First Lady Carla-Bruni Sarkozy
(Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
Sarkozy blow as
Michelle Obama beats
Carla Bruni to style award
The magazine's annual
best-dressed list, unveiled
yesterday, awarded
first place in the category
of "political chic" to
America's First Lady, and
second to France's
Première Dame. It is
the second year in
a row that Ms Bruni, 42,
has come second on
the list; last year Elle put
her behind Asma Assad,
the British-born wife
of the Syrian President.
For Mr Sarkozy — who
has treated Mr Obama as
an unfriendly rival ever
since the US President
gave the cold shoulder to
his attempts to forge
a special Franco-American
relationship — this is
unwelcome news indeed.
Yesterday the Frenchman
took another swipe at
his US counterpart, criticising
him for deciding to attend
next month's climate
summit in Copenhagen
a week before other
national leaders and hinting
that it was discourteous
to the Danish hosts.
Mr Sarkozy has been
sounding off against
Mr Obama for the past
few months, saying he
is overrated and all style
over substance. It is possible
that the French leader has
not recovered from
Mr Obama's refusal to drop
in at the Élysée Palace
in June, when he spent
two nights in Paris.
This week L'Express magazine
devoted its cover to
"Sarkozy's Obama obsession",
saying he is infuriated
by the "irrational magic"
that surrounds the US leader.
"Politics is more than
form and glamour, it is
about issues," Mr Sarkozy
— or Chou-chou, as his wife
calls him — was quoted
as saying.
The Elle style jury, led by
Nathalie Rykiel, of the
Sonia Rykiel house, said that
the emphasis this year was
on strong personalities who
shone with a distinctive style.
"Mrs Obama resembles
no one else — her style
is unique," said Elle.
"She encourages
young designers and has
succeeded in imposing
the waisted cardigan
as official dress."
That was enough to
knock Ms Bruni, a career
supermodel who has,
as a political wife,
developed a demure
new Dior-dressed style,
off top spot — although
she came in for warm praise.
She was credited with
changing her look on
arriving at the palace
after marrying Mr Sarkozy
last year in what was dubbed
her Jackie Kennedy look.
"She has managed to invent
a style of First Lady
à la française," said Elle.
"She always gets it right."
Rama Yade, 33,
Mr Sarkozy's Senegalese-
born junior Sports Minister,
came third, with
Princess Letizia of Spain
fourth and Ségolène Royal,
the Socialist party maverick,
in fifth place. It was a pity
that Ms Royal had
reverted to "smart little
dresses without style"
after changing her look
a couple of years earlier,
said Elle.
Missing from this year's
political list was Rachida Dati,
the glamour figure in
Mr Sarkozy's Cabinet until
he dismissed her in June.
The promotion of Mrs Obama,
who was proclaimed
best-dressed by the US edition
of Vanity Fair magazine
in August, marks a
change in the
fashionistas' view of her.
In her early months
French commentators faulted
her for style errors and
a provincial look.
By contrast, Ms Bruni's
inability to take first place
may reflect a fading of
France's love affair
with her. Last week
a photograph of Ms Bruni
in the nude went unsold
at a Paris auction after
bids failed to reach
the ¤5,000 (£4,500)
reserve price. It sold on
Monday to an undisclosed
buyer for €6,000.
The winners in Elle's other
seven categories were:
Stylista: Tilda Swinton
Total-noir: Valerie Lemercier
(French actress-comedian)
British Girl: Alexa Chung
Sexy bombe: Scarlett Johansson
Fashion pointue: Natalia Vodianova
Red Carpet: Penelope Cruz
It Girl: Elettra Wiedermann
--
J-L K
Sent from Kigali, Rwanda
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