French President and First Lady Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron feted creativity at their ‘Diner de la Mode’ on Monday night in the Elysée Palace, touchingly recalling departed designers.
In a quiet moment after dinner, Macron joined New Orleans-born pianist Jon Batiste to sing Ne me quitte pas, Jacques Brel’s famous lament to a departed friend.
“I was a little bit anxious before this dinner,” revealed Marcon, speaking first in impeccable English, as he noted that the previous fashion dinner in February 2020 in the presidential palace took place two weeks before he was forced to “make the awful decision to close down the country,” due to covid.
Since then, Alber Elbaz and Kenzo Takada – both of whom attended that last fashion summit dinner in the Elysée – had passed away. As had Paco Rabanne and Issey Miyake, all of whom Macron lauded.
“They all adopted France, to wake up our world and transcend it, to transform our life, and to dress each of us in their manner,” he noted.
“We are very proud that Paris is a capital of fashion where excellence and pre-eminence is valued. Because fashion is a challenge where one has to ceaselessly reinvent oneself. In France we have a long tradition of welcome, based on great fashion houses and on savoir faire. This is an immense opportunity for Paris,” he said.
“Even if you just come here for a few weeks a year or for your whole life, you all contribute to change our world, profoundly,” said Macron, praising the recently departed Marc Bohan of Dior, for “incarnating the intimate conversation of fashion with the other arts – writers, poets and filmmakers.”
In a surprise announcement, Macron said there would be a day devoted to fashion in central Paris linked to the next Olympics, due to be held in Paris next July.
At the risk of offending anyone in fashion, an egomaniacal industry by definition, the following notables sat at the top table – Maria Grazia Chiuri, Demna, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Jean-Claude Jitrois, Veronique Nichanian, Pharrell Williams, Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Nicolas Ghesquière, jeweler and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, along with several power executives such as Bruno Pavlovsky of Chanel and Delphine Arnault of LVMH.
Resplendent, stylish and ever smiling, Brigitte Macron wore Christian Louboutin purple platforms, Barbara Bui slacks and a great crystal trimmed black Vuitton jacket.
In opening remarks, Pavlovsky – the president of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing body – recalled that in August 2019 during the G7 summit in Biarritz, Macron had challenged fashion and textiles to transform their industries sustainability, while maintaining their unique traditions of creativity.
“Each day, each brand at its own rhythm, is progressing towards circularity, transparency and the transformation of the value chain… while protecting savoir faire and excellence,” stressed Pavlovsky, while praising the members of the Federation’s executive committee – Francesca Bellettini, Sidney Toledano, Anouck Duranteau-Loeper, Guillaume de Seynes, Elsa Lanzo, and Pascal Morand, the FHCM executive president, for their efforts supporting the next generation of designers.
Guests enjoyed a champagne cocktail in the elegant garden of the Elysée that was chock-a-block with CEOs, cabinet ministers, great designers and brilliant hopefuls. Dining amid the gilded glory of the palace on lobster and veal, Chablis and Chateau Marbuzet 2015.
CEOs like Toledano dined with Economy Minister Bruno de la Maire, and a man tipped by many to succeed Macron once his presidency ends in May 2027.
Scores of designers were present such as Rick Owens, Giambattista Valli, Andreas Kronthaler, Olivier Theyskens, Lutz Huelle, Anthony Alvarez, Alexandre Mattiussi, Iris Van Herpen, Victor Weinsanto, Aurélien Arbet, Peter Do, Victoria Feldman and Tomas Berzins, Norman René Devera and Peter Movrin, and many CEOs – from Nicolas Santi Weil to Bastien Daguzan, among many others.
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