Who else could have closed the Vogue World: Paris event, dedicated to fashion and sport, than Marie-José Pérec, a living icon of France? “We wanted a French woman, an athlete, to embody this Vogue World: Paris linked to sport, and Marie-José Pérec was the perfect choice. It was a dream to have her in the finale, in this dress made in the colors of France,” confides Alexandre Samson, curator of the Palais Galliera museum.
“We all have this image of her, victorious after the race and wrapping herself in the French flag,” recalls Carine Roitfeld, who co-styled the Vogue World: Paris event with Ib Kamara. It’s a moment that remains a vivid memory for many French people, even decades later. On July 29, 1996, Marie-José Pérec won the 400-meter event with a time of 48.