“L’art de Vivre” — Art of Living
- Our Virtual Studio
- Nov 3, 2021
- 4 min read
Author: Farah S, 7th October 2021
L’art de vivre or the art of living, is a special concept and practice of how the French pursue “joie de vivre” (the joy of living). Many people have mused on how that phrase came to be and why the concept of “art of living” is simply used everywhere across the world. So, what do we mean by the French art of living (art de vivre)? Also, how can this special concept make the French luxury industry unique and competitive? Since I am practising French and intend to study there soon, let me share it with you.
Art de vivre is rooted in French culture and experiences that revolve around taste, style, detail and its arts, cultural and social structure, philosophy and practices.
Art de vivre is an interplay of these elements of French establishment. The French believe that the observation and practice of these elements of the French establishment is a means to living with joie de vivre which will provide a conducive environment for others to also create joie de vivre with their own practice of art de vivre. French art of living is strongly linked in the luxury goods industry, largely through the French fashion houses, e.g. Chanel.
For the French people, a luxury brand is a born in France, nourished by French culture, based on French know-how, and expressing a French style and taste, should reflect a French art of living; that brings together the French luxury houses that promote and celebrate the French culture and identity across the world, which will make French people proud of their identity. The way that these French luxury brands express the l’art de vivre is mainly through three elements: savoir-faire, savoir-vivre, and savoir-être, the French art of living offers a way of life and a way of seeing the world that is by definition elegant, luxurious, refined, and have good taste. Five pillars are part of a unique French art of living that makes the French luxury business model exclusive and competitive across the world.
1) Culinary art/tasting
French gastronomy, or French haute food, is one example of the excellence of French craftsmanship and is highly associated with lavishness. Gastronomy is inseparable from the French way of life. French gastronomy can be named as a social and recorded wonder that has incited an obvious social practice. Like other social practices, gastronomy as a field draws on a mix of social, monetary, and social conditions.
2) Les beaux arts (fine arts)
The French art de vivre can likewise be connected to the expressive arts, which are completely installed in the way of life and way of life of French individuals. The French art de vivre is connected to the consideration given in France to "les beaux expressions" and incorporates the expressive arts grown basically for style or excellence. It is particular from applied art, which serves a more viable capacity, like pottery or most metalwork. Les Beaux arts are decided by their apparent magnificence and stylish characteristics, which requires a refined judgment ordinarily alluded to as having great taste.
At school, education in arts is mandatory for French kids through what is classified as "Le parcours d'éducation artistique et culturelle (PEAC)." The education for fine arts has three pillars, which are artistic education, meetings with artists, and the practice of arts. The goal is to allow everybody to foster intellectual curiosity through personal access to the arts. French people deeply appreciate owning a masterpiece from a painter, listening to a piano concert, or designing a modern interior for their apartment. This is essential for French culture to expand one's viewpoint through encountering different expressions.
3) Haute couture and La Parisienne style
Haute couture has consistently been an indispensable piece of the French style and extravagance area just as perhaps the main pillar that makes the French art of living distinctive. Furthermore, France has a prospering extravagance industry. Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Cartier, and Louboutin are on the whole significant names of renowned extravagance houses that are globally aggressive in their style enterprises. Givenchy, Dior, Chanel, Lanvin, Christian Lacroix, Pierre Cardin, and Saint Laurent are probably the most prestigious French haute couture houses. However, these signs would be nothing without the perspectives and stances of the French chic woman, who is the embodiment of freedom and elegance.
La Parisienne is one more attribute of what makes French style and extravagance special. From the practice of Versailles arose the delight of shopping in an exquisite climate for the most recent patterns. This legacy of tastefulness at the regal court and custom of design in France has been sustained and continuously reshaped to bring forth the Parisian style.
4) The French art of literature
France is the nation of writers, philosophers of the Enlightenment and existentialists who regularly visited Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Café de Flore. Indeed, the French origin of education gives pride of place to critical thinking and reflection. For example, the French rhetoric art was a fundamental piece of young French education toward characterizing a social role within the general public by creating and structuring the intellect and the art of the debate. Rhetoric, consequently, is the art of eloquence and persuasion, a definition that compares, in its broadest sense, to that given in ancient times. Rhetoric, at first imagined as an oral discourse and not as a text, is planned to lead the crowd to look at current realities in the light of a specific perspective. As such, the essential capacity of rhetoric was less to address the world than to carry it to a particular point (e.g., Lamy, 2010).
5) The art of perfume
French women have a characteristic preference for and information on which perfume accommodates their style and character. Choosing a perfume is a personal, intimate, and identity-revealing act. Perfume needs to interface with one's style as well as to trigger a relationship with one's story and recollections. Besides, well-known brands of perfume bring a strong heritage and a rich story behind each bottle (Ardelet et al., 2015). Many of the greatest names in the perfume industry—Chanel, Christian Dior, and Givenchy—are French. France was perhaps not the first country on the planet to concoct scents; however, these days, as far as worldwide fragrance deals, France is the main maker country, with 30% of the world market. LVMH, one of France's lead organizations, is the best extravagant products organization on the planet, and French fragrances and beauty care products are among its most significant brands such as Givenchy, Guerlain, Kenzo, Dior, etc.
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