What does Paris have that you can’t find anywhere else in the world?

Paris is the most cosmopolitan of cities. People come here from all over the world as if drawn by a magnet to discover fashion trends, shop and sample gourmet food. The Parisian art of living is very appealing. The city offers high-quality craftsmanship, specific know-how and age-old traditions. French manufacturing was already well established here during the reign of Louis XIV, thanks to the king’s finance minister Colbert. Creativity flourishes in Paris in an astonishing variety of styles and prices – or should I say at the right price, because price is an important factor these days. Not everyone can afford to buy clothes from the great fashion designers, but anyone can splurge on an accessory that will become a souvenir of a wonderful stay in Paris once they’re back home.
Paris creates an unsuspected past for us all. Apollinaire recalled his romantic trysts under the Pont Mirabeau in one of his poems: “Under the Mirabeau bridge flows the Seine, And our loves, Must I remember them….” All visitors to Paris have their own Pont Mirabeau, i.e. a souvenir or element that sparks off a particular feeling and is never a waste of time – rather, it’s a time to remember and savour when one returns home.
Paris in the sunshine, Paris on a rainy day, Paris by night… whatever the weather, the city always gives you unforgettable moments that will remain engraved on your memory.

Do Paris and fashion still go together? Is Parisian chic still a reference point?

Parisian chic is alive and well! And this is because of the fabulous melting pot of people one finds in Paris – all the people who come from all over the world to “do” the French capital. Hardly any Parisians were actually born in Paris. I myself was born in Aix-en-Provence.
The “Grand Paris” project to transform the city and its surroundings into a single metropolis takes this aspect into account and presages what the capital will be in thirty or forty years.
Paris continues to be a fashion benchmark. Designers from all over the world – Russian, German, British or Italian – dream of coming here to present their creations at a catwalk show. This is what sets Paris apart from other world capitals: with very few exceptions, all these cities only showcase their national designers.

Why do you think Paris is the shopping capital?

With the opening up of Eastern Europe, Paris has once again become the nerve centre of fashion and shopping. The Ukrainians, Russians, Chinese, Japanese, etc. all want to explore Paris. This meeting and mixing of nationalities has a stimulating influence. What with couture, ready-to-wear, the spring-summer and autumn-winter collections, a designer has to create 130 to 140 models each year. Paris is a breeding ground for competition and a constant search for new fabrics and new techniques, which can sometimes take several years to perfect. This is what makes it possible for creativity to keep going. As for Paris as the shopping capital, just walk around the city at eight in the morning when the winter sales are on: you’ll see huge crowds queuing up in front of the department stores and shops!
Some of my clients save up all year to be able to come to Paris and splurge on one exceptional item at a discount price.

There’s no need to choose between culture and shopping in Paris: do you agree?

The two are inseparable. Paris combines the pleasure of shopping, the pleasure of eating well and cultural pleasures. Some say it’s a “museum” city with a unique heritage. This is absolutely true. Paris houses the biggest museum in the world, the Louvre. But it’s also an incessantly changing city, a livelier city than ever before, with temporary exhibitions, the Fashion Week and international political and financial events held here all year round. It is this diversity and wealth that I wished to communicate in my Soldes by Paris “Ambassador” shopping itinerary.

Why did you agree to be the “Paris, shopping and fashion capital” ambassador?

The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau asked me if I would like to be the 2010 “Paris, shopping and fashion capital” ambassador. I was very happy to accept, because I am fascinated by fashion.
I have been travelling a great deal over the past decade to attend Fashion Week shows in cities all over the world including Zagreb, St Petersburg and Almaty. I have got to know quite a few people, who regularly invite me to come and talk to them about French fashion.

What is the message you’d like to convey on this occasion?

Paris is a cosmopolitan city open to the past – an extraordinary past symbolised by the prestigious monuments we all admire. But Paris also has a great future, which is epitomised by its fashion designers, artists and creative designers. The itinerary I have compiled for Soldes by Paris is an emotional one that gives every visitor the chance to enjoy a special kind of contact with the French capital, its streets and residents.

Do men and women have different views of fashion?

You might think men’s fashion offers fewer opportunities for bold design, but there is plenty of scope to create your own style, whatever it may be! The Parisian man can go, like I do, to Costume National for impeccably cut blazers, or to Yves Saint Laurent or Smalto for an expertly tailored made-to-measure evening suit. If he wants casual chic, he can wear his blazer with a pair of stretch leather jeans and trendy Lacoste trainers. Nike also has a huge selection of casual wear, and you can even customise your clothes at their “laboratory”. Men in search of the very latest trends can pick up limited edition T-shirts they won’t find anywhere else at Colette.
Classic or trendy, chic or outspoken: whatever your style statement, the idea is to enjoy shopping and feel good about yourself!

Parisian women are internationally known for their style. What’s the style of the typical Parisian man?

I think Sarah Marshall embodies the Parisian woman. The Parisian woman is stylish and sleek, and tends to hold back. She can be a bit aggressive at times, but she’s elegant even then. What’s interesting about her is that you can see her riding around town on her bicycle in high heels or wearing a suit on a scooter, like one woman minister. The Parisian woman favours a subtle mix of styles. She feels the need to be seductive, in an offhand way. Her seductiveness isn’t verbal: it’s in her look, the way she moves. The Parisian woman gets herself noticed without making an obvious effort to do so.
There is no such thing as the typical Parisian man, and men in the city take advantage of the lack of a stereotyped image to change their style at the weekend or for the work commute on the metro or a Velib’ bike, depending on their jobs, tastes and leisure activities. What I find fascinating about the Parisian man is his ability to always reinterpret new fashion codes in a very personal and stylish way.

What’s the secret of style?

Style can’t be learned, it’s innate: either you have style or you don’t.

What has revolutionised fashion in your opinion?

Fashion goes through constant change, not really a revolution. It follows the current climate. Right now I’m already working on my 2011 collections. In fashion, you’ve got to be able to envisage future trends. There’s no revolution, but rather a kind of permanent evolution, with references to the past, the influence of the present and an ability to foretell the future… and with creativity constantly bubbling over!

How has your training in psychology influenced your designs?

When I was 18, I studied children’s psychological development at he Salpetrière hospital in Paris and was later appointed head of the Institut Supérieur de rééducation psychomotrice for psychomotor rehabilitation at Nice University’s Faculty of Medicine, where I learned to understand body language, which is also a key element in fashion. The same goes for the catwalk, which creates a dialogue and role play between the (obviously narcissistic) designer, who wants to show his creations, and the spectator who dreams of seeing himself in those creations. But Narcissus has now learned to swim: he no longer drowns.

What is the leitmotif of the itinerary you have compiled for Soldes by Paris?

I’d say it’s definitely the emotional character of the itinerary. I have put together a Soldes by Paris itinerary for both men and women, whether they are travelling solo or as a couple. My idea was to guide people through a tender, sensitive side of Paris. There are no limits.

What are your favourite Paris districts?

Having lived here on Rue de Rivoli for the past 25 years, I’ve developed a special relationship with my neighbourhood. I learned recently that Marguerite Yourcenar wrote the last part of “Memoirs of Hadrian” in this very apartment. I was thrilled to hear that because she is my favourite writer, together with Virginia Woolf (whose work Yourcenar translated into French).

Which museum would you like to visit again?

I live near the Louvre and I can see the Musée d’Orsay from my balcony: I often visit these two museums. I am particularly fond of the Great Gallery of Sculptures at the Louvre, and it’s partly for this reason that I often have lunch at the Café Marly, where there is a view of the gallery from the dining room. It’s one of the rare restaurants where you can have a meal with the feeling you’re actually inside the museum! You can see the marble Horses of Marly, which originally flanked the entrance to the Champs-Elysées.
I also like going to the Musée du Jeu de Paume to admire the works of great photographers such as Avedon. And the Pompidou Centre has excellent exhibitions all year round: it really is a contemporary art benchmark. I went there recently to see an exhibition of more than 250 paintings by Pierre Soulages, the master of outrenoir or “beyond black”: I adore his work. And black brings us back to fashion: every designer aspires to create the perfect little black dress.

What are your favourite monuments in Paris?

I like all of them! From my windows, I can see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Musée d’Orsay, the Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe and the Grande Arche de La Défense…. I also love Paris churches such as the Eglise Saint-Roch right behind where I live, which has recently been restored. I love all these little things, which are far more important than they seem and make our lives happier.

Any favourite design and decoration shops?

I’m a big fan of the work of French designers such as Jacques Garcia, Christophe Pillet and Jean Nouvel. I keep up to date with the work of several designers. It’s because of them and people like the artist Ara Starck and the gallery owners Kamel Mennour and Galerie di Meo that I love Paris. And Paris loves me!