Victoire de Castellane - My London

Miss Dior: the Dior Fine Jewellery designer has been a gem fanatic since watching her grandmother Sylvia Hennessy, of the Cognac house, change her baubles several times a day...

Home is...
In the 16th arrondissement of Paris with my husband and our four children: 13-year-old twins Stanislas and Boniface, Jules Victor, 11, and my daughter, Zoé, six. I've lived there since I was born.
Where do you stay in London?
At the Connaught and Claridge's. I adore charming old-fashioned places.
Who makes you laugh?
My husband, Thomas Lenthal.
What makes you cry?
Traditional Russian music.
Have you been away?
I've been to Morocco to stay with friends in the palm grove of Marrakech, and to Mosquito Island. Also to St Barths, at the Isle-de-France Hotel.
What would you tell a tourist?
Visit the V&A because it has the most amazing archive library. I can sit there among the musty books and research all kinds of images. There is also the most spectacular jewellery gallery I've ever seen. I recommend lunch at Wiltons fish restaurant on Jermyn Street, SW1.
Where do you shop?
Harvey Nichols. I also love Matches in W2, Browns, W1, and Marks & Spencer.
What's your favourite restaurant?
I like organic restaurants, such as Daylesford Organic, SW1. I also like Ottolenghi, SW1, for its mouthwatering squash and feta salad.
What is your earliest London memory?
Going to Kensington Market - which doesn't exist any more - to buy latex dresses in the punk shops.
Who's your hero? Sigmund Freud.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I once bought 20 kilts and tartans of different colours at Campbell & Co in Beauly, near Inverness.
What do you enjoy doing in London?
Watching reruns of Little Britain on television.
What's your worst fear?
The night.
If you were Mayor...
I would manage to make the rain fall less often.
What's your philosophy?
To learn to say 'No'. To always keep a part of myself a secret to protect myself from toxic things and people.
What are your favourite books
Unfortunately, at the moment I have no time to read. I wait for the summer holidays. I particularly like women's biographies. Maybe I'll go for the life of Françoise Sagan or the autobiography of Simone Veil.
What are you listening to?
A compilation of Eighties light music made for me by my friend Emmanuelle Alt, from Vogue Paris. It has songs like 'Xanadu' by Olivia Newton-John, some by George Michael and even the Bee Gees.
What's the best view of London? The one Peter Pan has when he flies over the city. He flies high over the river and there is a view of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
Which is your favourite shopping street? Mount Street, W1, for its lovely boutiques. I also love to buy vintage jewellery on Portobello Road.
Which British designer do you admire?
John Galliano, because he has the most unique vision of any individual I have met in our business.
Which animal would you most like to be?
A bird.
What's your favourite piece of clothing?
All my dresses by Azzedine Alaïa.
What's London's most romantic spot?
All the parks: Kew Gardens, Hyde Park and especially the Rose Garden in Regent's Park.
What would you save from a fire?
My children and my jewels.
What's your favourite late-night hangout?
Bungalow 8, WC2. I have space to relax and spend time with friends. And the music is really hip.
What are your secret London addresses?
I like the Natural History Museum. I buy soap and candles from Floris in John Lewis. I like Fortnum & Mason. It has a candy stand where the sweets are so beautifully presented in long jars. They are seductive and quirky and I just cannot resist. They also have a huge selection of chutney, gentleman's spreads and relishes that I love to buy to take home with me.
What's on your tombstone?
The End.

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