Carla Bruni one-upped her fellow supermodels and set the bar extremely high for a new generation of mannequins
when she became the first lady of France. Her trajectory from model to first lady is a modern-day fairy tale about marrying up, albeit the heroine is from a wealthy family and has had a successful artistic career.
Since becoming first lady, following her wedding to Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008, the French-Italian model, who has several nude photographs, has turned herself into the embodiment of a refined and elegant first lady in the mold of Jackie Kennedy. You could see the influence of the original glamour first lady in the early days of Bruni at the Elysee Palace. She preferred modest suits and sheath dresses, mostly from Dior, for daytime. In fact, critics applauded her when she chose to wear Dior to her first visit to the UK as first lady. By choosing to wear a French label designed then by the Brit John Galliano, her fashion choice couldn’t have been more politically and sartorially correct. And she looked the part of a style icon too.
For formal evening state functions, she wore long, lean gowns that were cut to perfection, often unadorned and very understated. Why would she go for glitzy beadwork and all sorts of accessories when she has the carriage and svelte body of a model? Her fashion choices were about cut, silhouette, and proportions.
Unlike her American counterpart Michelle Obama, Bruni preferred colors that were neutral, if slightly somber. Being the fashion person that she is, she liked to wear black. She also had a close affinity to shades of white, gray and camel. If ever she strayed from this spectrum, she opted for deep shades like violet or green. She also wasn’t a fan of prints or of statement-making accessories. She carried bags, yes, but they were all discreet, again from Dior and Roger Vivier. And despite the quiet elegance of her choices, she was almost always a standout in the lineup of G8 wives.
Throughout her stay at Elysee Palace, Bruni did not forsake her artistic bent. She starred in a Woody Allen movie and continued her singing career. She also appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair and in the accompanying spread she showcased her dual fashion personalities— as first lady in a striking red gown on the roof of the Elysee Palace and as a musician barefoot in jeans and a shirt in front of a piano.
Last year, she got pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl. In her pregnant months, her style became more relaxed. In lieu of the form-fitting Dior dresses, she wore chunky sweaters and A-line tunics and stretch pants. But she wore all of these with that Parisian je ne sais quoi.
Reports say that she will continue her singing career after her stint as first lady. I wonder how her style will evolve next. As she relinquishes her title as first lady of France, here is a look back at Carla Bruni’s first lady style.
Follow me on Twitter: @bluecarreon
Read more from me on Style Intel
