NON NON NON, ce n'est pas possible!!!
The French fashion world has dealt a new blow to Nicolas Sarkozy’s desire to upstage President Obama: Elle magazine, the Parisiennes’ style bible, has proclaimed that Michelle Obama is more chic than Carla Bruni.
The magazine’s annual best-dressed list, unveiled yesterday, awarded first place in the category of “political chic” to America’s First Lady, and second to France’s Première Dame. It is the second year in a row that Ms Bruni, 42, has come second on the list; last year Elle put her behind Asma Assad, the British-born wife of the Syrian President.
For Mr Sarkozy — who has treated Mr Obama as an unfriendly rival ever since the US President gave the cold shoulder to his attempts to forge a special Franco-American relationship — this is unwelcome news indeed. Yesterday the Frenchman took another swipe at his US counterpart, criticising him for deciding to attend next month’s climate summit in Copenhagen a week before other national leaders and hinting that it was discourteous to the Danish hosts.
Mr Sarkozy has been sounding off against Mr Obama for the past few months, saying he is overrated and all style over substance. It is possible that the French leader has not recovered from Mr Obama’s refusal to drop in at the Élysée Palace in June, when he spent two nights in Paris.
This week L’Express magazine devoted its cover to “Sarkozy’s Obama obsession”, saying he is infuriated by the “irrational magic” that surrounds the US leader. “Politics is more than form and glamour, it is about issues,” Mr Sarkozy — or Chou-chou, as his wife calls him — was quoted as saying.
The Elle style jury, led by Nathalie Rykiel, of the Sonia Rykiel house, said that the emphasis this year was on strong personalities who shone with a distinctive style. “Mrs Obama resembles no one else — her style is unique,” said Elle. “She encourages young designers and has succeeded in imposing the waisted cardigan as official dress.”
That was enough to knock Ms Bruni, a career supermodel who has, as a political wife, developed a demure new Dior-dressed style, off top spot — although she came in for warm praise. She was credited with changing her look on arriving at the palace after marrying Mr Sarkozy last year in what was dubbed her Jackie Kennedy look. “She has managed to invent a style of First Lady à la française,” said Elle. “She always gets it right.”
Rama Yade, 33, Mr Sarkozy’s Senegalese-born junior Sports Minister, came third, with Princess Letizia of Spain fourth and Ségolène Royal, the Socialist party maverick, in fifth place. It was a pity that Ms Royal had reverted to “smart little dresses without style” after changing her look a couple of years earlier, said Elle.
Missing from this year’s political list was Rachida Dati, the glamour figure in Mr Sarkozy’s Cabinet until he dismissed her in June.
The promotion of Mrs Obama, who was proclaimed best-dressed by the US edition of Vanity Fair magazine in August, marks a change in the fashionistas’ view of her. In her early months French commentators faulted her for style errors and a provincial look.
By contrast, Ms Bruni’s inability to take first place may reflect a fading of France’s love affair with her. Last week a photograph of Ms Bruni in the nude went unsold at a Paris auction after bids failed to reach the €5,000 (£4,500) reserve price. It sold on Monday to an undisclosed buyer for €6,000.
The winners in Elle's other seven categories were:
Stylista: Tilda Swinton
Total-noir: Valerie Lemercier (French actress-comedian)
British Girl: Alexa Chung
Sexy bombe: Scarlett Johansson
Fashion pointue: Natalia Vodianova
Red Carpet: Penelope Cruz
It Girl: Elettra Wiedermann
