Carla Bruni, the New Jackie Kennedy?

Comparisons began to be drawn between the two first ladies from the moment the British press went Carla crazy when she accompanied Sarkozy on a state visit. Bruni stepped off the plane appropriately dressed for a chilly March day in London. Indeed it was her choice of outfit that led to her being likened to Jackie Kennedy – a sobre three-quarter length charcoal belted wool coat worn with black ballet pumps, and accessorised with a typically 1960s pill box hat, black leather gloves and the kind of vintage handbag usually favoured by the Queen. Bruni couldn’t have chosen a more politically correct outfit for this public appearance. One of her first forays onto the international stage as Premiere Dame, wife of the French President, and no longer as Carla Bruni the supermodel, maneater extraordinaire, and sometime chanteuse. As demure and elegant as Jackie Kennedy; the outfit was a testament to her change of role – she seemed almost submissive, standing before the photographers with eyes downcast and a quiet demeanour. And then there were the flat shoes; an obvious nod to Sarkozy’s diminuitive stature. The icing on the cake was that her outfit- accessories and all- was from Dior, a French fashion house, designed by the Briton John Galliano. A sartorial choice to please both her hosts and French patriotic sensibilities. The stylish, discreet woman who appeared at Sarkozy’s side bore no resemblance to the model who claimed to be a fan of polygamy, posed nude on countless occasions and bedded Mick Jagger. Whether one agrees with Bruni’s lifestyle choices or not, one cannot denigrate her canny marketing skills and ability to make an impression. She certainly seems to have noted the comments made by the press about her visit to London, and agreed with the comparisons between herself and Jackie Kennedy in a recent interview for Vanity Fair. “She was so young and modern, and of course unconsciously I would project myself more like Jackie Kennedy than, for instance, Madame de Gaulle, who would be much more like the classical French woman behind her husband.” Jackie Kennedy was young and modern in that she was educated and voiced her opinions. On the other hand she cannot be said to have tried to outshine her husband. She briefly caused controversy by favouring Chanel over American designers. Other than this Jackie Kennedy is remembered as an elegant, intelligent woman, charming the surly Russian Premier, Kruschev and eloquently addressing the French in their native language. Kennedy, just like Carla Bruni, came from a wealthy background and had a privileged upbringing. She was well aware of the social graces required of a first lady and furthermore raised the profile of her husband by inviting important cultural figures to the White House. Despite her allusions to Jackie Kennedy it is somewhat difficult to see Bruni as a similarly retiring figure. She seems determined to stay in the spotlight, although whether this is to affect her husband’s standing or further her own career remains to be seen. Since their union she has published an opinion piece in Le Monde entitled ‘Stop the Slander’, attacking the use of rumour as news. ‘Tu Es Ma Came’, one of the songs on her recently-released album, can be roughly translated as ‘You Are My Drug’ – not exactly an appropriate title coming from the President’s wife. It would seem that Bruni views herself as Sarkozy’s equal, and independent of her husband. And then there has been the much-discussed Vanity Fair article. The feature in Vanity Fair coincides with the release of Bruni’s latest musical offering and features images of the chanteuse by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibowitz. The photographs show Bruni resplendent in a red ballgown atop the roofs of the Elysée Palace and strolling through its gardens in a trench coat. Laws concerning privacy are stricter in France than in the US or the UK and paparazzi are not free to prey on celebrities and politicians. Yet Bruni seems to be provocatively flouting this privacy in posing with the Elysée as a backdrop, effectively using a French national symbol to promote herself and her new album. Is this shameless self-promotion, or the action of one half of a modern couple who realises the importance of publicity, good or otherwise, for herself as well as for Sarkozy? Bruni states in the article that she is “looking for something useful to do,” and that she doesn’t “want to make the wrong move” or “go up against (her) husband”. This statement seems slightly disingenuous in the context of an interview geared to promote her album when Sarkozy’s popularity with the French public is at a low. On the other hand Jackie Kennedy seemed to make carefully deliberated decisions about when to take centre stage and when to leave the spotlight to the president. She stood alongside her husband, unlike Madame de Gaulle who Carla Bruni describes as the classical French woman behind her husband. For the moment Bruni seems to have stepped in front of hers.