Brigitte Macron, Nicolas Ghesquière Do Double Denim for Madame Figaro

ANNIVERSARY PRESENT: Forget flowers, congratulatory cards or tribute posts to commemorate Nicolas Ghesquière’s decade — and five-year extension — at Louis Vuitton.

Having attended his fall 2024 show during Paris Fashion Week, France’s First Lady Brigitte Macron marked the occasion with a joint interview with the house’s artistic director of womenswear, lifting the lid on their working relationship in the March 22 edition of French weekly magazine Madame Figaro.

For the cover, out on newsstands Friday, the two were photographed on the rooftop of the French luxury brand’s Pont Neuf headquarters, sporting Louis Vuitton denim jackets — classic cut for him, a biker-inspired one adorned with black and gold buttons for her — with black trousers.

Further pictures in the six-page feature show Macron and Ghesquière in his atelier and at fittings.

In the article, they discuss their first meeting; empowerment through clothing; expanding her style repertoire from her earlier “jeans, T-shirt and stiletto” signature; what her wardrobe says internationally, and fashion in literature.

Macron revealed that she is pleased when her style is described “so French,” as “it means the clothes tell you something about our country and our culture.”

“I started wearing his designs before knowing him,” she reveals, recalling that she attended Ghesquière’s March 2015 show in a bespoke navy blue coat with a silver collar created for her “without us even meeting.”

The coat made a second appearance when her husband Emmanuel Macron declared he was running for president in November 2016 and on the night of his election on May 8, 2017.  

“Between us, there is respect, reserve and a dialogue that doesn’t require words,” Ghesquière said.

“Our collaboration continues to evolve over time. There is this personal story and then another, larger still, that goes beyond us, that should be read like a celebration of an industry, of craftsmanship, of a multitude of talents in service of an economic power,” he continued.

Throughout the interview, the French first lady addressed criticism and commentaries she receives as well as discussions on her hem lengths or footwear, while Ghesquière talked about fashion as pop culture.

“It’s fun to see that fashion has become more democratic, that it’s more inviting and has dropped certain diktats,” he said. “Now it’s all about personal expression and that invites more people to the table.“

Speaking of invitations, Macron noted that her husband regularly honors designers with events at the Elysée presidential palace and that he initiated France’s Fashion Pact when he was finance minister.

As a parting shot, she asked Ghesquière what he might do “after” — fashion or his position at Vuitton remained unsaid — to which he replied that he would like a better work-life balance, while being aware that he would probably “miss it terribly.”

As for the designer, he wanted to know if the erstwhile literature teacher had ever imagined herself as France’s first lady. “Never, not for a second,” was Macron’s reply. “I thought Emmanuel would be an artist, a writer specifically.”

Elsewhere in the edition, the couture choices of France’s first ladies are examined, with Macron’s Louis Vuitton outfit for the coronation of King Charles III slotted in alongside Carla Bruni Sarkozy’s Dior by John Galliano outfit to meet the late Queen Elizabeth II, Bernadette Chirac in Lagerfeld’s Chanel and Danielle Mitterrand pictured with Yves Saint Laurent.

While she has been sparing in giving interviews, generally centered around her commitment to causes such as the fight against child abuse, Macron’s interest in design is no secret.

In February, after taking in the runway debut of the Institut Français de la Mode’s masters students, the first lady took a closer look at their creations and spoke with several of the designers. “I was captivated by the creativity, their energy,” she said at the time.