Summer for me has always meant France. From being a toddler with bucket and spade digging about on the beaches of Brittany, then an awkward teenager bobbing about in the Med, to an adult enjoying fruits de mer and beaucoup de vin rosé on the Côte d’Azur, there is nowhere I associate more with the balmy days of July and August.
It’s a country where, in my opinion, design, style and sophistication infuse every aspect of life, and it’s so much the better for it. Culture, colour and an effortlessly chic approach to the day-to-day come together to make it a destination that I never tire of visiting.
It’s perhaps no surprise that it’s where the ELLE Decoration brand was born.
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This summer, the world’s gaze will also be directed towards France, specifically Paris, which hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games from 26 July. Alongside an examination of some of our favourite Olympic stadiums, we’ve taken this opportunity to celebrate
notable French people, places and companies.
Multidisciplinary creative and designer of this year’s Olympic torch Mathieu Lehanneur reveals his must-see hotspots in the capital, the couple behind hip French hotel brand Touriste welcome us into their equally hip home, and we exclusively reveal the new headquarters of revered Parisian scent and lifestyle label Diptyque.
While most Parisians are excited by this festival of sporting achievement taking place on their doorstep, many others are concerned by the huge influx of people the JO (the French abbreviation of Jeux Olympiques) will bring, and are planning to flee the city for the competition’s duration.
The theme of summer escape – of the power it has to regenerate and revive us, and how it can inspire us – also runs throughout this issue. For instance, there’s a Berlin home where the design has been informed by the mood-boosting vibes of Portofino, and a dreamy South African paradise based on the sun-drenched aesthetic of the Greek islands – both proof that bringing the spirit of a holiday back home is never a bad idea. Also, you’ll find our pick of the world’s most stunning hotels created by those who began their careers in the fashion industry. Staying at one of these is guaranteed to up your style credentials.
Whether you are staying put to make the absolute most of your outdoor space (see our Focus section dedicated to alfresco entertaining), heading to Paris or further afield, or just dreaming of escaping from somewhere to somewhere else, enjoy the next couple of months, and we’ll be back with you before you know it in August with a bumper issue celebrating ELLE Decoration’s 35th anniversary. À bientôt.
