法國第一夫人，政治人物配偶著裝新標桿

On Sunday, when Brigitte Macron strode up the red carpet at the Élysée Palace alongside her husband, Emmanuel Macron, for his inauguration as president of France, it marked not just the official transition of power but also the advent of a new kind of first lady for the nation, and a new kind of political partnership. And it suggested that the Michelle Obama-size hole that has been left in the art of sartorial communications and diplomacy since America’s former first couple left the world stage may be about to be filled — albeit in an original way.

周日，布麗吉特·馬克龍(Brigitte Macron)和丈夫埃馬紐埃爾·馬克龍(Emmanuel Macron)一同闊步走在愛舍麗宮(Élysée Palace)的紅毯上，參加他就任法國總統(tǒng)的就職典禮。這不僅標志著官方的權(quán)力交接，而且標志著一種新型第一夫人和新型政治伙伴關(guān)系的出現(xiàn)。它意味著，前美國第一夫婦離開世界舞臺之后，米歇爾·奧巴馬(Michelle Obama) 在服裝交流藝術(shù)和外交方面留下的巨大空白可能即將被填補——雖然是以全新的方式。

In her knee-baring, powder-blue Louis Vuitton dress, with its matching military-inspired jacket, Ms. Macron managed to make a statement about her independence and refusal to fit into any established box (from political parties to age-appropriate dressing) without overtly rejecting the past, and while underscoring her husband’s messaging in a multitude of ways. All without saying a word, though the images went global.

馬克龍夫人身穿裸露膝蓋的淺藍色路易威登(Louis Vuitton)連衣裙，搭配配套的軍裝風(fēng)格外套。她通過這套服裝宣布了自己的獨立性，表明她拒絕服從任何既有的規(guī)矩(從政黨到適合年齡的著裝)，但也沒有過分地排斥過去，同時以各種方式強調(diào)丈夫的主張。一句話也不用說，但這種形象已傳遍全球。

It was quite a strategic opening.

這是一個相當(dāng)巧妙的開端。

While there was some online chatter about the color of the ensemble recalling Melania Trump’s Ralph Lauren dress-and-jacket at her husband’s inauguration, it seems to me that in detail and effect, the two could not be further apart. Mrs. Trump’s choice, after all, called to mind nothing so much as the past: Jackie Kennedy and Camelot. Ms. Macron’s look spoke to the future, and to how she is redefining her role.

雖然網(wǎng)上有人議論說，這套服裝的顏色讓人想起了梅拉尼婭·特朗普(Melania Trump)在丈夫就職典禮上穿的拉夫·勞倫(Ralph Lauren)連衣裙和外套，但在我看來，兩者在細節(jié)和效果上有天壤之別。畢竟，特朗普的選擇讓人想起了過去：杰基·肯尼迪(Jackie Kennedy)和“佳美洛王朝”(Camelot)。而馬克龍夫人的造型展現(xiàn)的是未來，以及她如何重新定義自己的角色。

She has been doing it in myriad ways since her husband declared his candidacy for president, but while attention has largely focused on their unconventional love story (she is 64, 24 years older than him), her unconventional wardrobe — at least for a political spouse of a certain age — has played a less observed part.

自從丈夫宣布參與總統(tǒng)競選以來，她一直以各種方式展現(xiàn)這一點。雖然人們的注意力主要集中在他們非傳統(tǒng)的愛情故事(她64歲了，比他大24歲)上，但她的非傳統(tǒng)著裝——至少是對特定年齡的政治人士配偶來說——也起到了一定的作用，盡管受到的關(guān)注較少。

Skinny jeans, leather leggings, jackets (tailored and motorcycle-inspired), short skirts, New Balance sneakers and Louis Vuitton handbags, even the occasional hoodie, have formed the basic building blocks of her style: one that reaches across generations, and just says “no” to the classic knee-length skirt suits of the bourgeoisie — and to any historical diktats about what women older than 60 are supposed to wear. It may be the least of the breaks from tradition in which she and her husband are engaged, but in some ways it is the most accessible, which makes it powerful.

緊身牛仔褲，緊身皮褲，(機車風(fēng)格、定制的)夾克，短裙，新百倫(New Balance)運動鞋和路易威登手袋，甚至偶爾還有連帽衫——這些是她的風(fēng)格的基本構(gòu)成：涵蓋各個年齡層的服裝，但就是拒絕中產(chǎn)階級的經(jīng)典及膝裙套裝，以及任何關(guān)于60歲以上女性應(yīng)該穿什么的傳統(tǒng)規(guī)矩。這可能是她和丈夫打破的傳統(tǒng)中最微不足道的一項，但在某種程度上，它是最可接近的，所以才最有力量。

Especially because she is being cheered as an icon of “French style” as a result. Though equally interesting is the icon of French style she has enlisted in her cause.

尤其是考慮到，她正被推崇為“法國風(fēng)尚”的標志性人物。不過，被她拉入自己事業(yè)中的那個法國時尚品牌也同樣有趣。

Vuitton is a brand with which Ms. Macron has been allied since Bastille Day of 2015 (coincidence? I doubt it), when she first wore one of its navy dresses at a public event. It is a tentpole name in French luxury — founded in 1854; owned by the richest man in France, Bernard Arnault; part of the country’s most successful export sector — yet one that has rarely been adopted by the political elite. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, wife of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, tended to wear Christian Dior in her official appearances; Valérie Trierweiler, partner of François Hollande at the start of his presidency, was famous for her Saint Laurent Tribute stilettos. Bernadette Chirac, the wife of former President Jacques Chirac, was partial to Chanel.

馬克龍夫人是從2015年國慶節(jié)起與路易威登聯(lián)手的(我懷疑這不是巧合)，當(dāng)時她在一場公開活動中首次身穿該品牌的一件深藍連衣裙。路易威登是法國奢侈品行業(yè)的一個支柱品牌，創(chuàng)立于1854年，為法國首富貝爾納·阿爾諾(Bernard Arnault)所有。它是該國最為成功的出口企業(yè)之一，卻很少被政治精英選用。前總統(tǒng)尼古拉·薩科奇(Nicolas Sarkozy)的妻子卡拉·布呂尼-薩科齊(Carla Bruni-Sarkozy)傾向于在正式場合穿迪奧(Christian Dior)的服裝;弗朗索瓦·奧朗德(François Hollande)任總統(tǒng)初期的伴侶瓦萊麗·特里耶韋萊(Valérie Trierweiler)以她的圣羅蘭(Saint Laurent)Tribute細高跟鞋聞名。前總統(tǒng)雅克·希拉克(Jacques Chirac)的妻子貝爾納黛特·希拉克(Bernadette Chirac)偏愛香奈兒(Chanel)。

Ms. Macron, by contrast, has attended Vuitton shows and worn the brand on multiple occasions, most recently on election night. And she has managed to defray the possible political cost of being so close to an elitist name, unaffordable to many, by — as the brand has made clear — arranging to borrow most of what she wears, including her Inauguration Day look, and then returning it (she does buy some of it). She casts herself as an ambassador of French creativity, as opposed to simply an acquirer of it.

相形之下，馬克龍觀看過路易威登的時裝秀，在多個場合穿過該品牌的服裝，最近一次是在選舉夜。她設(shè)法承擔(dān)了與一個精英品牌保持親密關(guān)系可能產(chǎn)生的政治代價。該品牌是很多人買不起的。正如該品牌已說明的，她的大部分服裝是借來的，包括她在就職典禮上穿的那套服裝，然后再還回去(她的確也買了一些)。她把自己塑造為法國創(chuàng)造力的大使，而不只是購買者。

By doubling down on that relationship and seeming to formally inaugurate Vuitton as her go-to brand, Ms. Macron made a tactical choice to elevate a different name in the game of image-ineering. One that, as the brand’s last collection made clear, happens to share her husband’s belief in the value of cross-border relationships and cross-fertilization. Simply consider the artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière’s statement after the fall 2017 show — that he wanted to use fashion to demonstrate the value of breaking “every boundary possible.”

通過強化這種關(guān)系，而且似乎正式將路易威登確定為自己的常用品牌，馬克龍夫人做出了一個戰(zhàn)略選擇，在形象塑造方面樹立一個不同的名聲。正如該品牌的最新系列明確展現(xiàn)的那樣，這一戰(zhàn)略正好呼應(yīng)了她丈夫?qū)鐕珀P(guān)系和文化交流的價值的信念。只要想想路易威登的藝術(shù)總監(jiān)尼古拉斯·蓋斯奇埃爾(Nicolas Ghesquière)在2017年秋季服裝秀之后的聲明就知道了——他想用時尚來展現(xiàn)打破“所有潛在的界線”的價值。

Coincidence? Again, I doubt it.

又是巧合?我再次表示懷疑。

Just as I doubt that the epaulets on Ms. Macron’s inauguration jacket, and its shiny double-breasted rows of buttons, were a coincidence on an occasion that Mr. Macron filled with military symbolism. Her outfit gave visual support to his message, which included driving up the Champs-Élysées in a military vehicle.

正如我懷疑，在馬克龍充滿軍事象征意義的就職典禮上，馬克龍夫人正好身穿帶有肩章和閃亮雙排扣的外套也不是巧合。她的著裝從視覺上支持了他要傳遞的信息，包括乘軍車駛過香榭??麗舍大街。

En garde.

預(yù)備!