French lessons, events & trips
FRENCH LESSONS EVENTS & GIFTS
With the world on fire, we’re all looking for some escapism, and this breathtaking video offers just that. Katrina chanced upon Saint Laurent’s women’s summer ’26 show when looking to update the Club de culture *mode material – and she couldn’t resist sharing.
Staged against the backdrop of a twinkling tour Eiffel, the show is sheer perfection. Make sure you hang around for the glorious gowns at around the 8-minute mark. Sublime.
* fashion
How do those French girls get their bobs looking so chic? The answer, we suspect, is La Bonne Brosse. Launched in 2021 by friends and former beauty industry executives Flore des Robert and Pauline Laurent, the Parisian brand is taking on the iconic Mason Pearson with premium hairbrushes infused with that quintessentially French ‘*je ne sais quoi’.
With a signature twisted handle in biodegradable cellulose acetate (produced in France by the last remaining French acetate manufacturer), La Bonne Brosse (The Good Brush) brushes come in a rainbow of colourful, ergonomic designs. Made with sustainability in mind, they feature high-quality ingredients designed to pamper your *cuir chevelu and bring out the best in your strands.
Not sure whether boar, nylon or a combination of bristles is best? Take the online quiz to find your perfect match. They’re not exactly a steal at $272 at Mecca ($190 for la petite), but there’s luxury in every stroke.
La Bonne Brosse | Website and Instagram
Shop La Bonne Brosse at Mecca
*Indescribable quality | *scalp
If you have a spare half hour, you might want to watch the absurd sapphic tragicomedy Two People Exchanging Saliva – (tied) winner of Best Live Action Short Film at this year’s Oscars. Shot artfully in black and white, largely at Galeries Lafayette (where filmmakers have been invited to film at night since 2021), the film is the vision of Bordeaux-born, Brooklyn-based Alexandre Singh and his Romanian American wife, Natalie Musteata.
Set in a world where kissing is punishable by death and *les achats are paid for with slaps (cue: painting on bruises to suggest wealth), it’s a dystopian diversion that explores themes of consumerism, desire and repression.
* purchases
Born in Orléans in 1975, Laure Calamy is one of France’s best-loved *comédiennes, best known for her breakout role as the lovelorn and libidinous assistant Noémie in the hit Netflix series, Call My Agent!
Equally adept at dramatic and comedic roles, Calamy trained at Paris’s prestigious Conservatoire National Supérieur d’Art Dramatique and began her career in theatre before branching out into TV and film.
Her first big screen nod came in 2021, when she won the César Award for Best Actress for her screwball role in AFFFF favourite Antoinette dans le Cévennes (My Donkey, My Lover & I).
After last year’s moving festival outing in My Everything, playing a single mother of a 30-year-old son with cerebral palsy, Calamy is taking a lighter turn in the comedy *Classe Moyenne (The Party’s Over ).
* actresses | *Middle Class
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
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
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.
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
If your Sundays are spent frantically washing, grocery shopping and meal prepping for the week ahead, the French would tell you, you’re doing it wrong. In France, productivity has no place in your day of rest, with many shops closed – and nobody up in arms about it.
Intentionally languid, low-stress and filled with family, food and aimless strolls, French Sundays are an institution. Brunch plans? Far too much pressure. Sleep in instead, then savour a croissant.
To-do lists are out, and daydreaming is in. Other approved activities include browsing farmer’s markets, doing a puzzle while listening to music and, *bien sûr, making time for some romance.
Here's how to have the perfect French Sunday.
* of course
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
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
For lovers of French literature, one of the most anticipated films of the upcoming Alliance Française French Film Festival is undoubtedly L’Etranger (The Stranger) – François Ozon’s take on one of the most-read French novels around the globe.
Ranked number one on Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century list, The Stranger is Albert Camus’ first foray into absurdism, telling the tale of a mysterious expat, Mersault, who is unwittingly drawn into a murder on an Algerian beach.
Set in 1930s French Algeria and sumptuously shot in black and white, the auteur’s faithful adaptation of the 1942 classic has received numerous accolades, including the awards for best film, best actor (Benjamin Voisin) and best cinematographer at The Lumiere Awards – France’s answer to the Golden Globes.
Our chouchous are always full of viewing recs, and here’s another one history buffs (who don’t mind a bit of artistic license) or fans of James Norton might enjoy. King & Conqueror is an epic 8-part series based on the struggle for the English throne that culminated in the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Alongside Norton as Harold II, it stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (of Game of Thrones fame) as the conquering William of Normandy, with Emily Beecham and Clémence Poésy as the women in their lives.
Not sure you’re up to the French? *Pas de souci, this one is in English. Reviews are mixed, but you can read all about it here and decide if it’s for you.
Watch it now on SBS on Demand.
*No problem
French may be the language of love, but romance hasn’t always run smoothly for its inhabitants. A traditional custom called *la loterie d’amour (love lottery) used to see single male suitors stand outside the homes of single women and call out until they were paired off. If the man found his partner-to-be displeasing, he’d head for *les collines.
In retaliation, the scorned women would then band together and start a bonfire, burning images of the men and cursing them. Eventually, this practice was banned by the government, and more palatable traditions took its place.
*the hills
As we wilt in the humidity (and wild weather rages across Australia), we’re completely captivated by the winter wonderland we’ve been seeing all over our Instagram feeds. Paris *sous la neige is completely magical, and last month’s downfall provided a feast for the eyes – and a rare opportunity for skiing in Montmartre.
*under the snow
Love True Crime? The three-part documentary ‘From Rock Star to Killer’ is the perfect weekend binge watch. Now on Netflix, the series revisits a scandal from the early oughts that’s back in the news – the death of beloved actress Marie Trintignant at the hands of her musician lover, Bernard Cantat, in 2003.
The documentary shines an unflattering light on the victim-blaming nature of the media and public perception at the time – drawing attention to her ‘excesses’ and insinuating her personal choices led to the ‘crime of passion’ – and has prompted the recent reopening of the investigation into the 2010 death by suicide of his ex‑wife, Kristina Rády.
Watch De rockstar à tueur: le cas Cantat on Netflix now.
Les différentes couleurs teintées dans la masse des verres Le Picardie®
La Maison Française du Verre, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Like their Picardie tumblers – a staple of school canteens considered as iconic as Levi’s jeans and Swiss Army knives – French glassworks Duralex has a habit of bouncing back.
Last month, it did so in impressive style (for the fourth time) when a public appeal for emergency funding saw patriotic French design fans rally to help reach its fundraising target in under six hours.
This Guardian article on Duralex’s history, upgrade and plans for the future makes an interesting read.
Ever wondered if the French take part in trick-or-treating, or put out *les citrouilles on October 31st? While many older generations view the holiday as a crass, commercial US import, Halloween has grown in popularity in recent years.
However, it’s still completely overshadowed by a more sombre tradition that takes place the next day – La Toussaint (or All Saints’ Day). On this national holiday, families visit cemeteries to clean, decorate and place *les chrysanthèmes, which symbolise memory, on the graves of loved ones lost.
And while it may not involve a sugar hit, the occasion is also a favourite with kids as it coincides with a two-week school break, *les vacances de la Toussaint.
* pumpkins | *chrysanthemums | *All Saints’ Day holidays
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
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
Need some inspiration for your next holiday? We recommend you tune in to the fabulous Échappées belles (Great Escapes). Airing weekly on France 5 since 2006, the popular travel and discovery show is akin to a Gallic Getaway – but much more in-depth.
Each 90-minute episode does a deep dive into *une seule destination. Enjoy them at your leisure, with most episodes available to watch free on the official Échappées belles YouTube channel.
Here’s a little taste.
*a single destination