Connexion

PARUTION 21 MARS 2018

I have a confession to make. Prior to writing this article, my insight on Brigitte Macron was limited to the following data: She had been President Emmanuel Macron’s drama teacher; she is 24 years his senior; and she can do justice to a Louis Vuitton mini. Perhaps it had all seemed too unfamiliar, too French for comfort, because I never bothered to gather any additional intel on the woman who, as of May of this year, has become emblematic of the French culture and fashion industry. And yet, given that many of us are nostalgic for the White House’s long-lost morals and our own beloved former First Lady Michelle Obama, maybe it’s time we start seeking inspiration from another presidential residence. With this in mind, I resolve to find out how French women feel about their First Lady, both on a personal and sartorial level.

Since I cannot exactly pop by for tea at the Élysée Palace, I resort to the next best thing and call in the opinion of Chantal Paillat, whose legendary boutique, Valois Vintage, is located right around the corner on Rue des Saussaies. I’m not sure what I expect (neighborhood gossip? a Vuitton commission-related anecdote, perhaps?), but all I get is a solid vote of respect. “To us, she is a luminous woman, strong and kind at the same time,” says Paillat. She explains that the French are inherent romantics who thrive on a good love story, particularly one as unconventional as Macron’s, who turned her stable family life upside down for her love for a younger man. “Don’t forget that all of this happened in Province. This practically makes her a heroine of a romance novel.”

A novel with a 21st-century kicker, that is, in which the protagonist not only takes control of her destiny, but also flips an age-old sexist cliché. Suddenly, it is an older woman who is seizing a second start at life with a much younger partner, a move men have been indulging in for centuries. (In fact, it would be unjust not to note that the highly publicized age gap between the Macrons is equivalent to the often disregarded one between Donald and Melania Trump.) Christelle Graillot, vice president of Vivendi Talent Management, believes that Macron’s effect goes beyond the repositioning of societal norms. “She has uninhibited women of her generation,” she says, explaining that Macron has allowed women in their 60s to liberate themselves, to accept their age, to feel beautiful and strong. I think of my own mother and how difficult aging has been for her in a society that idolizes youth, of how happy she is in the moments when she feels beautiful. We fight so hard for our future daughters to feel good about themselves, regardless of size and shape and skin color, and yet we rarely pause to think of our mothers. Shouldn’t we be fighting for our mothers to always feel beautiful, too?

Part of her influence is undoubtedly linked with the way that Macron has chosen to present herself to the public. Rather than dodging the media’s preening eyes through a subtle (read: boring) garderobe, she has placed herself the spotlight with a sharp, modern look that does not shy away from the occasional controversy. “We had never before seen a First Lady in leather pants, jeans, and miniskirt at the Élysée,” says Graillot, noting the media frenzy that ensued when Macron greeted Rihanna in a pair of—lo and behold—blue jeans. The French, in Graillot’s view, are divided between those who find the first lady’s style too laid-back and inappropriate for her role, and others who are utterly charmed by her personality and her easygoing attitude, leading to “BriBri mania.” One thing, though, is for certain. “She has dusted off the style of the First Lady. She is a free French woman,” says Graillot.

It is this very freedom that makes Macron so inherently emblematic of the French culture, allowing most Parisians to close their eyes to some of her less popular choices. “She is daring. She may be a woman of a certain age, but she dares to wear skirts and she looks very elegant. It’s refreshing!” says Stéphanie Delpon, cofounder of Paris creative agency Pictoresq. While not a proponent of the First Lady’s beloved skinny jeans, she admires Macron’s Parisienne flair for mixing feminine and masculine items and topping her looks off with a classic blazer. Paillat, meanwhile, commends the First Lady for her refined and discreet way of wearing designer brands such as Balmain, Alexandre Vauthier, and Louis Vuitton, as well as her ease with stilettos. But it is Macron’s now-trademark pastel dresses that earn a unanimous stamp of approval. “The pastel colors suit her. She wears them perfectly, even if sometimes they are short,” says Paillat. “She has beautiful legs,” she adds. And, just like that, the ultimate French carte blanche is granted.

“This is a woman who glows. You can tell that she is comfortable in her own skin, free, and totally at ease with her look,” says Graillot, who admires the First Lady’s penchant for clean lines and simple silhouettes. And yet, she firmly believes that Macron’s style is primarily defined not by her clothes but by her energy and attitude, her natural and warm way of interacting with people, both in France and abroad. “Her real trademarks are her generosity, her smile, and her authenticity,” she says.

Curious, I go on YouTube. An hour later, I am still there, watching Macron ardently speaking to the French people about education, instantly evoking a déjà vu of another First Lady with a passion for young minds. I admire photos of her openly kissing her husband, looking radiant and glowing and in love. I read interviews where she candidly speaks of their age difference: “Of course, we have breakfast together, me and my wrinkles, him with his youth, but it’s like that. If I did not make that choice, I would have missed out on my life.” I don’t care if there are hours of media training behind it all—I am sold. I am part of the BriBri cult, and, to me, every wrinkle she “wears to breakfast” is beautiful.

Whether breaking barriers or defying stereotypes, Macron’s true appeal goes far beyond surfaces, and that seems to be what French women are intuitively responding to. As a couple, Graillot says, the Macrons “command respect and admiration. They demonstrate that everything is possible.” In an era frantically looking for change, they represent a positive model that feels more necessary than ever. Or as Paillat puts it: “Isn’t this modernity? Open-mindedness? The new France?”

https://www.vogue.com/article/brigitte-macron-french-first-lady-style-icon

DECEMBER 19, 2017 7:31 PM

https://zenitudeprofondelemag.com/2017/10/21/valois-vintage-la-boutique-a-connaitre/