Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy's pillbox hat and the splash it, and she, made.
From the moment Ms Bruni-Sarkozy descended her plane in belted grey coat and pillbox hat, demure and silent by her husband’s side, to her evening appearance at Windsor in navy blue column with chiffon cape and the later grey trousers/purple coat combo, she overtly echoed the signature style of one of the most admired political wives: Jackie Kennedy.
Imagine that: Carla Bruni demure. And, yes, the pictures showed exactly that.
If she’s Jackie, after all, that makes her husband Jack. And whatever history now tells us about Kennedy’s extra-curricular activities, the universal clichés of Camelot still hold: of youth, energy, beauty and the promise of a new generation.
Extra-curricular - quite an euphemism. Fascinating that Sarko chooses an American President as the model he seeks to emulate, to be identified with. Of course, JFK has an unique image. No one else, no US president certainly, and no other leader, period, has that sort of charismatic, youthful political exuberance. A French president? DeGaulle? Pompidou? Even Chirac: he has the French savoir faire, but not charisma. English? Plu-eez.
While paying homage to JFK confirms the image of “Sarkozy the American”, the suits worn by Ms Bruni-Sarkozy also deftly maintain a connection to a French past. Just like the previous president’s wife, Bernadette Chirac, she has worn Christian Dior throughout her visit, using it almost as a state uniform. Even beyond its symbolism of a French couture tradition, the display of Dior does no harm to Sarkozys’ friends in big business: Bernard Arnault, chairman of Dior, is the richest man in France; and Nicolas Bazire, chief executive of his holding company, Groupe Arnault, was a witness at the Sarkozy-Bruni wedding.
Nice friends to have: Arnault is ranked 7th in the Forbes list of the world's richest person; his company is LVMH, Louis Vouton-Moet Hennesy, with brands including Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Christian Dior and Mokt & Chandon. A graduate of Ecole Polytechnique de Paris, he is part of the élite of France.
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