Editions

The origin of this book: an incredible silence

Alessandra Violet Vianello and Emmanuelle Mordacq, founders of Mo&Vi Collective, work for heritage brands and flagship companies that, in the eyes of many, embody the French art de vivre in luxury, fashion, beauty, tableware and furnishings, gastronomy, hospitality, and more.

Everyone has their own definition and talks about it from their own perspective. But how can this art of living truly be defined? Surprisingly, no book has attempted to do so to date.

Everyone talks about it, everyone claims to embody it. Decor and table manners systematically refer to it, but nothing more profound has been written about it, no one has attempted to define it, and no one seems to be trying to incorporate it into our contemporary world. The concept as a whole has never been fully defined in sociology.

This book therefore attempts to define it for the first time, to stabilise the concept and enable everyone to better understand and embrace the French art de vivre.

The book is structured around 10 key concepts, in 10 easy-to-read texts, enriched with examples and illustrative quotations. These have been deliberately chosen from popular culture to facilitate understanding of the concepts. The texts can be read in sequence, separately or selected according to preference.

To carry out this analysis, and to complement their experience, Alessandra Violet Vianello and Emmanuelle Mordacq conducted 11 interviews with key figures and professionals in the French art of living:

• Mr Guy Savoy – Head chef at the world’s best restaurant
• Mr Nicolas Adnet – Interior designer, founder of the MHNA agency
• Ms Yuka Gansser – Moët & Chandon ambassador, hostess at Maison de Saran
• Mr Ariel Wizman – Journalist, actor, radio presenter, DJ and entrepreneur
• Ms Marie-Christine Vabre – International Director of Fine Jewellery Sales
• Mr Jacques-Olivier Chauvin – President of FAUCHON Hospitality
• Ms. Stéphanie Rismont Wargnier – Director of Communications, SNCF Group
• Ms. Corinne Bélier – Director of the Cité du Patrimoine et de l’Architecture museum (Paris), Custodian of Historic Monuments
• Ms. Cécile Helleu – Writer and Artistic Director
• Ms. Maud Bailly – General manager, Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems (Accor)
• Mr Thierry Reboul – Executive Director of Ceremonies for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

To pre-order he book before its release, please write to us directly at emmanuelle.movi.collective@gmail.com or via the contact page.