Piccolo Portrait 002 – Paul et Lanouvelle

His name is Paul de Lanouvelle, of course. But his life is very much ’Paul et Lanouvelle’ as far as we are concerned. Lanouvelle being his life project and the contemporary Champagne brand that bears his family name. Lanouvelle (roughly translated ”the new”) does not only captivate the somewhat anti-traditional approach of the brand, it also describes the life of a 33 year old Parisian who kindly opened the doors to ’le beau Paris’ for us.

Spending time with Paul in Paris is like taking a joyride into arts, fashion, people and cultural history. It is fast-paced, eye catching and French, in the best possible way.

LE PATRIMOINE

A direct descendant of Nicolas Ruinart and grand-nephew of Veuve Clicquot, Paul de Lanouvelle comes from a long Champagne tradition. Perhaps this is why he decided to create his own brand, Champagne Lanouvelle. But let us come back to that, because as far as we know him, his free spirit and mind could just as likely be on any other entrepreneurial track – as long as he gets to travel, meet new people and there in between come back to his beloved Paris.

Born and raised there, he has a special connection to the city, which has always been closely linked to not only Champagne but many things of Pauls liking. And as he points out to us:

“Indeed, Champagne is produced in the Champagne region, but it became noble in Paris, enjoyed by royals and other notables during the Empire, the Belle Époque, the Liberation, and now in grand restaurants and at fashion or art events.”

The latter being our friends natural habitat it seems, the more time we spend with him in Paris. It might seem and indeed is, a gigantic city. Yet as Paul walks us around town (as proudly as only the French can be), it is a joyride in casual salutes with creative people, handshakes with restaurant owners and the occasional historic lesson as we pass by monuments of French greatness. Like that, Paris feels small, comfortable – and you forget that Paul’s reference on “a short walk” is 45 minutes by foot.

LA NOUVELLE GÉNÉRATION

Paul is the link between Champagne and Parisian life. He started his own Champagne brand at 25. With the drive to develop an inspiring and aspirational brand offering exceptional Champagnes, his approach is both lifestyle and aesthetic.
Now, only a few years later, his brand is somewhat of an anomaly amongst the prestigious, luxury Champagne houses, deeply rooted in heritage and classic style luxury. Pauls approach is contemporary and modern, yet with respect and knowledge for the ‘old ways’.

The modern approach of his brand is best seen in the way the brand is placed and marketed. A new generation in the Fashion and Arts scene is an important clientele as he sets the French capital’s modern heartbeat to the rhythm of popping corks. His goal?

“I want to refresh Champagne’s image for my generation, ensuring it remains the favored drink in everyone’s heart.”

A forward thinking, contemporary approach to a very, very old craftsmanship. This view and the resemblance with tailoring resonates very well with us and becomes obvious when we get into the subject of clothing and style with Paul.

Paul showcases this Parisian life through many events he organizes in iconic or secret spots of the City of Light. His brand is a window into what happens behind the grand Haussmann-style facades, in the more intimate Parisian life.

“Paris is the most visited city in the world, the capital of fashion and culture, home to beautiful palaces and the finest restaurants. But above all, it’s a city with living heritage, far from being a museum city, filled with Parisians who give its streets, parks, and terraces their unique atmosphere and style. It’s rare to have a city of this scale that is so visited yet retains such authenticity.”

STYLE ET COUTURE

With Paul, a lot of our conversations feels very natural, open and direct. Always friendly, and always interested, is a trait we love about him. Proudness? Yes. But there’s no ‘French arrogance’ in this man. His proudness is charming and relatable. Only in his style, a certain nonchalance can be seen – in the most positive, expressive of ways.

“With clothes and style, as with Champagne – I don’t want to end up wearing the same things as previous generations did. But at the same time I have learned from it. I have also drawn inspiration from it and I apply it in a way so that my personal style is influenced by it. Yet my approach will always be contemporary and modern. If I want to wear snakeskin boots to a double breasted suit, why not?”

His approach to clothing is one we’ve experienced first hand as a trusted tailor and style advisors to Paul. Getting to know him, first through the tailoring he commissioned, was love at first sight for BLUGIALLO.

“I love wearing classic suits and tailoring. I just need to have my own approach to it, not what people said four generations back exactly. Especially when it comes to style and a complete look”

When it comes to style, Paul reflects the same as with his Champagne brand or his take on Parisian life. He draws inspiration from the greatest icons of the past and the education he received, adapting these to contemporary living—a clever blend of tradition and innovation.

Having spent a few days in Paris with Paul, we find lots of inspiration, and a philosophical side to him that transcends the pretentious and sometimes very  shallow image of clothing as only being about looks and a vibrant image.

To him, true elegance is to stand out without being out of place, and most importantly, owning one’s look.

“I must wear my clothes and not be worn by them. Clothes are there to enhance a body and personality, not as armor to hide behind or to create a facade. I have no regard for those who adopt extreme looks just to get noticed, or who rigidly follow a fashion or the codes of a community, as found among the ‘bobos’ with Birkenstock & Patagonia or the reactionary sartorialists.” Clothes should not be a means to ‘become oneself”, but rather a result, the reflection of a fulfilled and rich personality. I believe one must also respect their cultural identity and avoid the Americanization of looks while remaining open-minded.”

Dressing well is very important to Paul, not only because of the image we project to society and to ourselves. He describes it as a lifestyle that brings discipline and self-esteem. This includes many other (perhaps more important things) like taking care of one’s body and having the right attitude and mindset towards other people.

And for our future Paris endeavors, our lesson becomes – You have not really seen Paris, until you’ve been introduced to it by a Paul. And except what you think you know, you cannot really experience it without living with Paul for a few days.Which we look forward to doing throughout our friendship.