Her full name was Inès Marie Laëtitia Églantine Isabelle de Seignard de la Fressange, but since she was studying Art History at the Louvre School at the age of 16, she has abbreviated it to Inès de la Fressange. Her name is today synonymous with French chic, and signs fashion collections, accessories (bags, shoes and suitcases), wallpaper and even a car.

He was born in 1957 in Gassin, a small town on the Côte d’Azur; She is the daughter of André de Seignard, a French aristocrat (Marquis de La Fressange) and stockbroker, and Cecilia Sánchez-Cirez, an Argentine model. She grew up with her two male brothers in Moulin des Dames, an 18th-century mansion, 60 kilometers from Paris.

An idyllic childhood, in the middle of the countryside, whose tranquility was only interrupted by visits from his parents’ friends, mostly artists. After finishing school he enrolled to study Art History at the Louvre School.

Meanwhile, and to earn extra money, she signs up for a modeling school, following in the footsteps of her mother, who worked for the designer Guy Laroche. Her grandmother was one of the couturier’s best clients, but Inès insists on not telling her who she is (she “wanted to get it for myself”).

She was discovered by the Italian photographer Paolo Roversi, who chose her for a fashion editorial in the French edition of ELLE magazine. With her height of 1.81, she is perfect for the catwalks. In 1975 she debuted walking for Kenzo. She later she would do it for Thierry Mugler, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and Yves Saint Laurent.

In 1984, at the age of 26, she signed an exclusive contract with Chanel. to be the image of the brand and becomes the first model to do so, although many will later follow her example.

Her medium jet-black hair and thick eyebrows (only Isabella Rosellini wore them the same) did not fit the style of the Californian or Nordic models that were successful at the time, but Karl Lagerfeld’s face and the way she dressed and moved Inès reminded her of Coco Chanel herself.

In 1989 she was chosen to inspire the face of Marianne, symbol of the French Republic (an honor enjoyed before her by, among others, the actresses Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve), which angers Karl Lagerfeld, for whom Marianne It is a symbol “of everything that is boring, bourgeois and provincial.”

They say that the German designer, famous for his boutadesthen said: “I wish her all the luck in the world, to the point of never having to see her again or hear about her.”

In 1990 she married the Italian executive Luigi d’Urso, dressed in a suit with a jacket and matching hat by Yves Saint Laurent. They will have two daughters: Nine Marie d’Urso (whose godmother is Princess Caroline of Monaco, great friend of Inès) and Violette.

She always wanted to be more than just a model, a profession that bored her to no end, and in 1992 she set up her own fashion brand and opened a store in the French capital. But the main shareholders took it away from her and she lost the right to use her name, so she goes to court to recover it.

In 2002 it became ambassador of the Roger Vivier brand, founded in 1937 by what, according to some, is the best shoe designer of the 20th century. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Inès has always worn models with the brand’s unmistakable square buckle, which is one of the longest-standing alliances in fashion.

In 2006, after 16 years of marriage, she became a widow. Her friend Carolina de Monaco, who had gone through the same ordeal in 1990, is her great support at that time. In 2009 she returns to the catwalk, showing the spring-summer collection of her great friend Jean Paul Gaultier, for whose brand she acts as a consultant.

A year later, makes peace with Karl Lagerfeld and parades with Chanel creations for the spring-summer 2011 season. 20 years had passed since their estrangement but, according to De la Fressange: “I have never been resentful.”

Also in 2010 he published his first book, The Parisiantranslated and published in 17 languages. Your formula to be part of Cream of the cream in Paris made her an international phenomenon, once she retired from the catwalks. This style guide was published in Spanish by Grijalbo, a year later.

Since then, She is already the author of half a dozen books and acts as a true lifestyle prescriber: she recommends her favorite places and brands, gives advice on decorating your home or proposes outfits to avoid going out of style.

In them he also reveals His tricks to stand out: from how to fold the sleeves of the shirt over the sleeves of the sweater, to how to combine jeans with rhinestone sandals, the pearl necklace with a rock t-shirt, the tuxedo with sneakers, military print garments with jewelry and even a dress. night with a wicker basket.

Definitely, explains how to be a Parisian eat the faut: “She is a woman who cares about her appearance and knows how to happily mix the new and the old, the luxurious and the sporty, she wants to have style more than being fashionable but remains attentive to what is done in her time.”

Ambassador of L’Oréal Paris, Her beauty advice is “have few creams, but good ones, and never go to bed without removing your makeup.” To take care of it, she recommends “sleeping a lot and eating only when you’re hungry.” And walking: “I don’t do sports, because it bores me, but I walk everywhere.”

Since 2014 he has his own statue in the Musée Grévin in Paris (the equivalent of our Wax Museum). That same year, he designed his first capsule collection for the fashion chain Uniqlo, and in 2022 he will be on his eighteenth.

Convinced that “beauty can be found in the most ordinary objects, in daily life”, she is a firm defender of shopping in clothing stores vintage and the ancient Japanese philosophy of Wabi Sabi: finding beauty in worn-out clothing and objects that show the passage of time.

According to UNIQLO design director Naoki Takizawa, the Japanese brand “has always collaborated with important designers, but Inès is above all a demanding client. When creating this collection, we set the goal of making clothes that we would like to wear and that make us feel better.”

According to the Japanese firm, Inès’ talent and philosophy permeate each collection and achieve absolute balance in every detail, from the height of the waist to the size of the neckline or the perfect fit.

She assures that the clothes she likes the most are those she designs inspired by uniforms, the basis of each piece, designed for a woman who works, moves and needs to be comfortable.

For Inès, Parisian style goes beyond labels, brands and price, and the perfect wardrobe is one in which different styles are mixed, from luxury to vintage, always maintaining comfort when dressing. “I feel less connected to fashion when it is prohibitive, snob or far from real life.

In 2015, after 16 years without being able to sell under his name, he regained control of his brand and reopened his store at 24 Rue Grenelle. And this summer he created his own shoe brand (Inès de la Fressange Souliers), in collaboration with the Italian brand of footwear artisans LaManuelita Srl.

Her eldest daughter, Nine D’Urso, seems to be the one who aspires to continue her mother’s legacy because, in 2011, she became the image of the first perfume of the Italian brand Bottega Veneta.

On August 11, 2023, she will turn 65 splendid years, becoming the perfect image of effortless elegance. And she continues to embody the charme French without ever following conventions nor the trends.

To achieve that savoir-faire So Parisian (and so envied), he searches the markets and distrusts pre-established rules. With a sense of humor as her flag, she feels very “proud to work in fashion without Botox or facelifts.” She is supportive, she is godmother of the NGO Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque Enfants du Monde.

She remains in the gap thanks to her deep knowledge of fashion, from within and in all areas because she has been a model, editor, consultant, communication director and, above all, a stylist, “which is my favorite occupation. Creating is the profession more beautiful”.

Style tips from Inès de la Fressange

• His philosophy: “It doesn’t take much or expensive to look good.”

• Your recommendation: “Be comfortable in what you wear. Always choose clothes in which you can feel like yourself and show yourself as a free spirit.”

• Her fetish clothes: A pair of jeans (in white and blue), a white shirt, a navy blue sweater, a jacket blazer blue, a trench coat, a leather jacket, a cotton t-shirt and a black dress with simple lines.

• Your secret: Find the basis of your style in the timeless.

• His style: An apparent simplicity but carefully studied.

• Your closet: New clothes that look timeless and vintage clothes that look new.

• A combination of colors: Black with navy blue (“something no one had mixed until Yves Saint Laurent”).

• A suggestion: From time to time he looks for clothes in the Men’s section.

• Admire: Jane Birkin who “has managed to maintain harmony, style, elegance over the decades and always looking modern.”

• To avoid: “We put on too many jewelry, accessories, details, bracelets, necklaces, earrings at the same time.”

• I would never carry: Qiercings, leggingsflip flops or socks with sandals.

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