The strong images have been constantly renewed since the beginning of last century : a mythical coastline, blending the sky and the sea into a postcard-like azure, a lifestyle that can be a bit flashy, but whose phantasmagoria continues to delight. Summer is finally here, and with it the promise of long days under the caress of the sun and the glitter of the Mediterranean. On our way to the Côte d’Azur, or Riviera, which sounds so glamorous, let’s dive back into the spirit of this corner of paradise, which is an endless source of style ideas that haven’t aged a day in decades.

The myth in a gingham silhouette forever

If we had to keep only one image of this Riviera style, it would undoubtedly be this one, Brigitte Bardot in 1959, in her gingham dress, on her wedding day. Three years earlier she had definitively established the French Riviera in general and Saint-Tropez in particular in the collective imagination through a film full of sunshine and sensuality, “And God created Woman”. But this gingham dress conveys an idea of simplicity that is still so incredibly relevant ! The freshness of the cotton fabric, the fullness of the skirt, a print, gingham, that instantly goes beyond its role in the kitchen or on a picnic napkin to become a universal icon. Timeless, gingham is still to this day the quintessence of summer and carefreeness, which Escadrille magnifies this summer through a capsule collection of gingham canvas espadrilles, in partnership with the beautiful ethical fashion brand Celma.

From a “wintering” to a “summering” spirit

Long before the cohort of tourists coming to the Côte d’Azur in search of an art of living that from long days spent on the beach to endless parties remains a promise of summer happiness, the Riviera was, at the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th century, a destination where wealthy people came to escape cold winters. The chic spirit of the Riviera was born from there, from these women, rich Anglo-Saxons generally, often whimsical, whose spirit is found in the photographs of Jacques Henri Lartigue, sublime black and white to start with, and then in colours.

And it was another woman, Zelda Fitzgerald, coming with her husband Scott and her daughter to live a bohemian life on the Côte d’Azur between the wars, who, with her equally facetious friends, brought the Riviera its eternal summer myth. An ultra elegant life, from villas to luxury hotels, that F.Scott Fitzgerald then sublimated (also with its dark sides) in his book “Tender is the night”, which encapsulated the myth of the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, a hotel that is still fantasized about 90 years later!

The princess who reigned unchallenged over Riviera elegance

Everything has been written about Grace Kelly, but to see “To catch a thief” again is to plunge back in the image of the eternal and timeless chic of the 50s, and the unprecedented elegance of this Riviera style. Whether it’s on the beach, with turban, big sunglasses and a delicate wrap-around, or in restaurants of palaces in evening wear and rivers of diamonds. And always, the image of a convertible car speeding along the steep roads, gloved hands and a light scarf carried by the wind. A life of sun and light, an ideal and spectacular Riviera. Which goes perfectly with the elegance of our espadrilles SOCOA ruban, delicately laced and following the movement of Grace Kelly’s wide, light skirts style.

By the pool, eternal summer

Since Romy Schneider and Alain Delon, our fantasized Riviera has taken on the allure of swimming pools, long lunches in the sun, improvised parties, and a life free of schedules. For a shopping adventure, like Romy, we put on a pair of light trousers (or shorts) and our favourite espadrilles, we grab our big wicker basket and head for the markets in small villages. Rarely has an image from a movie, of Romy lounging in the pool, given us such desire for an endless summer! To pursue the myth, we marvel at the photographs from Slim Aarons, who best captured this nonchalance of hours that stretch out, of turquoise or marine blues, of transparencies, of the glittering water, of sparkling lights, of a casual chic worked to perfection. The Riviera spirit endures, and it will always inspire us !