KEY POINTS:
Viva is dedicated to the worship of food, wine and fashion. It's natural then, that we want to pay our respects to France, the country credited with being the mothership for the better things in life. Here are 10 things we're indebted to the French for.
1. Stylish
role models. French actress Marion Cotillard's sultry turn as doomed songstress Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose will surely inspire another generation to stoke on the eyeliner, wriggle into a little black dress and pout provocatively. Tres chic cinema, as sharp as Cotillard's thinly pencilled eyebrows.
The actor's soaring performance, and effortless style off-screen, gives her instant accreditation to an exclusive style coterie, of which Chanel is a founding member. The club is strictly for Francophile members only.
Charlotte Gainsbourg, the daughter of socialite-cum-actress Jane Birkin (yes, the handbag muse) and French singer Serge Gainsbourg, has been a member for decades. At 15, she'd already shot her first nude scene and quickly established herself as a bona-fide film star in France (The Science of Sleep, 21 Grams). More than 20 years later, this famous French-woman has released an album called 5:55 and is starring in edgy new films.
Cecilia Sarkozy, the beautiful and strong-willed wife of the French President, is a new entrant with political panache.
French magazine Nouvel Observateur gushingly proclaimed France's first lady, "Jackie Kennedy a la Francaise". But Sarkozy is no dutiful statesman's spouse. The 49-year-old former Schiaparelli and Vogue model, concert pianist and PR whiz is causing a stir with her various departures from protocol, not least her choice of Prada over Chanel at her husband's recent investiture.
2. The beautification of everything. Even French authorities have flair. In a move well beyond the imagination of Auckland councillors, Paris authorities have created an artificial beach (palm trees, sand and all) along the banks of the River Seine. For the the rest of this month and next Parisians can escape to the beach, without leaving the city.
3. The business of beauty. You have to hand it to the French - they know how to manufacture cosmetics. Indulgence aside, they take the beauty business seriously and have a magnificent obsession with the superficial. The range of French-made cellulite creams attests to a nation which prefers to spirit away cellulite with vigorous rubbing rather than exercise. Such a wonderful attitude.
4. Foodie excess. The French are famous for extravagant dishes - think truffles, and the duck or goose liver delicacy foie gras. Despite being banned in many American states and European countries, because of the cruelty involved in force-feeding the birds, according to the stubborn French, foie gras is part of the cultural and gastronomic patrimony, and is protected in France.
We've got simpler tastes at Viva - well, if you disregard Ewan McDonald's foodie ecstacies at some of the French establishments around town.
Pyrenees in Mt Albert has some of the finest fare in town, the homemade Toulouse sausages and specially roasted coffee is to die for. North Shore's La Tropezienne is a genuine French bakery with delectable chocolate cream eclairs, and Parnell's La Cigale farmers' market is worth a visit on a Saturday.
Most of all, we're fond of petit pain au chocolat, those lovely choux pastry stacks called religieuese, champagne, brioche, palmiers ... okay, it's the pastry we like.
5. Accessories. The French have a knack for accessorising, transforming an outfit with a well-placed brooch or bewitching bracelet.
Genevieve Acquier from Akie in Ponsonby has a clever rule for those aspiring to the French look. "Less is more - you don't want to look like a Christmas tree."
6. French Country chic. A taste of Provence is an enduring look in homes and it's so much friendlier than wall-to-wall stainless steel.
Designer Jane Daniels frequently travels to France and has created a little bit of French farmhouse in her Chelsea Bay kitchen - although it took Kiwi nous to install kauri plank floorboards recycled from a turn-of-century coolstore in Oamaru.
7. Celebrity water. Evian mineral water, as Michael Mascha writes in his book Fine Waters, is a megabrand favoured by celebrity types. The Marquis de Lessert discovered the Alpine source of Evian water in 1789 and the A-list have been drinking it since.
8. Sock it to me. Jipepe socks make feet fashionable. Fancy footwear with outlandish colour combinations and wild patterns. Guaranteed to liven up a grey suit day.
9. Cook by the book. Even in the most humble French homes, cooking ranks as an art, not a chore. And it always sounds better in French: sardines frites a la sauce verte, or would you prefer fried sardines with green sauce? A cookbook with classic French dishes is a must. For Bastille Day celebrations, try boeuf en daube (beef stewed in red wine) and crepes suzette. Bon appetit.
10. Perfume. It's so French. Grasse, the heart of the French perfume industry, the home of Chanel No 5, celebrates the floral base of so many of its perfumes next month with a festival devoted to jasmine. It's flower power at its best: 10 floats decorated with 150,000 flowers and climaxing in la bataille de fleurs (the flower battle). Fwte du Jasminis is at www.ville-grasse.fr/jasminade
Things we're not so crazy about
Disposable madness. There's no doubt Philippe Starck is a genius - but his Lux range of disposable dinnerwear is just plain silly. Following the theory that a plate becomes the ultimate encumbrance when your other hand is holding a glass, Starck created a small spike to secure a champagne flute on the plate. But for goodness sake, if we wanted to replicate an airline meal experience, we'd be flying to Paris at least.
Lingerie high jinx. Teeny weeny matching underwear with excessive lace is all very well but not entirely practicable for downunder. Take note: the classic measurement of a champagne glass and a woman's breast no longer applies.
Michelin galaxy. The Michelin Guide, a century-old, three-star rating guide for restaurants, is a source of pride and pain for the industry. There's as much intrigue surrounding the judges' clandestine voting system as the plot of De Laclos' novel Dangerous Liaisons. But like the French aristocracy, it's a little jaded, and at times, wildly unpredictable.
Eating habits. The French may have given us the croissant, but they also think it's fine to eat horse. So, they're the next paddock over from the cow and rationally there's little difference, but you don't eat the thing that's carried you through many a gymkhana.
