Givenchy dresses Daniel Rondeau for his induction into the Académie Française

By

Ambria Destout

Published
Nov 8, 2021

Givenchy has dressed Daniel Rondeau in a custom-designed academician ensemble for his official induction into the Académie Française.

 
Rondeau, a writer, editor and diplomat, teamed up with the French luxury brand to design his "habit vert," a traditional costume worn by academy members since Napoleon Bonaparte's reorganization of the Institut de France.
 
Produced by the Atelier Homme Sur Mesure, under the direction of Givenchy artistic director Matthew M. Williams, the outfit followed classic academy directives, boasting a custom-designed, hand-sewn olive branch embroidery decorating the navy coat and pants. A navy-blue cape made from Italian virgin wool gabardine, embellished with personal engravings also seen in the épée, a ceremonial sword carried during the induction ceremony, completed the ensemble.

Last month, Givenchy’s sister brand within the LVMH group, Christian Dior, dressed Jean-Michel Othoniel when the noted glass and ceramic sculptor joined the academy’s artistic division.
 

Rondeau was elected in to "the immortals," the 40-member group that makes up the academy, a full two years after winning the esteemed literary award, the Grand Prix du Roman de l'Académie Française, for his novel Mécaniques du chaos. But, due to the pandemic, had to wait a further two years until he was inducted into the hallowed organization on Thursday.
 
The 73-year-old Rondeau joins some of the most famous French writers in history who also served as members, including Montesquieu, Victor Hugo and François-Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire.
 
An alumnus of Panthéon-Assas University, Rondeau takes over chair number eight, succeeding Michel Déon, who held the position from 1978 until his death in 2016. The election makes him the 20th person to hold the prestigious life tenure role since the academy's formation in 1634.