With Haute Couture week in full swing, Paris is bursting at the seams with notable attendees, and while most may be stunned by actress types, it’s the bona fide French girls we’re most interested in chatting with. And who defines French-girl-chic better than the newly appointed Chanel ambassadress, Caroline de Maigret? (The answer is nobody.)
De Maigret, who in a press release from the House was referred to as a physical embodiment of the brand, first walked for Chanel in the Spring/Summer 1999 Ready-to-Wear show at the Opéra Bastille and has remained close to Karl Lagerfeld ever since. We caught up with the model, author (she penned the guide to living, How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits, with her best buds), and music producer just moments after the Chanel show, which paid homage to the atelier seamstresses that make Haute Couture a reality. Here, de Maigret shares her thoughts on the collection and why Haute Couture still matters.
S/: What did you think of the collection and which look did you want to wear straight away?
Caroline de Maigret: I have to say I am quite addicted to all the black dresses—they were very strong with the sharp shoulders. It was amazing and I really, really love the black and white painted dresses, they were incredible. And then accessories wise, I love the idea of the pieces cut under the dresses and the boots were the same, I thought it was like this very rock-and-roll touch to Haute Couture.
Which is very you.
Which is very me.
What are you wearing today?
Today I am wearing trousers from the Cuba collection [Chanel Resort 2017] and a top from the Rome collection [Chanel Pre-Fall 2016]. And the shoes, I don’t know… And Haute jewelry. I have to say that for the couture show I have so much respect for the work of all [Chanel’s ateliers] and Karl has [highlighted these women] today.
And they were such naturals, too!
Yeah, they were doing their job; it was like high authenticity and sincerity today.
How do you choose what to wear to the Haute Couture shows?
I have a tendency to dress up a bit more for couture just [out of] respect of this art and the beauty of all those hands and handwork. And I brush my hair for Couture! [laughs]
It looks good! What does Haute Couture represent to you on a personal level, and why is it still so important?
On a personal level I am searching for the luxury of time, and for me Haute Couture is that. It’s taking the time to do things well, thinking about them, taking the time to look at them, to enjoy it, to enjoy details. For me honestly, it’s the beauty of life… and that’s what Haute Couture gives us; it’s the beauty of work and the art. I think that’s what we’re all looking for and it’s great that it’s still there for everyone to understand the amount of work.
Feature image by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images