Born in Saint-Raphael, France, not far from St. Tropez, the daughter of an Italian father and a Congolese mother, Cindy Bruna is a French top model who embodies the cultural spirit and global heritage of modern-day France.

Bruna covers the July 11th issue of ELLE France, lensed by Cameron Hammond [IG] and styled by Hortense Manga in summer essentials for French women embracing their chic sensuality. That includes plenty of gold statement jewelry, body-baring crop tops and slinky pants, bikinis, shades and sun-worshipping, fashionable body bits not mentioned. A boat helps, too.

Jewelry is from Chanel, Chopard and Hérmes. Brands include Calzedonia, Celine by Hedi Slimane, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Isabel Marant, Miu Miu, Pucci, Roberto Cavalli and more. / Hair by Sebastien Bascle; makeup by Camille Lutz

Vive la France

It was not my intention to address so quickly after today’s post about Chanel and the WWII French-resistance women of Deauville, Sunday’s election results in France.

An emergency coalition of like-minded people from the French center, the liberal left and the uber-progressive left wing united to deliver a crushing blow to white nationalism in the form of a rebuke of MAGA leader Steve Bannon’s gal pal Marine Le Pen.

Governing such a diverse coalition will be an epic challenge for the French government. However, we cannot let the next challenge diminish what happened in France on July 7, 2024.

(Yoan Valat/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) French election results celebration September 7, 2024.

This image from the Washington Post spoke to me in tearful ways about the jawdropping election results. And it inspired me to fight on against Trump’s MAGA forces, anchored in white Christian nationalism here in America and defined in Project 2025 [which is being renamed as we speak].

Our own coalition is deeply splintered and I wish we could load up a plane of France’s young people and fly them to America for a chat with young Americans.

I know enough about the women-focused activism of Cindy Bruna to say with certainty that she, too, would be moved by this image as one speaking to the mixed identities and individual histories of 21st century French citizens. This reality spills across the national identities of nations worldwide and most deeply here in America.

Returning to the sophisticated, glamorous model and activist Cindy Bruna, she says “Enough politics, Anne. Let’s turn up the heat with my gorgeous fashion story.”