PROFILES

Alluringly chic with a strong personality, she is the very embodiment of the Parisienne. In her new guide, Mon Paris(1), she shares her favourite addresses with us.

Icon of Paris chic. "In the past I travelled a lot for Chanel, and now for Roger Vivier. So when a Frenchwoman talks about fashion that's often me. What's chic is very relative but on the other hand there most definitely is a Parisian style and all Parisian women are its ambassadresses."

Paris style. "A blend of sophistication and casualness, what the Americans call "effortless chic". It's the art of mixing labels, new purchases, old pieces, sport, luxury and so on. I can wear a shirt picked up in the flea market with Prada trousers, or off-the-peg Isabel Marant with Roger Vivier accessories."

My Paris the book. "It's a guide to where I go for fashion, beauty care, lifestyle products etc., presented by district with a map for each, paper for making your own notes and a little expandable pocket for business cards you pick up along the way. Walking around Paris is a pleasure; sometimes you feel it's an agglomeration of several towns with different architectural styles and shops."

Genesis of the project. "When you're travelling the ideal solution is to have a friend who knows the city you're going to – because she lives there! So I'm offering to be that friend. After my first guide was such a success I wanted a different format, smaller, lighter, more practical. I chose everything: the Moleskine format, the tricolour elastic, the ribbon page marker. I like its solid vintage aspect, reminiscent of old guides."

To "play the Parisienne". "A Parisienne isn't a person, it's a mindset! In fact most of the "great Parisiennes" weren't born in the capital. My guide includes a number of little phrases that are very useful if you really want to "play the Parisienne"!"

An inspiring place. "If someone were here for just one hour then I'd take them to the Pont Neuf; from there you can imagine ancient Lutetia and see the 18th-century city in the Monnaie de Paris, the 19th-century one in the old Gare d’Orsay and 20th-century Paris in the Trocadéro in the distance. Plus timeless Notre-Dame to crown it all. Or I'd go to the Café Flore, still an iconic lively and authentic place."

A perfect day? "Coffee in a bistro then a visit to the Rodin Museum. Lunch at the Bon Saint-Pourçain, a genuine French restaurant. A walk in the Luxembourg gardens. Drop in to see Marie-Hélène de Taillac, whose jewellery I adore, then her sister, who owns a perfume outlet. Afternoon tea in the Palais-Royal gardens and then to 24 Rue de Grenelle to see the prettiest shop in Paris! [her own; Ed.]"

Her chic "bazaar". "I fell in love with this old iron craftsman's workshop-cum-shop, which hadn't changed in 100 years. Now it displays silk shirts, suede mini-skirts, bottles of olive oil, cushions, brooms, dog leads, long dresses, pencil sharpeners, toys, wooden spoons, bicycles, candles... You never know what you're going to find but one thing is sure: it's a treasure trove of gifts for yourself and others, at all prices. Fashion isn't what interests me, it's beautiful things."

Working with Uniqlo. "It's an exciting style exercise working with Naoki Takizawa, Uniqlo's artistic director. I'm very proud of the summer collection that will be in the shops in early 2016; it comprises linen jackets, roomy cotton smocks, safari jackets, etc."

Plans". "We're going to open Inès de la Fressange shops all over the world plus a big stand in Printemps Haussmann. I'm also very involved in my newsletter(2) for which I take the photos and write the copy myself. But to be honest my big plan is a holiday! I'm a true Parisienne, aren't I? [laughs]

By Julie de los Rios 

© Alessandra d’Urso