Parisian chic personified

Parisian chic personified

French style icon Ines de La Fressange oozed class in a recent visit to Bangkok

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

In person, Ines de La Fressange is even more captivating than in those glamorous pictures. It isn't just her striking appearance — although it’s magical how she remains so fabulous, fresh and fun at three years short of celebrating her 60th birthday — that is arresting. She also moves and converses with casual ease.

The French fashion icon is associated with many famous brands. She was the first model to sign an exclusive contract with haute couture fashion house Chanel back in the 1980s, and walked down the catwalk for Jean-Paul Gaultier when she was 51-years-old. Last year, she collaborated with casualwear brand Uniqlo. Four years ago, she signed up as a brand ambassador for Roger Vivier. In the past, she also lent her likeness to a bust of Marianne, a symbol of France.

All those glamorous experiences, however, have not gone to her head, and she remains down-to-earth and humble.

“I don’t know how this is my first time in Thailand. I wish I could come back for holidays. People are very jolly and happy. You have good food," she said during her recent trip to celebrate the opening of Roger Vivier in Thailand.

“The women I saw at the grand opening of Roger Vivier were very sophisticated and feminine. I felt underdressed. I was sloppy and they were sparkling and beautiful. But they were very warm and friendly, so I didn’t feel that bad.”

Humility is one of her admirable traits, and an admittedly unexpected one from someone so successful. But she doesn’t express it in a self-conscious or awkward way — she simply comes across as though nothing really matters.

“I am a Buddhist, and when you are a Buddhist, you know everything transforms all the time,” said de La Fressange.

The brand ambassador for the luxury footwear brand, naturally, cannot get enough of shoes. To her, shoes are not just something to wear, but items of emotional value.

“Shoes are magical," she said. "They make women feel like who they want to be. They buy a pair of shoes that they are never going to wear. Men don’t understand that. For us, it’s like buying the dream of what we wish to be.

"I have maybe 10 pairs of shoes that I don’t wear. I have a pair of violet crocodile shoes with really high heels. Imagine wearing them. But they are so perfect. I love them. They are like jewellery that you get from your grandma — you love it but you don’t wear it.”

She is all about quality, not quantity, thanks to her years in the fashion industry. She revealed that she has a small wardrobe, and sometimes doesn’t wear free clothes given to her by fashion brands.

“The more you work in fashion, the more you understand that you don’t need a lot. It’s better to have one right thing than 1,000 wrong things. Also, I can go to Roger Vivier to pick up a bag or a pair of shoes anytime. The readers are going to hate me. I know that I don’t need much,” she laughed.

The ageless beauty also said that she is fine with wearing jeans and T-shirts, and doesn’t feel pressure to look perfect all the time.

“Please don’t repeat that I’m a boring person, just dressed up in white jeans and a jacket from a casual wear brand. Being a fashion icon doesn’t mean not wearing jeans and a T-shirt — it’s wearing the right jeans and the right T-shirt. After years in fashion, you just recognise nice things in every place. You can pick up something from the flea market. Nobody is perfect all the time. Sometimes you’re splendid, and sometimes you’re not. To be too self-conscious is not nice.”

When asked how she stays so beautiful, her eyes widened, and she quickly said, “Me? Beautiful? Oh, you are my new best friend", joking she eats L’Oreal cream every day and night.

“I sleep, eat healthy food, and don’t drink alcohol," she said. "I just don’t care. I’m an old lady. If people want to see me young, there are plenty of old photos on the Internet. If you smile a lot like me, you don’t see so many wrinkles. You have to accept it after a while.”

The symbol of Parisian chic defines how to be yourself. De La Fressange does not agree with many celebrities today who wear free clothes given to them without considering whether they fit their personality.

“Celebrities you see wearing new clothes in magazines, the fashion houses give them free, and they get paid to wear them," she said. "Sometimes they look terrible and they don’t even like them. The other day, I met Lou Doillon, Jane Birkin’s daughter, and she had a vintage jacket on. She told me that the press had sent her something awful that even her own son said she shouldn't wear. Maybe that’s Parisian chic.

"Sometimes you have to forget about freebies. Sometimes it’s so pathetic, it’s like having ‘it’s free — the press sent this to me yesterday’ written on it. That’s not elegant."

Shoes with the wow factor

Roger Vivier designer Bruno Frisoni said Ines de La Fressange was a natural choice when choosing a woman to represent the brand. It was, to him, a match made in heaven.

“We were thinking about a personality that would represent us, and Ines was perfect,” he said. “People are amazed by the way she is, the way she relaxes you. She brings a very easy atmosphere with a lot of attitude. Most people know her as a fashion model, but she’s more than that.”

Frisoni, who has worked with luxury brands Lanvin, Christian Lacroix and Yves Saint Laurent, shares with de La Fressange the belief that shoes are more than just something made for walking. 

“Shoes are cheaper than seeing a psychiatrist,” he joked. “It’s also more pleasant. When you see a psychiatrist, you leave feeling kind of depressed. Shoes, you can play with. They are a beautiful accessory that make you stand differently, complete your look, change your appearance. I think it’s an incredible pleasure.”

When Frisoni took on designing the Roger Vivier line, he adopted the chrome buckle from the pumps made for Yves Saint Laurent’s Mondrian Collection as a symbol of renewal. Now, the buckle has become a Roger Vivier trademark.

Frisoni gets inspiration from everywhere and everyone, even seemingly small and unnoticeable things.

“I get my inspiration from everywhere. You keep your eyes wide open. The Grand Palace, for example, was inspiring, but the people visiting the place were also inspiring, with all the colourful umbrellas. Inspiration is something that is a surprise for you, something you must be open to,” he said. He is quite straightforward with his designs — form first, function later.

He is aware that some shoes are almost impossible to wear for hours, but he is not swayed by that.

“Things are made for different purposes. I don’t do sensible shoes. I’m interested in bringing style, fun, sophistication, and dreams. My shoes provide comfort if possible,” he said.

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