As the United States turns 250, Americans still can't get enough of French luxury

The Independent supports on-the-ground reporting across major US issues, emphasizing separating facts from messaging and avoiding paywalls so reporting remains accessible. It highlights coverage ranging from reproductive rights and climate change to Big Tech, including investigations into political financing and documentary work on American women fighting for reproductive rights. A separate feature centers on an exhibit at The Shed in Manhattan that examines how French luxury goods shaped cultural exchange over 250 years of Franco-American relations. The exhibit includes notable items such as a Givenchy coat worn by Jacqueline Kennedy, a Cartier lunar module replica from Apollo 11, and a Benjamin Franklin–commissioned medal. Comite Colbert coordinates participation from leading French luxury houses and cultural institutions, drawing from archives to present artifacts reflecting the bond.

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"At the pinnacle of the American cultural pyramid, one particular inspiration has echoed across the centuries through friendship and tension alike: France. The American love affair with French luxury goods and their cultural cachet and craftsmanship has spanned the younger country's history, and a new exhibit explores the story of how these treasures shaped a cultural exchange that marks 250 years of Franco-American relations."

"Among the standouts in the exhibit's cabinet of curiosities: the Givenchy coat worn by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy; a Cartier lunar module replica from Apollo 11; and a medal commissioned by Benjamin Franklin at the Hidden Treasures exhibit at The Shed in Manhattan. The organizers behind the exhibit, Comite Colbert, represent the top French luxury maisons, or houses including fashion, perfume, jewelry, hospitality and spirits. They asked 65 luxury maisons and cultural institutions to excavate archives and unearth pieces that embodied the Franco-American bond."

Read at www.independent.co.uk