To understand what is French art de vivre in the opening ceremony for the Paris Olympic Games we talked directly to its organiser. Inspiring to hear his vision on the French art of living!!
As the Creative Director behind the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies, Thierry Reboul stands among the great inventors of contemporary experiences, moments where our art de vivre revealed itself anew, at the crossroads of creativity and audacity.
In our book “Defining the French art de vivre. 10 structuring notions.” (✨English version available ✨✨) he shares his vision of what it means to give meaning to the moment, and his ambition for us all, in the book’s foreword.
What struck us during our exchange:
✨ His pioneering role in event creation and communication, where each project becomes a true work of contrasts.
✨ His way of combining excellence and impertinence — two inseparable traits of French culture.
✨ His conviction that the art de vivre is never fixed: it feeds on the energy of the present and the desires of what’s to come, in harmony with the world.
✨ His mission to highlight the French art de vivre and the values of the Republic — to help us live better together, to unite, to strengthen the social bond.
Thierry Reboul reminds us that the French art de vivre is a constant invention, a dialogue between heritage and creativity.
📖 Discover his words, his foreword, and the insights of 10 other inspiring personalities in “Defining the French art de vivre. 10 structuring notions,” now available on this website, in the Editions section.
The long-awaited moment arrived: we officially launched our book, “Defining the French Art de vivre : 10 structuring notions.”
On October 13th evening, surrounded by those who embody this culture of connection and meaning, we celebrated this first publishing in style: with words, conversations, smiles, a certain flair… and champagne.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this adventure, especially Thierry Reboul (author of the preface) and Maud Bailly, as well as Nicolas Adnet and Corinne Bélier, who were with us that evening, for their unique and inspiring insights.
Thank you also to our readers and friends, many of whom have already shared their impressions and favorites. The book is now available online on our website, www.movi-collective.com, under the Editions section.
We can’t wait for you to discover it too. Happy reading!
Listening to the voices that truly matter… is always the best way to speak about the French Art of Living.
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Sofitel for quite some time, the most French of all international hotel brands. Maud Bailly, its CEO, perfectly embodies that French spirit which continues to fascinate the world.
For our book “Definint the French art de vivre”, she shared with us her unique vision of this very special art de vivre.
What struck us in our conversation:
✨ Her vision of art de vivre as the ability to “decode aesthetics in every domain”
✨ Her interpretation of French impertinence: creativity and freedom rather than arrogance
✨ Her singular path from the ENA to Sofitel all in the service of excellence
With her background in prestigious state institutions and now at the head of the most French luxury hospitality brand of the Accor Group, Maud Bailly reminds us that the French art de vivre is not about clichés, but a genuine philosophy of everyday life, one rooted in authenticity and refined simplicity.
📖 Discover her testimony and those of 10 other inspiring figures in “The French Art of Living”, the first book to define this emblematic notion.
The French Art of Living: Complaining, alwys with Panache
In “The French art de vivre: 10 structuring notions”, we show that complaining isn’t just a bad French habit. It’s almost a useful art.
✨ Complaining isn’t about whining. It’s about never being satisfied with the status quo. It’s a quest: for more meaning, more beauty, more pleasure, more…
✨ Complaining “the French way” shouldn’t be gratuitous: it’s synonymous with a high standard that stimulates creativity and inventiveness.
✨ Complaining is also about defending one’s ideas, our ideas, with panache. By combining critical thinking, argumentation, humor, and elegance.
✨ Complaining then becomes a collective driving force: a way to debate, to confront, to invent other possibilities, to open up new paths.
As Stéphanie Rismont Wargnier, communications director for the SNCF group, said in our book: “The French are complainers and debaters. And perhaps this constant desire for something different has spurred creativity, spurred inventiveness…”
In short, complaining the French way is about cultivating a critical mind without sacrificing elegance. And you, when was the last time you complained… with panache?
Ariel Wizman embodies that touch of wit, lightness, and irony that is also an integral part of the French art de vivre.
In our book “The French art de vivre” he shared with us his vision, both brilliant and irreverent, of what it means to inhabit the world “à la française”.
What struck us most in our exchange:
✨ His multifaceted journey: from philosophy to journalism, from music to fashion, a restless mind with a wandering eye.
✨ His conviction that the art of living is expressed through conversation, that subtle play of words, ideas and humour that defines French charm: “In France, thought is like that, it wanders, it is discursive, it is founded on encounter, on brilliance.”
✨ His vision of freedom as the essential condition of style and elegance of mind.
Ariel Wizman reminds us that the art of living is not confined to formal rituals, but flourishes in this ability to converse, to play, and to constantly reinvent the codes.
📖 Discover his testimony and those of 10 other leading figures in “The French art de vivre”, the first book to define this emblematic notion. Buy it in the Editions section of this Blog.
The French Art de vivre: the Value of Imperfection
In our book “Defining the French Art de vivre: 10 structuring notions” we show that this art of living is not about a pursuit of formal perfection. Quite the opposite.
✨ Imperfection has value: it shifts our gaze, unsettles us slightly, and in this imbalance reveals what escapes regularity.
✨ It gives objects and moments their irreducible singularity.
✨ It embodies a French elegance: a “coiffé-décoiffé” look, a plate set a little askew, a glance or a burst of laughter breaking the seriousness of silence.
✨ It reminds us that beauty, to remain alive, must stay fragile, shifting, elusive.
Far from smooth standardisation, the desire for imperfection feeds our taste for detail, our ability to surprise, and our instinct to create. Perhaps this is one of the most subtle keys to this very French art of living.
📖 Discover our book, the first to define this emblematic notion, in the Editions section of this blog.
Guy Savoy perfectly embodies that French savoir-faire which continues to fascinate the world. In our book « Defining the French art de vivre », we had the privilege of hearing his unique perspective on this distinctive art of living.
What struck us most during our conversation:
✨ His rebellious path: defying his family in order to pursue his culinary vocation
✨ His vision of gastronomy as art: the first chef to be admitted to the Académie des Beaux-Arts
✨ His philosophy of “fantasy at just the right moment”, which defines French excellence
Guy Savoy reminds us that our art of living goes far beyond clichés: it is a true philosophy of everyday life, shaped by authenticity and a constant pursuit of excellence.
📖 Discover his testimony and those of 10 other leading figures in our book, the first that truly define this emblematic notion. You can find it in the Editions section of this blog
WHAT IF THE FRENCH ART DE VIVRE WAS ABOUT KNOWING HOW TO ‘WASTE TIME’?
In our new book, ‘Defining the French Art de vivre: 10 structuring notions’, we show that the apparent futility of wasted moments is actually one of the secrets of the French art de vivre.
Having a coffee on a terrace and putting the world to rights, letting your mind wander as you stroll around, turning a wait or an unexpected encounter into an enriching debate and exchange…
These moments are not wasted time. They feed critical thinking, cultivate moments of pleasure and open you up to the unexpected. Jacques-Olivier CHAUVIN, CEO of FAUCHON HOSPITALITY, interviewed in the book, puts it aptly: ‘The art of idleness is also about letting your mind wander, because it is by wandering that it will create something.’ What if, deep down, wasting time was the most fruitful way to gain it and enrich ourselves?
You may be practising this fundamental trait of the French art de vivre without even knowing it…
📖 Discover ‘Defining the French Art de vivre’, the first book to define this emblematic concept.
Released on 13 October – Reserve your copy now on the blog, EDITIONS section.
Our upcoming book ‘Defining the French art de vivre: 10 structuring notions’ explores this unique way of life, recognised around the world but never truly defined.
It is talked about everywhere, in interior design, at the dinner table, in everyday life… but no book had yet analysed it in depth or linked it to our era.
That’s what we wanted to do: offer a clear framework for understanding it, in 10 essential notions, illustrated with examples and quotes, and enriched with 11 interviews with major actors in the French art de vivre.
A book to understand, decode and, above all, embrace this subtle art that combines elegance, simplicity and freedom.
The book will be released on 13 October in French and English, and is already available for pre-order on the blog, on the EDITION section.
How to experience the French art of living? Let’s start by doing nothing, just as suggested by Benoît Heilbrunn, professor at ESCP, whose insights are always illuminating.
With the support of Hélène L’Heuillet’s book “The Emptiness Within Us” (Albin Michel), he emphasizes the importance of emptiness as a necessary counterbalance to the overflow in our lives, but not a neutral emptiness. Rather, one that becomes a source of creativity and a preparation for future pleasure.
This resonates with our view of pleasure in the French art of living. While immediate pleasure certainly has its place, it must be balanced with the pleasures to come, and the invention, anticipation, and preparation of those pleasures become a pleasure in themselves. Embracing idleness, mental stillness, and openness to the world around us is a vital condition for this.
It’s always worth hearing, and hearing again. So we invite you: listen to Benoît, go out for a leisurely wander, and come back with fresh ideas.