Clotilde de Kersauson Starts a New Chapter
Clotilde de Kersauson thrives on change. The 33-year-old was born in London, raised in Paris, and did a five-year stint in Sydney with her now husband, Arthur de Kersauson. She studied sculpture at the Chelsea College of Arts in London, then switched to textiles and opened a studio in Sydney. Upon moving back to Paris eight years ago, she segued to knitwear, but after her daughter was born in 2009, she started a food blog. Then it was on to Empanadale, a catering company specializing in empanadas. It’s an unexpected direction for a woman with so much fashion in her blood. Her mother, Gwendoline Bemberg, worked for Vogue and Emanuel Ungaro; her maternal grandmother, Dreda Mele, was the director of Givenchy in the 1950s; and her father, Luigi d’Urso, was married to the model and muse Inès de la Fressange. As a teenager, de Kersauson made the social rounds tricked out in Ungaro. “At the time, I thought it was a drag,” she recalls. “But now, looking back, it was quite a lot of fun.”
Je Ne Sais Quoi
Jemima Jones “Food was just always on my brain.”
Jemima Jones, at her family’s home in London, wears a Lanvin dress; her own jewelry.
Fran Hickman “I know the direction I’m going in: The Italian architect Carlo Mollino had a beautiful apartment in Turin, which I’m quite inspired by. But I’m at the bottom of the priorities list, really.”
Fran Hickman, at the Moda Operandi office she designed, in London, wears a Dior dress and (left hand) rings; (right hand) her own ring.
Scilla Ruffo di Calabria “I am not a very formal person.”
Scilla Ruffo di Calabria, at her family’s home in Milan, wears a Roberto Cavalli jumpsuit; Fendi boots; her own jewelry.
Madina Visconti di Modrone “It was very stimulating to grow up in this world.”
Madina Visconti di Modrone, in the courtyard of her atelier in Milan, wears a Sportmax sweater and skirt; Madina Visconti di Modrone earrings, ring, and bracelet for Yoox.com.
Zita d’Hauteville “I have maybe two or three balls a year. We really like them; you can meet people, and you’re partying in beautiful places.”
Zita d’Hauteville, at her mother’s house in Brussels, wears an Emporio Armani dress; Aquazzura flats; her own jewelry.
Mafalda Muñoz “I learn from the place where I’m working and the people I’m working for.”
Mafalda Muñoz, at her family’s country house in Pedraza, Spain, wears a Dsquared2 trenchcoat; Christian Louboutin flats, her own earring.
Clotilde de Kersauson “At the time, I thought it was a drag. But now, looking back, it was quite a lot of fun.”
Clotilde de Kersauson, at her family’s home in Paris, wears an Alberta Ferretti dress; Elie Top necklace.
Cósima Ramírez “If I’m going to inherit this company, I’m going to make it as profitable and established as possible. I want to bring freshness to the brand.”
Cósima Ramírez, at home in Madrid, wears a Valentino dress; Agatha Ruiz de la Prada shoes.
Hair by Luke Hersheson at Art + Commerce; makeup by Gemma Smith-Edhouse at LGA Management. Photography assistants: Jack Day, Rob Willey. Fashion assistants: Garance Chaplain.
