French Holidays: In the Footsteps of Icons
Ah, French holidays… A wrought iron table under the vines, cigarettes half-burning in a sandstone ashtray, laughter rising with the sun. And in the middle, a star. Gainsbourg, Johnny, Coco. Those who transformed idleness into an art of living— and France as a glamorous playground.
Make yourself comfortable, we’re going back in time…
Gainsbourg in Saint-Tropez: pastis, provocation and no sunscreen
It's impossible to talk about the stars' holidays without talking about Serge Gainsbourg, king of nonchalance and hot afternoons at Saint-TropezIt is in this city that he comes to stroll with Brigitte Bardot, Then Jane Birkin, strolling in a worn white vest, cigarette in mouth, on the port or in the hidden coves.
Cult anecdote: one day, Serge completely forgets to go shopping. Jane asks him for at least a melon and a packet of rice. He comes back three hours later, drunk, with… a record player and two Beethoven vinyls.
"Racing? I've found something better. Silence and music."
— Gainsbourg, very Gainsbourg.
Johnny in Ramatuelle: rock'n'roll, cicadas and Harley Davidson
Johnny Hallyday, it was the sound of a Harley on the bends of the Côte d'Azur. Every summer, he put down his suitcases at Ramatuelle, between evenings at Club 55 and XXL barbecues in his villa "Lorada".
What is less well known? He loved to scare his guests by taking them on quad rides. at midnight, on the cliffs, singing at the top of their lungs "Light the fire"Even Eddy Mitchell refused to ride with him.
Johnny was just that: a cowboy in a postcard setting.
Coco Chanel in Deauville: marine elegance and silk rebellion
Back to the beginning of the 20th century. Gabrielle Chanel discover Deauville, this small Normandy resort still in the process of becoming fashionable. She opened a boutique there in 1913 and turned everything upside down: no more corsets, long live jersey! She turned the seaside into a catwalk.
But Coco also had a sharp sense of humor. When a journalist asked her why she never went to Saint-Tropez:
"Because I don't need to show my ankles to exist."
Touch.
La dolce vita, French style: images of a free era
French holidays also meant:
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Romy Schneider who reads Rilke on a striped napkin in Biarritz.
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Yves Montand who plays pétanque with peasants in Provence.
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Catherine Deneuve, butterfly glasses and Courrèges dress, who is cycling on the Île de Ré.
Everything was slower. More intense. More sensual. The sun seemed to fall more gently on tanned skin. And even the ice cubes seemed to melt elegantly.
What if we went on vacation like them?
The destinations have not changed: Ramatuelle, Deauville, Biarritz, Île de Ré…
But what if we slowed down? What if we swapped our rolling suitcases for a wicker basket? What if we took the time for a nap in the shade instead of a selfie by an infinity pool?
At the house of Jaiio, we believe in pieces that span the ages.A 70s dress that could have been worn by Jane, a vintage beach bag like Romy's, or a light shirt that Johnny would have stolen from Eddy.
Nostalgia has style. And above all, it has lightness.
