Emmanuelle Alt

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Emmanuelle Alt Interview

French Vogue's new editor, Emmanuelle Alt, buys her jeans at Topshop. She also has a keen eye for the next big thing.

She loathes exercise, has never been to a gym, dismisses massages and facials, and isn't too bothered about her hair and make-up.

It would be hard to find a fashionista who less fitted the image of Mireille Guiliano's 2005 bestseller about eternal Parisienne chic, French Women Don't Get Fat, were it not for the fact Emmanuelle Alt is as thin as a whippet.

She doesn't carry the habitual front-row "accessory" - a bottle of l'eau minerale. "I don't like water. I drink Diet Coke." Nor does she smoke, or drink alcohol or even sip a "café".

There are times indeed when French Vogue's new editor-in-chief, doubts she really is French.

Emmanuelle Alt confirmed as new editor of Vogue Paris

"I don't look after myself. I don't do yoga, Pilates, those things. I hate physical effort, I don't run anywhere, but I am super-energetic. Make-up? I just black my eyes and that's it. My hair? I get it cut on set (fashion shoots), I never go to a hairdresser. I'm not sure I'm French. You think I'm not smart enough?"

The rhetorical question matches Alt's drôle, self-deprecating sense of humour. Smart? She has it sewn up, and is as sharp as the razor-heels on her favourite Guiseppi Zanotti ankle-boots.

Alt, 43, has epitomised rock 'n' roll style re-born for the last decade. She is as far-removed from the groomed, coiffed, manicured and maquillaged image of The Devil Wears Prada as Venus from Mars, albeit her son, Antonin, 14, subscribes to American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's love of tennis and could probably take her to match point.

Alt is rarely seen in a skirt. Her "uniform" is skinny jeans , from J. Brand, Acne, or, her favourite, Topshop - "they have the best."

She wears them with T-shirts , cashmere sweaters from Ralph Lauren or Prada, a Balmain jacket , a vintage fur , and those spike-heeled boots. Nonchalant, cool chic is the Alt attitude.

She inherited her fashion savvy, as well as her height, gazelle-legs and camera-ready looks from her mother, Françoise, a Lanvin and Nina Ricci model in the 1960s and 70s.

"When she stopped modelling, we would go to fashion shows together. My first was Jean Paul Gaultier, when I was 19. It was crazy. I loved it."

She surely could have followed in her mother's footsteps, but squashes that thought immediately.

"That's not me. I'm a big fan of photography, but it's more fun to style. I enjoy working on the inspiration, and the everyday life of a magazine."

Off-duty she loves spending time with her partner, the art director, Franck Durand, father of Antonin, and their daughter, Françoise, 6.

She enjoys cooking, eating, family holidays in Corsica or Formentera; driving is a passion.

"I would love to own a Porsche or a Jaguar, but I can't with the children. But I love fast cars. In the summer we did a road-trip to California; I did not let my husband take the wheel once."

Emmanuelle Alt on her love of driving

Alt began her career at French Elle, then worked for 20ans, and alternative glossy, Mixte. In 2001, she was hired as French Vogue's fashion director by her predecessor, Carine Roitfeld; the two no longer speak.

Alt's Vogue fashion shoots, together with consulting for Isabel Marant and Balmain, turned her into one of Planet Fashion's most recognizable icons.

Now that she is editor, the freelance styling stops, and much of her styling for Vogue. But she plans to do one fashion shoot a month.

She has no radical plans and says the magazine won't become "all rock 'n' roll".

Emmanuelle Alt on her new direction for Vogue Paris

Her first issue, out in 10 days' time, features Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen, the current "face" of Balenciaga, as the cover girl.

"Of course, some things will change, because we (ie. Roitfeld) have a different eye. I would like to have more beauty, more lifestyle. I want to use more young designers. We should surprise every time, otherwise it could be boring."

An example is the recent haute couture shoot she styled in London for the May issue, with Kate Moss photographed by the ace duo, Mert and Marcus.

At the last minute, she found a design by the relative unknown, Julien Fournie, and added it to the illustrious line-up of Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Chanel, and Alexandre Vauthier creations. "It was a coup de coeur".

"I will try even more to support young designers. I like to keep my curiosity up. The industry is always waiting, begging for a name. But it is rare to find a big 'trésor', so you must keep looking."

She proved her commitment by hosting the first French Vogue platform for 10 new talents, with an exhibition at The Crillon Hotel, which opened last week, with Kate Winslet as a guest of honour.

The designers' work was displayed in a series of tableux designed by Vincent Darré, amongst stuffed crocodiles, a tiger's head, skulls and masks; alternative indeed.

Emmanuelle's Alt-ernatives

Emmanuelle Alt was the woman who propelled Balmain's Christophe Decarnin onto the fashion radar. So who does she have her eye on now?

Bouchra Jarrar, Alexandre Vauthier, Anthony Vaccarello - "I think he has a big future" - Julien Fournie, Maxime Simoens, Olympia Le Tan (handbags), Haider Ackermann, Damir Doma.

Source: fashion.telegraph.co.uk

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