Scrunchies, but make them chic

After being ubiquitous in the ‘80s and ‘90s, then being relegated to the back of the bathroom cabinet, the*chouchou (or scrunchie) is back – with a decidedly chic twist.  

Created by French-born, WA-based entrepreneur Camille Collison, Kmellia is an Insta-famous hair accessories brand that specialises in luxurious knitted chouchous*.

Choose from *le petit ou le grand in classic colours, starting from $49.90.

* scrunchies (yes, it’s the same word we use for our Teacher’s Pets!) | *the small or large

Le nécessaire à culture

If you’re keen for a French comprehension challenge, *Le nécessaire à culture is a great Instagram account to follow for Culture, Histoire & Savoir (Culture, History & Knowledge.)

From Pourquoi Bordeaux est devenue la capitale du vin? to Boucicaut, l’inventeur du shopping, you’ll learn something new while testing your listening skills.

* The Cultivation Kit | * Why did Bordeaux become the wine capital? | * Boucicaut, the inventor of shopping

Cedric et la Chocolaterie

If you happen to find yourself in Paris this *Pâques, may we suggest you make a beeline to Cedric et la Chocolaterie. Opened in October last year by celebrated pastry chef Cédric Grolet, the cocoa-themed concept store is a feast for the senses that would delight Willy Wonka himself.

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A post shared by pastrywithjenn • jenn yee (@pastrywithjenn)

This New York Times article explores how Grolet’s meteoric rise has ruffled a few feathers amongst the old guard.

Cedric et la Chocolaterie
33 avenue de l’Opera, 75002 Paris
Du lundi au dimanche, 11h - 19h
Instagram

* Easter

Book It: Nouvelle Vague

Putting a chic twist on ‘80s new wave and punk tracks from the likes of Joy Division, The Cure and Depeche Mode, French musical project Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) is headed back to our shores. For one night in only, they’ll bring their bossa nova-style covers to the Tivoli in Fortitude Valley.

Not familiar? Get a taste of their sultry vibe below.

Tickets start at $99, and *les portes ouvriront at 7 pm on October 1st. We’ll see you there

Nouvelle Vague
1 October, 2026
The Tivoli, Fortitude Valley
Grab your tickets

* doors open

QAGOMA Visit in French

Fancy levelling up your next cultural outing and challenging your French listening skills? We have just the thing.

The Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) and Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) offer free gallery highlights tours – conducted *en français. Visit the website for times and brush up on your art vocab before you book.

French Language Guided Gallery Tours
QAG & GOMA, South Brisbane
10:15-11am, selected dates
Book here

* In French

Everyday Parisian

Sharing her lifelong love affair with France since 2016, American Francophile Rebecca Plotnick is the woman – and skilled snapper – behind the popular Everyday Parisian blog and The Paris Diaries newsletter.

Worth a look for her photos alone, Rebecca’s content ranges from seasonal packing tips and neighbourhood guides to advice on the best restaurants in Paris for solo dining.

You can also read about Rebecca’s passion for Paris (and new book) in her interview for A Table in France. Or pick up one of her prints online.

Ekhi Busquet

A fan of bold, bright and sculptural design? It’s time to familiarise yourself with the playful world of Ekhi Busquet. A self-professed arcencielophile (lover of rainbows), Ekhi is a big deal in the French design world – in demand with iconic fashion and beauty houses for her thoughtful approach, sustainable production and vibrant pieces that spark joy.  

A graduate of the École Boulle and the Politecnico di Milano, Ekhi started out in visual design for the likes of Dior and L’Oréal before setting up her multidisciplinary design studio in 2017. Splitting her time between Paris and Marseille, she draws inspiration from both.

Take a peek at her work on Instagram – particularly her “Seins-Germain” collection, supporting breast cancer awareness and co-designed with Matthieu Vergote.

Visit ekhibusquet.com

16 Iconic Parisian Bags

As we creep towards Christmas, it’s time to start thinking of *les cadeaux – and what better gift than a piece of arm candy in soft, buttery *cuir? Ranging from the relatively affordable and airline-friendly Longchamp Le Pliage tote to the extortionate and nigh-on-impossible to source Hermès Birkin, here is a list of the 16 most iconic Parisian bags in history. Print it out, circle your favourites and leave it lying around for *Père Nöel.

* presents | *leather | *Father Christmas

La Vie: C’est veggie

If you’re a fan of clever advertising, this commercial by acclaimed French agency Buzzman is sure to tickle your fancy.

Featuring an expressive rescue pig called Léon watching a man devour *un sandwich au ‘jambon’, the ad for French plant-based food company La Vie was launched to coincide with World Animal Day last October. *C’est du génie, non?

*a ‘ham’ sandwich | *It’s genius, isn’t it?

Nuit Blanche

On Saturday, 7th of June, locals and tourists will see the streets and monuments of Paris in a new light as Nuit Blanche (White Night) takes over the city for the 24th year. Launched in 2002 by then-Mayor Bertrand Delanoë, the annual event aims to make contemporary art accessible to the masses, with installations, performances and projections illuminating public spaces and cultural institutions throughout the city.

With actress Valérie Donzelli as Artistic Director, this year’s program focuses on cinema, with nearly 300 free artistic projects popping up across Paris. Included in the lineup are an open-air dance performance at the Institut de France and an “aquatic and musical installation” at the Bourse de Commerce.

*Un grand succès, the Nuit Blanche concept has been adopted around the globe, with over 30 cities now putting their own spin on the all-night celebrations, including our very own Melbourne.  

Nuit Blanche, Paris
7 Juin, 2025
Visit the website

*A big success

Messy Nessy

If you’re a fan of fashion, art, curios and all things offbeat, don’t miss a visit to Messy Nessy’s Cabinet in the Latin Quarter when à Paris. Opened last year, *la petite boutique is a treasure trove of delights, from bottles of Eau de Seine (yes, it is what you think) to *les casquettes de baseball, logo sweaters, card games, books and antiques.

It’s the brainchild of Vanessa Grall, *la femme behind the cult blog Messy Nessy Chic and the Don’t Be a Tourist series of city guides. Pop by and say hi if in town—you’ll find Vanessa is often manning the till.

And if a Paris trip is not in your immediate future, you can also shop the collection online.

Messy Nessy’s Cabinet
19 rue de Bievre, 75005 Paris
Instagram: @messynessychic

*in Paris | *the little store | *baseball caps | *the woman

Bobo is Back

If you needed convincing that the early noughties obsession with boho-chic (or, as the French say, bobo) style *est de retour, iconic fashion house Chloé’s most recent AW2025 collection has *la preuve.

Creative director Chemena Kamali sent models down her Paris runway bedecked in faux fur, romantic ruffles, heart pendants and ballet flats, toting soft, charm-laden *sacs. And it has us collectively swooning.

Read about the Chloé show here. Or view Chloé’s Instagram account for detailed shots of the collection.

* is back | *the proof | *bags

Mecspliquez that again?

If you’re a woman you’ve no doubt rolled tes yeux* as un homme* has condescendingly “explained” the simplest of concepts to you. And guess what? The idea of mansplaining also exists in French – and it goes by the name of mecsplication.

A homonym for m'expliquer*, mecspliquer means to explain something to a woman in a patronising or oversimplified manner. It’s a clever combination of two French words. Mec – meaning guy, dude, man or bro in slang. And expliquer, meaning – you guessed it – to explain.

Want an example of mecsplication in action? Regarde* this famous 2021 tweet by Dr Jessica McCarthy.

Oh, la honte!*

*your eyes | *a man |* explain to me | *Look at | *Oh, the shame!

Spotlight on: Sophie Fontanel

With her silvery, mid-length locks and enviable wardrobe, Sophie Fontanel is a true style icon. The 60-year-old fashion critic, author and one-time Fashion Director of ELLE France has also amassed a 294, 000+ following as an Instagram star – thanks to artful mirror selfies showcasing her bold, intellectual and playful approach to personal style. And her online documentation of her transition to grey.

For this femme française*? Overt sexiness is out, as Sophie tells Vogue:

Ditto, crippling, vertiginous talons*.

But that doesn’t mean elle est contente* to shrink into the background. Her style is punctuated by an eclectic mix of vintage items, men’s clothing and designer pieces. And, of course, that hair – the subject of her bestselling book, Une Apparition*.

Another livre* is dedicated to her 12 years of celibacy, while she won Le Prince Maurice Prize for romantic literature in 2011 for her roman*, Grandir*.

Author, fashion journalist, influencer… Quite the modern-day slashie, non?

We can’t help admiring Sophie’s honesty, esprit* and positive approach to life ­– and ageing. Follow her stylish moves sur Instagram* or take a peek inside her chic Paris appartement* in this interview with Vogue.

*French woman | *high heels | *she is happy | *A Ghost |*book | *novel | *Growing Up| *spirit | *on Instagram| *apartment

Honorary Parisiennes

Have you long harboured a desire be considered an honorary Parisienne*? Me too, until the day I was strolling down the street in Paris, imagining myself exuding an impossibly French insouciance*, when someone leaned out of a car window and yelled: “Hé ! Kangourou !*”.

So while not all of us have what it takes to blend seamlessly into our adopted surroundings, it never hurts to try. Some even succeed, as this article by Australian Katrina Lawrence points out, herself deserving of the title, à mon avis*.

Merci pour l’inspiration, Katrina. J’adore votre site*.

Parisian woman | lack of concern/insouciance | Hey! Kangaroo! | in my opinion | Thank you for the inspiration, Katrina. I love your site.

Virtual Louis Vuitton

La mode* has been on our minds a lot récemment* here at Lingua Franca with some of our more advanced students enjoying an entire term devoted to high fashion, as part of our new Club de Culture series.

In Week 2, we looked at the story of Louis Vuitton, from the very humble beginnings of the man himself to the multi-billion dollar juggernaut it is today as part of the LVMH conglomerate.

With owner Bernard Arnault duking it out with Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk for the title of the richest person in the world, no-one would have been choqué* had he, too, decided to enter the race to Mars.

However, with a strong personal interest in the art world as well as a mission to make art and culture accessible to all, in October 2014, la Fondation Louis Vuitton was opened to the world. Housed in a futuristic Frank Gehry-designed building on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne’s Jardin d’Acclimatisation, it has been off limits to us here in Australia until very recently.

Such are the marvels of technology, though, that even if you’re not yet ready or able to dust off your passeport*, you can still pay a visit. Whether to appreciate the collections à l’intérieur* or to stand in awe of the architectural wizardry of the building itself, it’s all au bout des doigts* and won’t cost you a single centime*.

Simply download the Fondation LV app, and choose the theme of your virtual tour. Be sure to change the language from English to French if you want the full immersive experience, or simply turn the sound off to completely drink in la richesse* before you.

PS A bit bored by the purity of the all-white structure? Go here to see how it was transformed in 2016 by French visual artist Daniel Buren.

*Fashion | *recently | *shocked | *passport | *on the inside | *at the tip of your fingers | *cent | *the richness

The Olympic Games of Words

With Paris set to host Les Jeux Olympiques* in 2024, thoughts have turned to the safeguarding of French as the official language.

While in Australia it’s fair to say we’re a nation obsessed by sport, in reading this article you may come to the conclusion that the French drive that passion towards leur langue* instead.

A read that had me giggle at the get-go, frown a few paragraphs later, pause in contemplation au milieu* before feeling queasy at the closing sentence, I couldn’t recommend this piece more highly.

Bonne lecture*.

*The Olympic Games | *their language | *in the middle | *Happy reading

Papier dominoté

If you have an eye for design, you’re going to love indulging in your own research à propos du papier dominoté*. So what is the name of the craft behind it and what is it exactly anyway?

The charmant* website Madame Décore gives this definition:

Dominoterie : désigne la conception, la fabrication ou le commerce de papiers peints et imprimés en couleur de motifs géométriques ou floraux que l'on trouve fréquemment à l'intérieur des coffres, des armoires, des tiroirs, mais également dans les cartons à chapeaux et même les cheminées. Très en vogue au XVIIIème et début du XIXème siècle, le papier dominoté servait de garnissage pour les livres et le mobilier, en ce temps où chaque détail avait son importance.

Dominoterie : refers to the design, production or trade of colour-printed and painted paper in floral or geometric design which one often finds on the inside of chests, wardrobes and drawers, but also in hatboxes and even chimneys. Very fashionable in the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, papier dominoté was used as the trim for books and furnishings, at a time when every detail mattered.

Le papier dominoté is experiencing a resurgence in popularity actuellement*. Not sure you're ready to commit to a whole wall of pattern? How about framing a more modest échantillon* as a nod to this fine craft? Start here.

Source: site web Madame Décore

*about papier dominoté | *charming | *currently | *sample

A bolt from the blue?

Le Président* Emmanuel Macron has changed the colour of the French flag, but malheureusement* no-one seemed to notice…

Photo by Nicolas from Pexels

*unfortunately

Une fille | Un style

If you have just over eight minutes to spare and are confident you can keep le monstre aux yeux verts* at bay, be ready to be absolutely transported by this video from Vogue Paris.

*the green-eyed monster