This week we asked Bénédicte Burguet Journé our questions. An entrepreneurial soul, trained lawyer, journalist at Le Figaro then Vanity Fair, author… Bénédicte is eager to learn, see, touch and understand the world around her. Her universe charms, captivates and intrigues us… But how does she do it?
Hello BB, where are you right now to answer our questions?
I'm at home, it's the weekend. The house is quiet and I'm taking this time for myself.
You're a journalist, author, stylist, wife, mother… What is it like today to be a multi-talented woman who knows what she wants and where she wants to go?
I believe our era gives us the incredible chance to be whoever we want to be. We can delegate, get help, communicate… everything my grandmother didn't have. The real difficulty is choosing! More concretely, to achieve your goals and desires, you simply need to be very organized.
"I believe our era gives us the incredible chance to be whoever we want to be."
You created Mommylicous a few months after becoming a mother. Why this word, this desire? What changed in you when you became a mother?
I listened to a lot of Bootylicious by Destiny's Child as a teenager. The first real feminist song, an ode to the body. When you become a mother, society makes us enter another state, that of a “woman with child(ren)”. Our vision of ourselves changes too. So as not to lose this connection with the sex appeal we all have, I wanted to tell all my mom friends “you are mommylicious!”. That's how the t-shirts were born, because it is very important to note these keywords to become aware of them.
Besides baby Blanche, what is your greatest pride, your latest leap of faith?
Launching t-shirts! just like that one morning. Just because a friend told me “you should make t-shirts!”
At April Please we love taking risks! Our story started like that...That's why our jewelry is a little rebellious. On the right, upside down, mismatched, layered, twisted... What is your personal touch, your fashion signature?
Black and no makeup. I grew up in Paris and I often saw my mother wear black. My vision of the chic adult woman therefore goes through black. As for no makeup, I prefer to see myself as I am, without artifice. When I see myself wearing makeup, I feel like I'm in disguise.
Favorite brands you love to shop?
I love buying jewelry! Vintage or contemporary. I often go to the Vase de Delft in Paris, to admire antique jewelry. I have a passion for jewellers with stories like Buccellati, Chaumet, Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget...
And cashmere sweaters: I discovered the brand Tricot Paris which makes sweaters from recycled cashmere. I buy quite a lot there.
And THE piece in your wardrobe that you cannot live without?
A large Max Mara cashmere coat.
"My vision of the chic adult woman goes through black."
If you had to give 3 tips to our readers to feel good in their body and in their head…
My mother always told me to give myself the means of my ambitions and to capitalize on my assets. So I get moving, I eat well and I take care of my skin and my hair. This allows me to feel good in my body.
Regarding my head: I am lucky to be strong and well surrounded. That is really the key in my opinion.
Can you share something about you that few people know?
Hard to answer! I don't like my smile so... I'm undergoing orthodontic treatment. Under the mask, no one knows!
We also know that you love astrology, that you read cards… You are truly multifaceted: Cartesian and a little mystical. Are the 2 complementary for you? Where does this attraction come from?
I want to answer like a teenager “it came out of nowhere”. This thing literally fell on me. I cried because it scared me so much. But now I'm learning to live with it. Some mediums told me that my “intuition” (let's put it that way) would sharpen with time. And I'm not sure I want it...
You are a great lover of jewelry and precious stones, your stories during press presentations dazzle us every time! What does jewelry represent for you?
Transmission. And immortality. For example, I designed my engagement ring using 3 diamonds that belonged to my husband's great-grandmother (maybe even these stones go back even further). Century-old diamonds but like new, immortal therefore, and transmissible: I hope my daughter will wear them too.
And if you had to mention your 3 April Please favorites?
The François, Félix and Marceau earrings.
What clothing or style would you pair them with?
Jeans and a cashmere sweater. Their color would vary depending on the seasons.
To finish, for you April Please is…
An example of entrepreneurship and tenacity. Also an easy, contemporary piece of jewelry with just enough rock.
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