HERE'S HOW TO EVOKE THAT JE NE SAIS QUOI : VIVE LA FRANCE.Byline: Stories by Barbara De Witt De Witt, uninc. town (1990 pop. 8,244), Onondaga co., central N.Y., a residential suburb of Syracuse. Daily News Fashion Editor Forget the beret, it's soooo passe pas·sé adj. 1. No longer current or in fashion; out-of-date. 2. Past the prime; faded or aged. [French, past participle of passer, to pass, from Old French; see . Sure, you'll see a few of those little pancake hats around the countryside, but to get that French look for yourself or your home, you've got to pack on the panache - the French word for style - and lay off the chocolate croissants and cream puffs, or you won't fit into those sleek little French ensembles. About that French look. The quickest way to get an A in French 101 is to fly to Paris and soak up the city, but this week you've got a cheaper choice. You can learn about French champagne, perfume, porcelain and fashion at a number of French exhibits around town, including the weeklong Comite Colbert Festival's La France La France was a single that was released by Dutch popgroup BZN in 1986. It is about a man and woman who met and fell in love while in France. de L'Elegance in Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. , which pays homage to the elegance of every French creation. The free, self-guided tour A self-guided tour is where one navigates a route themselves as opposed to an escorted tours where a tour guide person directs the route, times, information, and places toured. Many self-guided tours come with suggestions, maps, instructions, directions, and items to see or do. through boutiques in the Rodeo Drive Rodeo Drive (IPA: /roʊˈdeɪoʊ/) generally refers to a famous three-block long stretch of boutiques and shops in Beverly Hills, California, United States, although the street stretches further north and south. neighborhood allows you to see special displays of new and vintage tableware, impressive crystal sculptures, home furnishings from pillows to footstools, leather goods and clothing. Participating stores are Pavillon Christofle, Celine, Chanel, Christian Dior Noun 1. Christian Dior - French couturier whose first collection in 1947 created a style that became known as the New Look (1905-1957) Dior , Hermes, Lalique, Louis Vuitton The Louis Vuitton Company (more commonly known simply as Louis Vuitton) is a luxury French fashion and leather goods brand and company, headquartered in Paris, France. It is a division of the French holding company, LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy S.A. , Van Cleef & Arpels, La Chemise Lacoste, Pierre Deux and Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue is a chain of upscale American department stores that is owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises (SFAE), a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the elite luxury department store market with Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New . Other special French events are an exhibition of 40 photographs by Chanel's flamboyant designer Karl Lagerfeld. The photos are portraits and what Lagerfeld calls ``poetic images'' originally created for Vanity Fair magazine. They feature supermodels and French designers. The exhibit is free and on display at the Chanel boutique through Nov. 6. For an up close and personal look at French fashions from the 20th century, see the ``Elegance of France'' exhibit now through Dec. 14 at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Also free of charge, the exhibit features numerous designers, from Dior's New Look to Courreges (famous for go-go boots and the A-line dress) to the night club looks of Thierry Mugler. Gathered from private and museum collections, the clothes and accessories are displayed on five floors of the school. Now, about perfecting your panache. According to TV stylist Jane Mannfolk, the French may be frivolous, but their fashion taste isn't froufrou frou·frou also frou-frou n. 1. Fussy or showy dress or ornamentation. 2. A rustling sound, as of silk. [French, of imitative origin.] . ``They reek with personal style and spend a lot of time carefully assembling an ensemble, yet when they're finished, it looks casually chic - an image they're famous for,'' Mannfolk said. They like separates, avoiding a cookie-cutter look, mixing new things with classics, patterns and textures. However the French also like the drama of a monochromatic monochromatic /mono·chro·mat·ic/ (-kro-mat´ik) 1. existing in or having only one color. 2. pertaining to or affected by monochromatic vision. 3. staining with only one dye at a time. statement, which is typically black, accented with plenty of accessories, she added. Not just any scarf or purse will do. According to Susan Sommers in her book ``French Chic,'' the French must-haves include the Hermes scarf, a large silk twill twill One of the three basic textile weaves (see weaving), distinguished by diagonal lines. In the simplest twill, the weft crosses over two warp yarns, then under one, the sequence being repeated in each succeeding shot (row), but stepped over, one warp either to the square with an equestrian motif that is tied around a handbag, used as an ascot or pinned to a shoulder (just one scarf at a time, please). Hermes, the design house that began with leather goods like gauntlets and gloves in 1837, is famous for its annual collection of scarf prints as well as its Kelly bag, a purse style based on a saddlebag and first launched in 1935, but renamed when Grace Kelly started using one in the '50s. French designer Coco Chanel started out being famous for her little hats, but she soon discovered the charms of sportswear and faux jewels. Today, almost any boxy box·y adj. box·i·er, box·i·est Resembling a box, especially in simplicity or rectangularity. box  i·ness n. little jacket with braid trim worn with numerous strands of frankly fake pearls is thought of as Chanel-inspired. Today's Chanel fashions are more colorful and playful, yet die-hard fans still want the original Chanel image, including those ankle-strapped black-and-tan pumps, big pearlized pearl·ized adj. Having a pearlescent finish. button earrings, charm bracelets, chain belts and the fabric gardenia gardenia: see madder. gardenia Any of the approximately 200 species of ornamental shrubs and trees in the genus Gardenia, in the madder family, native to tropical and subtropical Africa and Asia. pinned at the throat. The French are also big on leopard print, stoles and trench coats, all of which have made a major comeback this year. Other items you'd find in a French woman's wardrobe are headbands like the kind associated with Hillary Clinton, fringed cashmere cashmere Animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat. The fibre became known for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in Kashmir, India. The fibres have diameters finer than those of the best wools. mufflers worn double-wrapped at the throat, a lizard belt, textured hosiery and black opaque tights. Denim, the fabric that was created in France but turned into jeans in America, is a fashion staple. Although Levi's are popular, in France you're more likely to see women wearing deep indigo jeans by Francois and Marithe Girbaud, who, according to Sommers, are credited with introducing jeans to France. Want to turn your stucco tract home into a French chateau? It may be a challenge if you've pigged out on cowboy kitsch, but it's relatively easy for homes done in traditional or English country styles. According to Garrett Keller of Christofle boutique in Beverly Hills, the French like the color combination of mustard yellow and pale blue, but they also like to mix sophisticated floral patterns with stripes or checks. ``It's more art deco than whimsical,'' said Keller, ``and you'd see a lot of neutral colors instead of brights.'' More tips? Keller said you might want to introduce an art deco-inspired side table with a brass railing on the top (Jackie Onassis had one), or perhaps a tea cart used as a liquor cabinet with glasses. For a French-themed dinner party, you'd probably have heavy cotton linens with a big soup tureen used as a centerpiece instead of a vase of flowers, and your flatwear would be oversize o·ver·size n. 1. A size that is larger than usual. 2. An oversize article or object. adj. o·ver·size also o·ver·sized Larger in size than usual or necessary. Adj. 1. , like most European flatwear. Typical French rooms also have parquet floors with oriental rugs instead of wall-to-wall carpets, and probably would have wrought-iron chandeliers, sconces and lanterns for lighting fixtures, said Francine Bardo Bardo blind antiquarian wrapped up in his scholarly annotations of the classics. [Br. Lit.: George Eliot Romola] See : Scholarliness , manager of the Hermes boutique in Beverly Hills. Here's where to look today for a taste of French style: Pavillon Christofle: A showcase of Bernardaud's fine porcelain dinnerware and giftware; Christofle's new crystal collection and silverware. Located at 9515 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills. Chanel: Sampling of the new Allure perfume and exhibit of Karl Lagerfeld photographs. Located at 400 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. Hermes: Vintage glove display and sampling of the new 24, Faubourg fau·bourg n. A district lying outside the original city limits of a French-speaking city or a city with a French heritage, such as New Orleans. See Regional Note at beignet. perfume, with demonstrations of how leather shoes are made. Located at 343 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. Lalique: Accessorizing seminars with Lalique's new scarves and crystal jewelry, as well as displays of crystal statues for the home. Located at 317 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. Louis Vuitton: Museum pieces of Vuitton leather goods that reflect the elegance of French style. Located at 307 N. Rodeo Drive. Van Cleef & Arpels: Exhibit of French jewlery and timepieces at 300 N. Rodeo Drive. Christian Dior: A new collection of Dior shoes to complement Dior fashions. Located at 230 N. Rodeo Drive. Pierre Deux: Although not officially part of the festival, this new store at 222 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, has displays of country French furnishings. Saks Fifth Avenue: The department store located at 9600 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, will feature a variety of French displays and informal modeling. CAPTION(S): 8 Photos, Box Photo: (1--Cover--Color) Your guide to French style (2--4--Color) For a crash course in French fashion, check out Christian Dior's now-famous ``bar'' suit, above, and other early designs, left, currently on display at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. To see Dior's newest designs, go to the Dior boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. (5--Color) Vintage designs by Hubert Givenchy are among the French couture (custom-made) dresses featured in the ``Elegance of France'' exhibit at FIDM FIDM Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (California) FIDM Financial Institution Data Match (child support enforcement) FIDM Full-Iteration Dynamic Model . Other designers are Celine, Courreges, Yves St. Laurent and Chanel. (6--Color) To make that French style your own, look for two-tone shoes, a shoulder bag and fabric gardenia corsage, like these by Chanel on display at both the Chanel boutique in Beverly Hills and the FIDM exhibit. Phil McCarten/Daily News (7--Color) Typically French is this art deco-inspired cocktail cart, on display at Christofle in Beverly Hills during the Comite Colbert Festival, which ends today. (8--Color) Picnics become soirees with these porcelain La Chasse plates, featuring a dog motif, and equestrian-themed Atelage flatware, all from Hermes in Beverly Hills. Michael Owen Baker/Daily News Box: Vive la France (See Text) |
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