Mays Modecollege
Guest lecturer Madame d’Ornano
Of course I love young people. The inspiration of Lizzy, Anna, and Yara. Girls who don’t need a last name. Not anymore. But I am usually truly blown away by charm when I meet a lady with a rich life. A woman who wears not just clothing, but also life. A rich, layered, cultural life. After I met Madame Isabelle d’Ornano (widow of Hubert d’Ornano, founder of the Sisley empire), I glowed for days. I have rarely met such a stylish, inspiring woman. The question remains; what can we learn from her?
Style
Before Madame d’Ornano helped her husband build their Sisley empire (she is still involved in product development to this day), she worked in fashion. With designer Jean-Louis Scherrer. There she further developed her sense of style. ‘Know what suits you' is her most important motto. For Madame d’Ornano, that is Dries Van Noten, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Céline. When I met her, she was wearing a classic blouse and a flowing knee-length skirt with the funky high-heeled Céline shoes underneath.
Madame's tip
Madame d’Ornano loves to wear the jewelry of JAR, which stands for Joel Arthur Rosenthal, a highly educated (he studied history and philosophy at Harvard and speaks American, French, Italian, and Yiddish) New Yorker who has lived in Paris for years. He is called ‘the Fabergé of our time’. Each piece is unique and made especially for the client. He draws inspiration from the fauna and flora around him, incorporates references to the past in his work, and oh, it is simply beautiful.
Surround yourself with special people
That has certainly worked for Madame d’Ornano. She is already a rare specimen herself and attracted special people as well. Her uncle, Stanislaw Radziwill, is married to Lee Radziwill, the sister of Jackie Kennedy. Voilà, one handshake away from the woman who may have had the greatest influence on fashion. Furthermore, she was friends with Oscar de la Renta, Jean-Louis Scherrer, and surrounds herself with great and still unknown artists, because she loves it, but it sharpens her style.
Choose color
You rarely see Madame d’Ornano in head to toe black. She loves color, she loves prints, and above all, she loves statement accessories: a large brooch, a prominent necklace. Preferably a piece that combines her love for art (just look at what I wrote about Madame d’Ornano's apartment) and fashion.
When you look at Madame's style, you understand where those beautiful and Instagrammable designs of the Sisley products come from. And when you look at her beautiful skin, you have the ultimate proof that Sisley products are the Hermès of skincare. The very best of the very best. Amen.
