Mathilde Favier (Paris, 54 years old) deals every day with artists, actresses and actors, politicians, first ladies, queens and pop stars, but she assures that she has never felt dazzled by any star. "My mother always told my sisters and me: 'Don't forget, everyone pees in the same place.' When you think about it like that, it's hard to be impressed,” she explains. Favier, who holds the position of global celebrity director of the Dior
house
, is considered the woman with the best agenda in Paris. She knows all the important people in the city and the important people know her: former presidents, fashion photographers, designers, florists, decorators, pastry chefs and even eminent surgeons. “I have important contacts because they trust me. This morning, for example, a person called me to ask for the phone number of a renowned doctor. I didn't know this person at all, but she was a friend of a friend of mine. I called the doctor directly and introduced them. I'm happy I did it. “I'm getting older, like everyone, and in the end that's what life is about: helping,” she says.
The Dior executive has just published
Living Beautifully in Paris
(Flammarion), a book that pays tribute to the French capital and her Parisian friends, among whom are the interior designer Jacques Grange and the antique dealer Pierre Passebon, the editor Emmanuelle Alt, the designer Vanessa Seward, the collector Diana Picasso, the artist Eva Jospin or the supermodel, singer and former first lady Carla Bruni. The book, which is written in French and English and is already being translated into Chinese, Korean and Japanese, is a small sample of the impressive agenda that the author has, but it is also a slit to spy on the fabulous universe of the Faviers, a long dynasty of businessmen.
Favier herself recognizes that she is privileged and that she has been lucky in life. She was born into a wealthy family whose motto was “we are not rich enough to skimp,” who served butter on a silver platter, who never talked about the price of things, and who sent handwritten letters of gratitude. At 14 she began working with designer Karl Lagerfeld, at 16 she was already going to Marie-Hélène de Rothschild's balls at the Hôtel
Lambert from Paris and, at 18, had tea with Madeleine Castaing and Jacqueline de Ribes. Lee Radziwill, Jackie Kennedy's sister, introduced him to her first husband, whom she married at Count Giovanni Volpi's palace in Venetian Giudecca.
Ask.
Do you miss that “old world”? Is the present less glamorous than the past?
Answer.
No. I feel very lucky to have known that period of time because it has helped me a lot in my life. It taught me to think one way and prioritize quality over quantity. Those people you mention, who were characters from another world, used to receive into their homes and entertain their guests in such a detailed and refined way that it stuck to my skin. But I don't think much about the past, I prefer to look to the future.
Q.
Is your agenda your greatest treasure?
A.
I have been very lucky. I have met incredible people from a very young age. My daughters' father is a banker, my fiancé is a film producer... the people I know have contacts. I use them to help others. If anyone needs help, I'm here.
Q.
What would you say is the biggest mistake when it comes to good manners?
R.
Not respecting others. You never know what may be happening to the other person, so it is best not to judge or laugh at anyone. I don't want to be a saint, but I force myself to be lenient.
Q.
You grew up in a family that likes to be surrounded by beautiful things. Is it more difficult to access luxury today?
A.
No, I don't think so. Luxury is not about money, but about having your own taste. For me simplicity is one of the greatest luxuries. Eating a tomato that tastes good seems to me to be one of the greatest luxuries.
Q.
What do you think is the reason for this luxury boom that doesn't seem to reach its ceiling? What are people looking for when they buy it?
A.
Look for quality. For me that is the definition of luxury: quality. Maria Grazia Chiuri [creative director of Dior] is very detail-oriented. She insists a lot that we are a haute couture house and that haute couture is quality and perfection. If there is no quality and perfection, sewing is not worth it.
Q.
Practically, your entire family is dedicated to the beauty and luxury business. Is good taste a rare commodity?
A.
It is a rare commodity, but it is not a question of money or physical appearance. It's a mental question.
Q.
You studied at the Lübeck school, one of the most
chic
in Paris. What did he learn there?
A.
It was a serious place and the nuns were strict. There I learned rigor. For me, rigor is respect for others. Being disciplined with oneself is a sign of respect for others.
Q.
You then apprenticed to Karl Lagerfeld. The other intern in the study was the current film director Sofia Coppola. How does she remember that time?
A.
Like the best of times. I was 14 years old and Sofia was a little younger. She was spending time with her father in Paris. My uncle, Gilles Dufour, said to Francis [Ford Coppola], “Bring your daughter to the studio.” We picked up the needles from the ground and did whatever they asked us to do. Sofia is a very nice person with a great personality. I consider her a true Parisian. Regarding Karl, she was unique, one of the most intelligent people I have ever met. He was extremely cultured and had read many books. I met him at a stage when he was living on the Rue de l'Université like a king, without electricity, only with candlelight and wearing large
chemises de nuit
. He taught us to observe people and develop a sense of editing everything: “This is good, this is not good, I like this, I don't like this.” He taught us to be attracted to people who make a difference.
Q.
You mentioned your uncle, Gilles Dufour, who was Lagerfeld's right-hand man at Chanel for many years. In his book he defines him as “a teacher who taught him how to navigate this world.”
A.
My uncle taught me to be natural and not to try hard to prove anything to anyone. You don't have to prove anything to interesting people, they see everything for themselves. You have nothing to prove to them because they quickly understand who you are and what you have inside.
P.
Carla Bruni has been your friend since childhood. How did she meet her?
A.
We were neighbors in Cap Nègre, in the south of France. She has always been beautiful, she has always been charming... she was also my neighbor in Paris. We took the same bus, number 63, to go to school. We have always been linked in one way or another. And then she married a friend [former French president Nicolas Sarkozy], so she's like family.
Q.
What has been the most stressful event in your career?
A.
A Cannes festival, six or seven years ago. We had to finish a dress for actress Emma Stone, but there was no fabric. It was five in the afternoon, the shops had already closed and the festival was close to closing. We grabbed the curtains from the hotel room and the Dior seamstresses finished the suit on time.
Q.
You are traveling around the world all the time. Do you ever miss home?
A.
I am a public person and my job consists of dealing with people, but I like to be at home. Intimacy is the true luxury, it is a rare commodity.
Q.
And loneliness? Is it also a luxury?
A.
Absolutely. In my case it is a physical issue. I don't hear out of one ear because I was born without an eardrum. So from day one I live a little in my own world. That other half of me is my best friend. We get along very well and are happy together.
Q.
What is your motto in life?
A.
I like a phrase from Spinoza:
Bien faire et se tenir en joie
. Do the right thing and be happy.