Beau Monde

In this exclusive interview, Countess Isabelle d’Ornano, founder of luxury label Sisley, shares with Anton San Diego a glimpse of the beautiful world she lives in

-  Maritess Garcia Reyes

While she was on a trip to an undisclosed location, Tatler caught up with Countess Isabelle d’Ornano who, together with her late husband, founded the US$750m skincare brand Sisley. The elegant and stylish maven talks about her signature style and her take on beauty, art and design. She also gives a glimpse of her personal life and the interiors and living spaces she has created, as seen in her book, What a Beautiful World! Throughout the colourful tome, readers are in for a delightful immersion in the “d’Ornano universe”.

Anton San Diego: How do you define your aesthetics or style?

Isabelle d’Ornano: I like beautiful places. There are also two (more) things I like: beauty and cosiness. Defining (aesthetics) depends on where you are decorating a house. Is it in the city or the country? I wouldn’t arrange a place in Paris like I would a home in Australia or by the seaside.

ASD: Would you be able to define beauty? What is beautiful to you?

IO: It’s a difficult question because it’s so subjective. One person could find someone (simply) beautiful, and another could see that same someone ultimately (essentially), differently beautiful. It’s the same thing for art, too. Sometimes, you had an idea (or standard) of beauty. Now with contemporary art, it entirely depends on the person. Art now is more on the concept, so some people might understand the idea while others might not.

ASD: How do you choose objects to put in your space? What qualifies them to be in your room?