Carla Bruni-Sarkozy keeps it brief when asked to describe her approach to fashion. “I like elegant and classic stuff,” the singer and former French first lady said earlier this week, ahead of her showcase performance at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. The crooner was in town teasing out tracks from her upcoming fifth album, French Touch, a compendium of covers including Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” and Willie Nelson’s “Crazy,” that’s available for pre-order starting tomorrow (it will be released October 6). Bruni is similarly straightforward about describing her musical work. “Simple? As simple as one can be,” she said with a laugh.
Bruni-Sarkozy launched her career as a model in 1987, and by the ’90s had walked for storied French houses like Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy, all of whom helped outfit her after she moved into the Élysée Palace. “They started sending me prototypes of things,” said Bruni-Sarkozy. “Luckily I could still fit in [them].” One of Bruni-Sarkozy’s most memorable moments in office was the flannel Dior skirt suit she donned to meet the Queen. “When I went to England, I visited [John] Galliano, who was at Dior then,” explained Bruni-Sarkozy. “He was so happy about me going to see the Queen. We knew what the protocol was like and we did it very naturally.” Does she have any advice for Madame Macron, the fashion plate first lady currently in office? “I don’t like to give advice,” laughed Bruni-Sarkozy, before adding, “She doesn’t need my advice. She’s wearing stuff well [and has a] good figure.”
At 49, Bruni-Sarkozy’s own figure is on full display in the newly-released Jean-Baptiste Mondino video for her folky cover of “Miss You” by the Rolling Stones. “It’s a catsuit!” exclaimed Bruni-Sarkozy of her costume in the video. “I [didn’t] want to wear a catsuit,” laughed the singer, who initially shrugged off the idea of slinking around in the body-con piece. “For this, we really wanted a woman coming from no time. We wanted something austere and simple.” That pared-down aesthetic comes across in all the covers on the album, including Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” which was released in May.
While Bruni-Sarkozy — in her roles as model, musician and first lady — has witnessed many changing tastes and styles over her career in the public eye, she always finds herself gravitating to a few tried and true classics for inspiration, like YSL's famous tuxedo look for women. “The smoking was a brilliant idea," she says. "Good shoes, good bag, good jewelry, and that’s enough.”
Courtesy of Verve Records / Barclay / Universal Music France
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