Women You Should Know: Garance Doré
Our favorite French wordsmith/artist/style whisperer on the virtues of mornings, letting go of our mistakes, and THE perfect sweat-suit she never leaves home without.
Despite the world constantly harping on the virtues of youth and beauty and the next viral thing, there is something about the people who show us, seemingly with little to no effort (and yeah, we know that’s never really true:) that getting older really IS about getting better.
We first became fans of Garance Doré long before she had her namesake skincare line, before she wrote books, started her own chic community hub or even married a movie star. In truth, we’ve loved the vibrant, relatable way Garance sees the world since her earliest street style photography (she was one of the artists pioneering the medium back in the early aughts) as well as her signature ultra personal way of weaving drawings and writing to connect to a growing audience of life + style iconoclasts.
She’s always done things in her own quietly confident way, which is why we’re big fans of The French Woman, her newsletter here on Substack melding all the stuff Garance loves most lately, in particular a busy life galavanting the globe, as well as her most magical of new projects—a family home in Morocco. We were so excited to grab a few minutes with her from her current perch in Paris, so…let’s go!
Now, I am a 50-year-old woman and I haven’t changed very much, truly! I love life. The small things as much as the big things.
&Co.—Hi Garance! You’re an artist, a photographer, a writer, and also an entrepreneur...or at least that's how we know you. How would you describe yourself 20 years ago and also today?
GD: Twenty years ago was one year before I launched my blog, which back then entirely changed my life. I was a young dreamer, I loved to dance, to travel, to meet new people. I’ve always possessed this great desire and hunger for life. I was also very curious, and very stressed about who I would become. Now, I am a 50-year-old woman and I haven’t changed very much, truly! I love life. The small things as much as the big things.
&Co.—We feel that part about being “very stressed about who I would become” SO hard. Tell us, what is your favorite time of day and why?
GD: I’m a morning person. I always wake up before anyone, and I have hundreds of techniques to be as quiet as a cat. I’ll have coffee and write or think or chat with my mother and my sister, a ritual that happens almost everyday. I also love to go for walks when everything is still quiet. I’ll go get a coffee, except for when I am in Paris and always frustrated because coffee shops open so late!
&Co.—You just turned 50...happy birthday. What's the best gift you've been given in reaching this milestone? Is there a gift you wish you could give your 25-year-old self in exchange?
GD—Thank you! I don’t know? I think it’s important to live all the ages as they are. The way I see life, it’s not so much about getting it right, but it’s about living our own unique experience fully—maybe because I am a writer and all the adventures, good and bad, contribute to creating a rich tapestry. So, I’d just let my 25-year-old self be, and that would be my present to her.
“I’d just let my 25-year-old self be, and that would be my present to her.”
&Co.—What do you think you love most now about being this age? What do you like the least?
GD—I like that along with so many women my age I feel a sense of freedom. Fifty is the age where you accept that however hard you’ve tried to do it all perfectly, you’ve also failed at a few things, too—or maybe even everything! Ultimately, we see that most times it’s not so terrible. Whether it was good or bad or something completely unexpected, we can move on and BREATHE at last…getting older gives us that freedom to know/see that we are not our wins or failures and that’s quite energizing. And also gives us the courage to keep moving ahead and trying new things.
&Co.—Can you tell us anything new you've learned about yourself recently? And why might it have been so intriguing or profound?
GD—You know, I think it’s more the opposite. What I’ve been doing more lately is not overthink. Maybe the goal is to be less profound, lol! I’m trying more to just feel things, to be with people I love. Eat well, have fun, have a glass of wine, enjoy the texture of life. I am very grateful everyday, it’s my natural state (OMG that sounds super pretentious but it’s true! Maybe living with an anxious husband taught me a thing or two about this).
I’ve reached a time in my life where what I want is to enjoy. Because, if not now then? I really care about being happy. I really seek people who make me laugh. I live in the now as much as I can. I love being around dogs because they make me feel something truly deep and calm without having to explain anything.
So that’s me now…less striving, more enjoying. And more time with dogs!
&Co.—Favorite spot to spend your mornings and/or evenings before bed?
GD—Bed!
&Co.—You've always been a visionary when it comes to simplifying beauty and skincare...also, with the launch of your super-edited skincare line Doré. What is your skincare routine like these days? Any tips to share that have served you well?
GD—Simplicity and creating a routine that’s versatile and easy. I’m the type of person who does everything in the shower, and I don’t like ten steps of anything, let alone a skincare routine—it’s just not who I am. Doré was born from that. It doesn’t mean that I don’t do anything. I do a little bit of Botox and next winter I’ll do some lasers for the first time, too. It’s always about the mix and everything in good measure.
&Co.—Tell us one secret you've gleaned from getting older that inspires you/us?
GD—I think aging well is in the details. Updating our makeup to keep looking fresh, finding ways for our hair to look and feel healthy, working on having good posture and an ease of movement, making sure we’re happy with our teeth (don’t forget your teeth!). And, working toward good skin quality, which doesn’t mean trying to erase wrinkles but making sure your skin is well hydrated, dewy…and happy.
&Co.—What advice do you have for anyone building or starting over in this phase of life (which is basically ALL of us)...any guidance on getting focused and feeling more grounded in yourself?
GD—I think we need to shed our old identity in order to become ourselves again. Letting the old us go is painful, but it’s salutary. And it’s through sharing that honest REAL journey with other women that we come to the other side of it better, freer, and happier.
&Co.—You are the most glamorous nomad we know, having lived all over the globe over the past few years. Any secrets for making travel more magical and streamlined?
GD—Here goes!
A travel list is necessary—one that you look at to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything from your passport to your chargers to your tweezers.
A night kit with sleeping mask, supplements, ear plugs and anything that will help you sleep well anywhere/anytime. Sleeping masks and earplugs are a learning curve, they can be uncomfortable at first—but then they become life savers and sleep is SO important to feel like oneself, especially when we are on the road a lot
A simple routine—face wash, moisturizer, sunscreen as well as simple, tried-and-true makeup. I love my Iris&Romeo makeup so much.
A pair of great sweatpants—top AND bottom to relax in when we get to the hotel but also to wear on a morning coffee run. I love American Vintage who make the best, softest sets around.
Tea and coffee bags—you just never know what quality you’ll encounter, so always better be prepared. I love these coffee bags that you can use as drips or good instant, they’re life changing to make anywhere feel like home.
&Co.—Lastly, what's your favorite Iris&Romeo product...how do you like to use it and PLEASE tell us—why do you love it so much?
GD—Weekend Skin!!! It’s the absolute best for my skin—I mean it. And the Lip Cocoon is insane, as well.
ACK...the GREATEST! And looking into that track suit asap:)xx