draws her custom stamps entirely by hand according to your photos and specifications.

And for those who prefer a semi-bespoke option, act quickly: each design is produced in only twelve editions, making these ex-libris pieces as exclusive as they are poetic.

Le Château de Ma Mère — Beauty Pouch

Inspired by 17th-century Provençal textile archives, Le Château de Ma Mère captures the soul of Provence with rare authenticity. Named in homage to Marcel Pagnol’s Souvenirs d’enfance, the brand offers exquisitely crafted accessories imbued with charm and nostalgia. Their boutique in the 7th arrondissement, just steps from Le Bon Marché, is a gem. Among their creations, you’ll find an original and elegant toiletry pouch that makes a delightful gift.

Rue de Verneuil — Signature Tote Bag

A true Parisian favorite, the Rue de Verneuil tote has become a quiet icon of chic. Minimalist, architectural, and effortlessly stylish, it’s equally comfortable at your next morning meeting or this weekend’s escapes. A gift for the modern woman who values both craftsmanship and understated allure.

Devialet x Paris Opera — Gemini II Earbuds

Devialet, the French luxury audio maison, has joined forces with the Paris Opera for a collaboration – think fine art meets innovation. They even have a small boutique inside the Palais Garnier, where you can discover — and fall for — these truly stunning earbuds: undoubtedly the most elegant earplugs one could own. A gift for music lovers who appreciate beauty in both sound and form.

***

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Over the past few months, engagement on Substack has dipped a little, and I’ve noticed fewer likes. It can be discouraging at times — one inevitably wonders whether the piece resonated with you or not, and it does affect motivation.

If you enjoyed this article, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, tap the like button, or consider upgrading to the paid version. Your support truly makes a difference.

Bisous,

The French Edit.

It’s harder to find good menswear inspiration, even though influencers like Emmanuelpcr and Luca Gallaccio exist in France, and international publications like The Rake and GQ set the tone worldwide. And even if we try to take cues from them (especially when buying gifts to subtly nudge the men in our lives toward a little style refresh), the truth is that most men already have a look of their own. Unfortunately, not all of them are born with that innate sense of elegance like Riccardo Pozzoli…

Let’s be honest: the perfectly elegant man doesn’t exist. But some have that charisma, that taste, that style—or simply that gentlemanly way of carrying themselves—that makes them effortlessly chic. And as you’ve probably guessed, it’s not just about the clothes (one can look chic even in a T-shirt!).

In this article, I’m delighted to share my personal list of things that, in my view, make men truly chic. Of course, as always on The French Edit, this list is not meant to be followed to the letter, but rather to be drawn from according to our desires and our budget.

PS. To my New Zealand partner: if you’re reading this, know that I still think you can be elegant in your T-shirt and flip-flops!

***

• Well-polished shoes: Nothing says attention to detail like clean, cared-for shoes. In cities where streets are never spotless (think Paris or New York) the effort to maintain your footwear signals that you care about even the smallest things. That’s a serious green flag.

• Wearing quality socks: Socks may seem minor, but the right pair elevates both style and comfort. Subtle tones that match your outfit create a seamless look, while a bold color or pattern adds personality. Materials matter too: cotton is breathable and easygoing, merino wool keeps you warm, and cashmere adds a touch of luxury. A simple trip to a specialty store like Mes Chaussettes Rouges in Paris can make all the difference. (Try Gammarelli socks!)

• Taking care of nails and hands
  Self explanatory.

• Good hygiene

  Bare minimum.

• Smelling good
  This is not about owning a niche fragrance that becomes your signature scent, nor about having a whole collection of perfumes for every occasion. It is simply about smelling pleasant.
  That might come from a bit of fragrance, of course, but just as well from a well-scented soap. There is no need to overdo it.

• Writing by hand
  Keeping a notebook and pen may seem old-fashioned in a fast-paced world, but it’s undeniably chic. Writing helps you focus, disconnect from notifications, and enjoy the simple pleasure of putting pen to paper. (I already talked about this in my first article that you all really liked!)

• Wearing shirts
  I love men in shirts. Thankfully, the shirt is the most versatile piece in a wardrobe: at the office, for a drink, at the opera, but also on a road trip or even on safari.
  You want it in linen or cotton, neither too large nor too tight (and please, if your buttons are suffering, threatening to pop, and the fabric is pulling, it is far too tight).

• Ironing clothes

  Once you start noticing un-ironed clothes, you won’t be able to ignore it! (Something I am still working on with my partner…)

• Speaking at least two languages
  Being able to order at a restaurant in the local language? Effortlessly chic.

• Wearing a discreet watch
  There is absolutely no need to wear big and outrageously expensive watches that swallow your wrist (Unless you genuinely find pleasure in it). Wearing a watch that becomes the very first thing people notice about you is, inevitably, in poor taste.

  If you appreciate discreet, well-crafted timepieces beyond the brands everyone already knows, I would suggest Michel Herbelin, Lip, or Longines, and March Lab if your budget allows for something higher-end. But honestly, even with a simple Swatch, you’re effortlessly elegant.

  Wearing an inherited watch is undeniably chic.

• Having a hobby
  Chess, golf, rugby, music, or collecting—something that occupies your mind without consuming your entire life. (And please, if you tell me you’re passionate about cars, I do hope you at least know how to change a tire!)

• Carrying Cash

  There is an undeniable elegance to carrying cash; it exudes a certain timeless sophistication that digital payments can’t quite replicate. Beyond the aesthetic charm, it also offers a practical advantage: having cash on hand ensures that one can pay effortlessly in any circumstance: whether technology fails, cards are not accepted, or spontaneity calls for immediate settlement.

• Not being glued to a phone
  A man who’s present and attentive is infinitely more attractive.

• Giving time to charity
  Volunteering is one of the most chic gestures imaginable. It shows generosity, awareness, and empathy: the ultimate markers of a gentleman character.

• Walking next to the curb on the sidewalk
  Or more precisely, walk on the side where the “danger” is. It might just as well be the side with a drunk passer-by, a car or construction work spilling onto the pavement.

• No logo belts
  (even if they come from prestigious French or Italian houses).
  You are not a walking billboard.

• Treating everyone with the same respect
  From the CEO to the waiter, your manners should be consistent.

• Moderation with alcohol
  Self-discipline is inherently chic.

• Going the extra mile to make a guest comfortable
  Good manners dictate that a man should enter a restaurant first — both to ensure the place is respectable and to spare his companion from the lingering gazes of other men…
  He should also invite the woman to sit on the banquette, her back to the wall, allowing her a full view of the room. He never lets her glass sit empty: it is his role to serve the wine. She chooses her dishes, of course, but he is the one who conveys the order to the maître d’.

  And although I specify these gestures toward a woman, a true gentleman behaves this way with any guest — even another man — especially if he is the host.

Of course, this list can just as well apply to women as well…

The list could go on—but some secrets are best kept.

***

Thank you once again for your unwavering support.
Every subscriber, every comment, every bit of financial support is wonderful and gives me the motivation to write even more.

À bientôt,

The French Edit.

The internet is currently awash with influencer videos titled “Get Ready With Me for My Hermès Appointment” or tagged #hermèsstyle. Most of them dress with the firm conviction that they’ve mastered the codes of the house—when, in reality, they’re nowhere near. And honestly, that’s not the issue. Everyone is free to dress as they please…as long as they don’t claim to know the language of a maison while speaking an entirely different dialect.

Read more

Read more

Recently, while listening to the brilliant new album of Yungblud (a British rock singer-songwriter), I was transported back to that world of inspiration I lived in as a teenager. Back then, I wasn’t just moved by a single outfit I saw on Instagram; I was immersed in entire artistic universes. I listened to their music obsessively, watched their interviews, and connected not only with their look but with the emotion and energy they conveyed through their art. It wasn’t about duplicating their exact outfit (and you would never find any brand tagged on their profiles)—it was about understanding and embodying the spirit behind it.

These artists encouraged us to be ourselves. You didn’t need the exact same leather jacket or the exact same pins. What mattered was capturing the essence, the energy—the vibe. And to do that, you had to dive in completely, starting with the music.

Today, Instagram is flooded with uniformed influencers wearing eerily similar outfits—neutral-toned capsule wardrobes, the same white t-shirt, striped button-down, jeans, and seasonal jacket. It's a sea of sameness, and the algorithm is slowly dressing us all like clones.

So how do you break free?

The most visionary stylists and artistic directors don’t rely only on curated Pinterest boards or fleeting digital trends. Their creative vocabulary is drawn from a far richer lexicon—music, architecture, fine art, cinema, literature, and the organic rhythms of the natural world. They observe, absorb, and reinterpret culture through a wide-angle lens.

Vivienne Westwood’s fashion language was shaped by the punk movement she helped ignite with her partner Malcolm McLaren, who, as it happened, was the manager of the Sex Pistols, one of the most well-known punk rock groups. Westwood didn’t just design clothes—she built a new world. Her creations carried political charge, rebellious spirit, and raw authenticity. She didn’t follow fashion; she redefined it by channeling a whole ethos.

In a different corner of the world, Issey Miyake observed movement rather than pigment. Designing pleated costumes for a ballet by William Forsythe, he was inspired by the quiet strength and fluidity of dancers in rehearsal. His forms echoed origami—another asian tradition reinterpreted, where geometry met innovation, and heritage folded into the future.

Nature is also a master colorist. Yves Saint Laurent found his palette not with a Panton color palette, but with his travels.

“When I discovered Morocco, I understood that my own colour palette was that of zelliges, zouacs, djellabas and kaftans. The audacities that have since been mine, I owe them to this country, to the violence of the agreements, to the insolence of the mixtures, to the ardour of the inventions. This culture became mine, but I did not just import it, I annexed it, transformed it, adapted it.” - Yves Saint Laurent

The Moroccan landscape and its artisanal richness became part of his creative DNA—colors lifted from tilework, silhouettes reimagined through flowing fabrics.

In that vein, wear pieces you've collected during your travels—not as costumes, but as natural extensions of your personal story. The key is cultural sensitivity: blend these elements into your everyday wardrobe as a reflection of who you are, not just what you admire. That’s not cultural appropriation—it’s cultural appreciation, lived and expressed with respect.

Also, cinematographers and costume designers often do a better job with aesthetics than fashion influencers ever could. Think of the quiet ruggedness of Yellowstone, or the iconic silhouettes in Westerns like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly or The Power of the Dog.

For lovers of country music, there are artists whose visual style is as compelling as their sound—names like Lainey Wilson, Orville Peck, Midland, and Sierra Ferrell who curate outfits that straddle vintage Western flair and contemporary edge. Incorporating a silk or cotton bandana into your outfit offers a subtly sophisticated update to your daily outfit. (Hermès if you're feeling polished, Kujten for casual cool, even better: something vintage)

However, I wouldn't recommend wearing a full ensemble of Santiag boots, a bandana, and jeans. (Don’t turn your wardrobe into a cowboy costume). Incorporate one or two well-chosen pieces into your existing style. Always let your clothes feel lived-in, not theatrical…

Finally, let your heritage lead your style and your lifestyle.

If you’re of Chinese descent, explore the elegance of Mandarin collars or intricate traditional embroidery. If your roots are Nigerian, embrace Ankara prints in ways that feel authentic and intentional…

Stop that mindless scrolling.

Lift your head from your phone.

Look around and truly appreciate the beauty in nature and awesome architecture.

Open your ears to soak in the music that makes you feel more like you.

And open your heart to embrace what you really love.

After that… you'll probably be the most stylish person in any room.

***

Thank you so much for your unwavering support.

I'm going through a difficult phase right now, and honestly, writing really helps me. It's also why I haven't been as regular with my posts lately.

Seeing your support and comments means the world to me!

Bisous,

The French edit

Dressing for summer, on the other hand, has always been something of a challenge, especially when temperatures climb to 30 degrees Celsius (around 86 degrees Fahrenheit). On those days, all I want is to live in a simple t-shirt, underwear, and flip-flops. I've lost count of how many times I've scoured the internet for inspiration on how to dress stylishly in summer, especially when I’m working and need to maintain a corporate-appropriate look.

But after enduring many long summers spent observing, researching, and experimenting, I’ve finally discovered how to look chic during the hottest months. And now, I’m ready to share my hard-won insights—though I suspect they might stir a bit of controversy.

1. Wear White from Head to Toe

White is summer’s ultimate cheat/chic code. Unlike bold colors that demand attention, white acts as a quiet amplifier. It doesn’t overshadow the wearer but enhances them. It brings light to the face, flatters sun-kissed skin, and evokes a sense of freshness and ease that few other shades can achieve.

In winter, when I don’t know what to wear, I reach for all-black. In summer, the answer is all-white: it’s an instant solution for looking polished with minimal effort.

The secret lies in the styling. Elevate your look with accessories! Summer is the perfect moment to embrace more vibrant pieces (a topic I’ll dive into later in this newsletter).

2. Avoid Synthetic Fabrics

It cannot be said enough: the foundation of chic is comfort. And comfort, especially in the summer heat, comes from breathable, natural fabrics like linen and cotton. These materials wick away sweat, allow the skin to breathe, and move beautifully with the body. There is truly nothing worse than a polyester dress or top clinging to overheated skin.

If there’s one piece to invest in, it’s the oversized white linen shirt. Choose one of high quality (one that doesn’t wrinkle too easily). I personally love this version by Seliijan—an instant staple.

3. Skip the Sneakers

Hermès | Jimmy Choo (not pictured)| K Jacques | Margaux | A Emery | Amanu

This may be my most controversial opinion — yet I stand firmly by it.

In my early twenties, I sometimes paired sneakers with dresses, despite my mother’s gentle reminders that the look wasn’t particularly elegant. At the time, I paid little mind, especially since everyone seemed to be embracing sneakers with every outfit.

Indeed, sneakers have evolved dramatically. As early as the 1990s, Gucci began integrating them into high fashion, and the 2020 release of the Nike x Dior Air Jordan 1 was nothing short of a cultural milestone.

Today, sneakers serve as a vibrant canvas for creative expression, available in every imaginable color, style, and season. Designers frequently pair them with all manner of ensembles, making the look undeniably stylish and undeniably cool—but it remains, in my view, not really chic.

A sneaker, by nature, is neither inherently chic

Read more

It can feel like a challenge to select a bottle of wine, whether you're in a supermarket aisle or going through a restaurant wine list. Often, we find ourselves reaching for the same familiar bottles of wine, relying on Vivino ratings, or simply being drawn in by an attractive label...

And yet, the ability to choose a good bottle of wine is a skill you can readily acquire, one that will serve you well for years to come (perhaps I should add it to my list of things I find chic?).

I'm happy to be co-writing this piece with Tom, a dear friend who also happens to be a wine salesperson in Los Angeles. We were both born and raised in the Champagne region and grew up surrounded by the wines and vineyards of our home. It's with pleasure that he shares his insights on selecting a good wine, with advice tailored to both the French and American markets.

Of course, it would be impossible to explain everything about grape varieties, wine types, appellations, the multitude of wine regions, or the art of pairing in a single article (and that would be far too confusing and overwhelming).

This piece offers a glimpse and some general advice for beginners on what you can discover in the world of wine—like that initial sip of a truly excellent vintage you're tasting for the first time. We hope it leaves you wanting to explore further!

Wineshop vs Supermarket

When embarking on your wine selection journey, the initial decision often lies between a specialized wineshop and a more general supermarket.

The wineshop experience generally involves a higher price point, which directly correlates with the expertise offered by the staff. This premium grants you access to informed guidance, a valuable asset when time is limited and you seek tailored recommendations. However, you can also find wines that offer good quality for the price.

Don't hesitate to enter a wineshop, regardless of your current wine knowledge; If you have something in mind, simply be prepared to articulate (1) your budget, (2) the occasion for the wine, and (3) any flavor profiles that appeal to you. If you're unsure, simply rely on the wine merchant's expertise to point you in the right direction.

The curated selections within wineshops often vary by neighborhood, and they frequently champion smaller, independent producers whose exceptional wines, often due to limited production and specific margin requirements, are not found in larger supermarket chains. These are often niche wines, frequently brought to light through personal recommendations from the knowledgeable staff.

Supermarkets present a wine selection that generally leans towards readily approachable, "easy-drinking" styles with simpler aromatic profiles. While complexity might be less of a focus, these wines are perfectly suited for casual gatherings and immediate enjoyment. It's worth noting that the bottles gracing supermarket shelves are typically distinct from those in wineshops.

The sheer volume of choices in a supermarket can also make the selection process more time-consuming. In the US, supermarket wines tend to be more mainstream, requiring significant quantities to meet demand and generally appealing to a broader consumer base to maximize sales.

Regardless, with a little research and knowledge, it's possible to discover hidden gems (and it's truly exciting to uncover new bottles that you've chosen yourself!).

White, Red or Rosé ?

The world of wine is wonderfully diverse, encompassing red, white, rosé, orange (achieved through skin contact with white grapes), and sparkling varieties.

The fascinating realm of sparkling wines, including iconic examples like Champagne, Prosecco and Crémant, will be explored in greater detail in a future newsletter.

The art of pairing is truly a profession in itself, the expertise of a sommelier. While we might have some basic ideas, like red wine going with red meat, all these principles can shift depending on the intensity of flavors. You might be surprised to discover more original combinations in renowned gastronomic restaurants.

White wines are crafted from white grapes (and sometimes from black grapes!). They generally find harmonious pairings with seafood and fish, particularly those with dry, non-sweet expressions. They can also complement lighter meats such as chicken, especially when opting for a crisp variety like Chardonnay.

Rosé wines, best appreciated in their youth and for their refreshing character, are ideal as apéritifs or on sunny days. Their delicate hues and flavors derived from brief skin contact with red grapes.

Orange wines, produced through extended contact with grape skins, offer intriguing and often unique aromatic profiles, sometimes coupled with lower alcohol content. They pair usually well with the vibrant flavors of Asian cuisine. Similar to rosés, they are best enjoyed soon after purchase.

These three categories—white, rosé, and orange—serve as excellent companions to vegetarian meals.

Red wines, which gain their color from the maceration of red grape skins, are classically associated with red meats, their tannins contributing structure and more pronounced aromas. It's a common misconception that red wine is a universal partner for cheese; in fact, the majority of cheeses find a more complementary match with white wines, with only a select few exceptions harmonizing with reds.

Ultimately, the most crucial aspect of choosing wine is personal enjoyment. Drink what you love with what you want to eat, even if it goes against conventional wisdom. And remember, embracing experimentation is the key to discovering your own perfect pairings!

Grape Varieties (Cépages)

Beyond the type of wine, understanding your preferred grape varieties is essential. The cépage refers to the specific type of vine or grape used to produce a wine. And the only way to discover your preferences is through tasting widely. So try different wines, and write down what you like and dislike in a notebook or on your phone!

While there are approximately 6,000 different grape varieties worldwide, we will focus on the most well-known and frequently encountered ones.

Red Grape Varieties:

• Pinot Noir: A versatile grape producing wines that can range from light and fresh with red fruit aromas to more complex expressions (in the case of high quality wines) exhibiting notes of vanilla, mushroom, or even leather. Generally recommended for those seeking a light and fresh red wine.

• Cabernet Sauvignon: Often yields wines with more structure, body (thickness), and intensity on the palate. Recommended for pairing with richer, more flavorful dishes like a fine cut of beef.

• Syrah: Celebrated for its distinctive black pepper notes, along with other spices. It's a rather elegant wine that may not appeal to everyone. Typically enjoyed with a meal featuring meat rather than as an apéritif.

• Gamay: This variety produces very light, fruity, and fresh wines, typical for a good apéritif and offering excellent value for money. Beaujolais is a good example, but be cautious of Beaujolais Nouveau, as these wines have a very short period between harvest and bottling, resulting in less developed flavors.

White Grape Varieties:

• Chardonnay: A grape often characterized by its refreshing acidity. It can display aromas of white-fleshed fruits like apple and pear, citrus notes such as lemon and grapefruit, and sometimes hints of tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. These wines are often very thirst-quenching, making them ideal for an apéritif. For a meal pairing, we recommend a Chablis. Meursault represents one of the finest expressions of Chardonnay, as the terroir is particularly well-suited to the variety, allowing the wines to achieve an interesting maturity that yields exceptional results.

• Sauvignon Blanc: Known for its lovely freshness, it offers aromas of citrus like lemon, along with some tropical fruit notes. It's great for a pre-dinner drink, but it's even better with a seafood platter! In France, a well-known and respected appellation for Sauvignon Blanc is Sancerre, a village in the Loire Valley.

• Riesling: This grape often gives you flavors fruits like apricot and pear, sometimes even a touch of honey. It's really typical of wines from Alsace and Germany. A cool thing about Riesling is that it can have this faint, almost petrol-like scent. You can find it dry or sweet, and it's surprisingly good with spicy Indian dishes.

Understanding wine origins with the Appellation

An appellation identifies wines based on the geographical origin of their production. It's a system for classifying wines according to various criteria specific to a vineyard region. This can include natural elements like climate and environment, as well as the winemaker's practices, such as viticulture techniques.

Here is a list of some of the most well-known wine appellations around the world, categorized by country:

Bordeaux Region: Famous for its prestigious red blends (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc) from appellations like:

• Pauillac

• Margaux

• Saint-Émilion

• Pomerol

Burgundy Region (Bourgogne): Renowned for single-varietal wines made from Pinot Noir (red) and Chardonnay (white) from appellations like:

• Côte de Nuits (overwhelmingly known for its red wines, made primarily from Pinot Noir)

• Côte de Beaune (primarily known for its exceptional white wines)

• Chablis (famous for producing dry white wines made 100% from the Chardonnay grape)

Beaujolais Region: wine made primarily from Gamay in appellations such as:

• Moulin-à-Vent (Gamay)

• Fleurie (Gamay)

• Morgon (Gamay)

Champagne Region: The only region that can legally call its sparkling wine "Champagne," made primarily from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier (topic that will be detailed in a future newsletter).

Loire Valley: Diverse region known for various styles and grape varieties, including:

• Sancerre (white, Sauvignon Blanc)

• Pouilly-Fumé (white, Sauvignon Blanc)

• Vouvray (white, Chenin Blanc)

• Chinon (red, Cabernet Franc)

Rhône Valley: Known for its powerful red blends in the Southern Rhône (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre) and elegant Syrah-based reds in the Northern Rhône (like Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage).

Alsace Region: Unique region with a blend of French and German influences, famous for aromatic white wines like Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Pinot Gris.

Other beautiful wine regions in the world…

Tuscany (Italy): Celebrated for Sangiovese (notably in Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino).

Piedmont (Italy): Renowned for Nebbiolo (as found in Barolo and Barbaresco) and Barbera.

Veneto (Italy): Famous for Glera (the grape of Prosecco) and Pinot Grigio.

Sicily (Italy): Notable for Nero d'Avola and Etna Rosso (often a blend with Nerello Mascalese).

California (USA): Famous for Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and other varietals.

Oregon (USA): Particularly famous for its Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.

Mendoza (Argentina): Known for Malbec.

Barossa Valley (Australia): Renowned for Shiraz.

Marlborough (New Zealand): Famous for Sauvignon Blanc.

Wine-related gifts for yourself or others

1. Bottle Opener: You don't have to break the bank on a high-tech wine opener. Wine experts often say that a basic, double-hinged corkscrew works perfectly well—and is sometimes even better than more elaborate choices. However, if you appreciate beautiful objects, brands like Laclaye (for champagne cork), Forge de Laguiole or Laguiole en Aubrac offer lovely alternatives.

2. Wine Glas: The shape of a wine glass is essential for enjoying the full flavor of wine. Red wines benefit from glasses with a broad bowl, which allows more of the wine's surface to interact with the air, encouraging the release of its aromas. Conversely, white and rosé wines are typically served in glasses with a narrower, more upright shape and a smaller bowl. This design minimizes air exposure, as these wines don't always require aeration, and helps to keep them cool. For quality glassware that truly enhances the tasting experience, we would recommend brands like Zalto or Riedel.

3. Wine Carafe and Decanter: For a refined presentation and ideal aeration of your wines, you might consider an exceptional piece from Saint Louis, Christofle, or Baccarat, symbols of French luxury, or an elegant carafe from Villeroy & Boch or Guy Degrenne.

4. Essential Book: To deepen your wine knowledge, we recommend the "Larousse Wine" or “The World Atlas of Wine.”

Tom's Favorite Wine Shops in the Los Angeles Area

Agnes Restaurant & Cheesery
40 W Green St, Pasadena, CA 91105, USA

A smaller but well-curated selection of mostly classic wines. They also feature a selection of natural wines.

Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese
223 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90004, USA

A solid selection of classic wines located in a lovely neighborhood. You can't go wrong here. They also offer a variety of cheeses, cured meats, and gourmet groceries.

Vendome Wines & Spirits
10600 Riverside Dr, North Hollywood, CA 91602, USA

Doesn't look like much at first glance, but you can find just about anything here. The manager is a knowledgeable expert with a fantastic selection that caters to different customer preferences.

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This article was co-authored with Tom, a passionate French wine salesperson with significant experience in Italy and the Champagne-Ardenne region of France. Now based in Los Angeles, he offers excellent wine advice. If you live nearby, you should definitely reach out to him. He can help you find great bottles for any budget!

If you'd be interested in an article about Champagne, something Tom and I are very familiar with as natives of the region, please show your support with a like and let us know in the comments!

Bisous,

The French Edit