French Living, Wherever You Are
If you’ve ever wondered Why France Slows Down in August and so many shops, businesses and even entire villages seem quieter, the answer lies in one of France’s oldest and most cherished traditions: les grandes vacances. When I first moved to France over thirty years ago, one of the biggest surprises wasn’t the food, the …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and The Velvet Edit August 2026: The Art of Slowing Down If July is about settling into summer, August is about surrendering to it. Across much of France, life slows to a different rhythm. Schools remain closed, factories shut down for the entire month, local businesses hang handwritten notices …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this feature about How to Pack for a Spontaneous Trip: The Art of Last-Minute Travel. Updated July 2026: This guide has been completely refreshed with new packing advice, practical tips and a more intentional approach to travelling light. Some of the best journeys begin with very little planning. A …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this feature where we are delving into the A to Z of French Food: Letter I – Island Indulgences & Iconic French Favourites. The letter I brings with it the idea of an island somewhere in the sun, the air warm with vanilla and caramel, and that’s because …
There are hotel addresses that announce themselves loudly, and those that reveal themselves quietly, like a secret worth keeping. Hôtel de Silhouette Biarritz, tucked into one of the town’s oldest streets just steps from Les Halles, belongs firmly to the second kind. Tucked quietly within the historic heart of Biarritz, just moments from Les Halles …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and our guide to A Long Weekend in Biarritz: Where the Atlantic Meets the Basque Country. There are cities that seduce you with grandeur, and cities that seduce you with something harder to name — a particular quality of light, a feeling that life is being lived here with genuine pleasure and …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and The Velvet Edit July 2026: The Art of Coastal Living. If June feels like the beginning of summer, July feels like settling into it. Days feel longer, meals become simpler, suitcases stay half packed, sand lingers in the car, morning coffee drifts outdoors and evenings arrive slowly. July …
Discreetly tucked away down a quiet street just steps from the historic Piazza della Repubblica, in the heart of Renaissance Florence, lies one of the most romantic hotels in Italy, La Gemma Hotel Florence. Florence is a city where beauty is so densely layered, so insistently present at every turn, that the act of simply …
UPDATE : Since publishing this edit, Rouje have collaborated with French swimwear brand Etam on a capsule collection inspired by the French Riviera of the 1960s — retro, feminine, and very much in the spirit of this edit. Not reduced, but worth a look. Welcome to My Rouje Archive Edit with French Style Picks Up …
Welcome back to The Velvet Runway and this Style feature about French Riviera Style: Effortless Summer Dressing Inspired by the Côte d’Azur. Having spent many summers exploring the French Riviera, from the colourful streets of Nice to the glamour of Saint-Tropez and the elegance of Cap d’Antibes, I’ve always been fascinated by the effortless way …