Paris Can Wait

French style icon Inès de la Fressange decompresses in her relaxed, rustic yet refined Provençal retreat.

- Eleonore Marchand

On a record-high day of 44 degrees Celcius in late June, as we drive away from the medieval town of Tarascon in Provence, in the South of France, we follow along, winding path framed by olive trees that seem to lead nowhere. Without a house in sight, we continue our drive uphill onto an unpaved road, windows down, with only the sound of cicadas and the blazing heat piercing the car.

We finally arrive on the scenic estate of a 62-year-old French style icon, designer, author and model Inès de la Fressange. The property sprawls over 15 hectares of lavender bushes and more olive trees with gnarled and twisted trunks surrounding the off-white facade of her house, which is trimmed with doors and shutters painted a soothing blue. De la Fressange, wearing an oversized white linen shirt and navy blue drawstring linen pants, immediately greets us with an infectious smile and an enchantingly laidback demeanor. Amid the grandeur of the property, she instantly makes us feel welcome. “Let me show you around the house,” she says, “and don’t worry, you can do whatever you want, you can move things around. I’m not a maniac,” she jokes, with a deep, contagious laugh. “This is exactly the type of house that is not meant to be photographed for Harper’s BAZAAR. It’s more of a little bazaar — everything comes from the flea market. I wanted a house that feels like it’s existed forever and feels like a holiday home; a house for family, friends, and dogs. For people to come in and out freely and happily, where everything is simple and nothing is precious. Politicians and celebrities have stayed at the house, but they had to adapt their style. And usually, they appreciate it.”