The utterly chic founder of fashion boutique Rue Madame on Orchard Road shows us how to nail the effortless style of the French
When it comes to style, no one does it quite as effortlessly as the Parisian woman. Whether we’re trying to emulate Jane Birkin’s insouciant style or the perfect mix of ruggedness and femininity of Caroline de Maigret, it’s definitely hard to nail that certain je ne sais quoi if you’re not born with it — the next best thing would probably be dressing up in French labels, no? That said, we recently had a tête-à-tête with Ariane Zagury of French concept store Rue Madame to find out more about the boutique and its fashion offerings, as well as French style secrets to emulate.
For those in Singapore who aren’t familiar with Rue Madame, can you tell us more about the brand and why Singaporean women should keep it on their radar?
First of all, Rue Madame is a point of view on Parisian fashion. When I came to Asia for the first time, I was amazed by the sophisticated look of the shops, but I thought that there were a lot of brands that pretended to be Parisian. So what we are trying to do here is to bring a French touch to the market. We French people are very lucky because back home, we have a long history of fashion and there is something about us where we respect our history and knowledge.
What brands from Rue Madame should we keep an eye out for and why?
Because it’s a concept store, we have something for every woman. I’m going to give you five different brands with five different looks:
- Bash – A brand for women to look Parisian whether you’re going to work or if you want to look a little more dressed up. Especially so too if you want to look a little more sexy!
- IrO – If you want to look more rock-chic or a little tougher, this is probably your brand. I’m obsessed with their jackets and I think they have really great craftsmanship.
- Mes Demoiselles – A bohemian and romantic brand that’s very Singapore friendly!
- APM – For fashion forward jewellery, APM has pieces that fit nicely with whatever you’re wearing. You just wear it and forget it.
- Antonello – While not French and all hand made in Southern Italy, this line of eco-friendly bags is a personal favourite!
Parisian style is a bit of a mystery — some say you’re just born with it. Can you tell us what your understanding of Parisian style is?
It’s about different things. First thing would be about not over-doing it because we don’t like overdressing. We’re always more underdressed than overdressed and this is a very important thing to me. Secondly, we don’t do total looks and typically, we’d match two opposite things like a lace skirt with a leather jacket. It’s also about little details that make a piece stand out, like how colours enhance our skin colour.
How would the Parisian style translate into Singapore given the weather?
For me, I would wear a dress that’s embroidered and pair it with old sneakers. I think that’s a very good look for Singapore. In our store windows, you’ll see distressed denim shorts and a beautiful light jacket. With these style examples, I don’t think it’s a problem for Singaporean women to dress like a Parisian.
Name the five must-have items every woman should have in her wardrobe that will keep her effortlessly chic.
A little body-fitting jacket, distressed denim, a feel-good dress for when you have bad days, sexy dresses when you have good days and a comfortable jacket.
From what you’ve seen during your stay in Hong Kong and visits to Singapore, what do you feel is the main difference between French and Asian style?
I think that there is no distinct Asian style because if you go to places like Japan, Hong Kong or Singapore, the fashions at each location is totally different. But if you compare Hong Kong with Paris, the women in Hong Kong tend to do up their hair and makeup a little bit more. They’re very concerned with appearances and are truly sophisticated, but I think women in Paris try not to care so much.
Name the top three things you’re loving about Singapore at the moment.
Mustafa, Paul Bakery and Catalunya!
Rue Madame is located at #03-13C, Takashimaya S.C, Ngee Ann City, p. 6734 2782. Open 10am to 9.30pm daily.
Source: CatMag Feed