ENGLISH TEXTS the Spring Racing Carnival as one of the year’ s top events. The“ Fashions on the Field” contest, launched in the 1960s during the 100 th Melbourne Cup, encouraged women to attend races. The contest rewarded the most elegant and best-dressed woman. In 1962, The Sun described it as a true test of ingenuity and fashion taste. In 2022, the VRC modernized the contest: women’ s and men’ s sections became Best Dressed and Best Suited for inclusivity.
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By Cécile Adonias
PIERRE-FRANÇOIS VALETTE, A DEFINI- TION OF ELEGANCE
Valette Studio was founded by Pierre-François Valette in 2020 during the height of the Covid pandemic. The year before, Pierre-François had won first prize at the Saint-Laurent Couture Institute after completing a Master’ s in Fashion Design and Pattern Making, along with gaining experience at Isabel Marant and the House of Saint Laurent. In just one year, Valette Studio earned a spot on the Official Calendar of Paris Fashion Week— a mark of quality and cre- ativity. The brand’ s DNA is deeply rooted in the dandy style. The inspiration stems more from an attitude than from a specific garment. It’ s a global concept that goes beyond clothing, much like modern-day dandies such as Amy Winehouse or Serge Gainsbourg, for example. The tailored suit is the centerpiece of this concept. Valette Studio is a technical workshop built on craftsmanship, with a strong emphasis on sourcing materials within Europe. There is no stock; everything is made to order in-house.“ We are free to create. We have our own ecosystem and in-house expertise,” says its founder. Pierre-François Valette adds:“ Beauty is a matter of proportion. Each season, we offer a silhouette. A silhouette is said to be defined by two things: the shoulders and the shoes. These days, people buy a look. The same pair of trousers can create many different looks, depending on who wears them, the accessories, the accompanying clothes, etc. Elegance is an attitude! It’ s not necessarily what someone wears, but how they wear it. The look is what matters.” Your inspiration for the Prix de Diane Longines( Gr. 1)?“ For the Prix de Diane Longines, I would recommend a beige or offwhite linen suit for a man, paired with … espadrilles( laughs). After all, that’ s elegance! And for a woman, a beautiful sheath dress or a shirtdress with a large hat,” says Pierre-François Valette.
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By Anastasia Lebarbier
FASHION AT FULL GALLOP
Long associated with discreet elegance and a refined lifestyle, the equestrian world continues to inspire fashion designers. Leather, reins, buckles, and sleek lines regularly influence the design of one of fashion’ s most essential ACcessories: the handbag. These elements subtly evoke the equestrian universe. Focus on two iconic creations.
Dior Saddle Nicknamed“ the fashion prodigy,” British designer John Galliano served as artistic director at Dior for fifteen, years and is the creator of the Saddle bag, an iconic piece of the house that first appeared during Dior’ s Spring-Summer 2000 runway show, which had strong equestrian overtones. The
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