Audrey Hepburn
She is, for me, the symbol of innocence, of charme, of joy, and above all, of elegance.
It's true that she had a true magician by her side as Hubert de Givenchy. But she could most probably have been the designer's fairy godmother, because, thanks to her, he was a true genius.
The image of Audrey in New York, early in the morning, window-shopping at Tiffany's, with that black dress, that hairdo (which I've tried to copy a thousand times), eating a croissant, is irresistible. In my primitive imaginary world it remains as an erasable memory.
Audrey Hepburn is the greatest symbol of elegance because all of her segregated kindness...
She is exactly the opposite to Audrey: voluptuousness vs innocence, wickedness vs kindness, nastiness vs purity.
And, in spite of all that, how not to surrender to the wild elegance of this panther that danced like a gypsy and walked barefoot like a Duchess?
Ava Gardner was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman in the world and, at the same time, the most self-destructive of all (alcohol, cigarettes, too much passion...).
And that's Ava's style lesson: beauty is fragile...
Jacqueline de Ribes
She is the only one of my muses that I know personally and love, not because of her mythical story, but because of who she is in real life.
Of her I learned (and still do) that class and allure do not depend on the clothes or the jewels. They are the result of a certain moral rigour and loyalty to principles.
Jacqueline was born an aristocrat and she lived thus every second of her life.
Queen of Jet-Set, fashion designer, friend to the arts, patron. In her salons mingled the most glamorous guests on Earth: from Jackie Kennedy to Marlon Brando, from Gianni Agnelli to Luchino Visconti.
From the eternal Gala of her life, she knew how to obtain a simple wisdom, and that's her greatest charm...
Marie Antoinette
Of course she was frivolous. Of course she was reckless when she pretended to be a peasant while the winds of revolution threatened her kingdom...
But, in spite of all this, I've always been interested in this queen, whose truest portrait can be found in Stefan Zweig's biography and Sofia Coppola's movie.
She summed up the «doucer de vivre» before the Revolution.
Rather than remembering her eccentricities (such as requesting a dozen dresses to her taylor Mme. Bertien, in the middle of social turmoil) or her love affair with Fersen, I prefer to remember her dignity in her final hour... A great lady in the eye of the storm.
If I still carry a fringe (and have never thought of removing it), it's because of Jane Birkin.
I discovered her when I was very young, in the movie «La Piscine» and, since then, I remember her every time I comb my hair (which is several times a day). I also like her accent, deliciously cosmopolitan, her songs with Serge Gainsbourg and I lovingly envy her for giving name to the most beautiful and coveted Hermès' handbag...
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