Laetitia Casta prepares for the Dior show at Paris Fashion Week l Vogue

Well, well! Hello. Please, come on in. Masculine. Feminine. Stilettos. These little pieces always make it so dressy. And voilà! - Laetitia! - Hello, Laetitia! - Hello! Hi, I'm delighted to have you here today. We're not at my place, we're at the hotel, but I think it's nice sometimes. I'm delighted get ready in your company for the Dior fashion show. What gives you self-confidence? Well, it's not the make-up or the hair. It's the desire to be there. In other words, I see this as a gift, to be able to share this with others, to be able to see a fashion show full of creation. It's more a question of being open and enjoying what I do. What do you like about Maria Grazia Chiuri's fashion? What I like is her strength, it's her power. There's something totally assumed. She's fully intuitive. I feel she has more of a personality, a world of her own that she imposes rather than the other way round. I don't see her being stepped on or directed by others. I'll always admire models because it's not an easy job. I think of them as athletes. I think that the younger generation of models, in addition to being what they are physically, manage their image extremely well. There was a time when I, for example, was a bit thrown like that. Now, I think they manage their image on Instagram, what they reflects. they're almost businesswomen. It's so pretty. Look at that sunray, we should to enjoy it! It's nice if you sit here. Ah yes, but no. Or else, I'll stand here. Which films you saw in 2023 still have a particular impact on you today? Bellocchio's film, Kidnapped. I thought it was a masterpiece. Sublime. It moved me. The child is absolutely incredible in everything he does, in his silences, in his gaze, in the way Bellocchio shoots him too. Just goes to show, you can grow old and still have talent. It's a beautiful film. You played in Le Consentement in 2023, was it also a political act ? Let's just say it was a shoot... It's a choice of project that you have to stand by. I knew I was shooting a film but also a political act. I got on very well with the director. So, when you create a strong bond like that, you just go for it. You have no doubts, you just go for it. The shoot went really well, full of kindness and intelligence. Shall we go inside? It's noisy. - What do you say? - Sure. What matters is that women's voices are heard, and that things get moving, that's the most important thing. When I talk about male suffering, I mean everything we had to go through at a time when there was no MeToo movement. So, we weren't informed at 14 and a half, both for little girls and little boys. I mean, there's no difference, a predator is a predator no matter what. I went through all that, like so many young women: alone. Thanks to the MeToo movement, people are speaking out. There's something a bit lonely about facing these experiences, alone. The fact that the taboo of all this has come out has also helped to create a bond between us. Then I came into a grown up world, where it wasn't just about sexual predation, it was about what people want you to look like. Comments about your looks. What's expected of you. They want to pigeonhole you, like an object. So these battles were also waged at a time when, for example, having a child during your career when you're at your peak isn't possible. You're told that... Things have changed since then. Things have changed. Traditions have changed, have evolved thank goodness! But I experienced this. I got through it. Then I wanted to make films. That was something else again. When people associates you with a certain domain and you want to change, it's hard for people to accept it. If you've been successful in a domain, you're not allowed to be successful anywhere else. It's just not possible. In people's heads, there's something that's a bit hard to conceive, so you have to break that ceiling again. I've had the feeling that I had to fight again and again to be the woman I am today, and sometimes I thought: "Wow! It takes a lot of energy." Because I'd just like create, to be in that place, and not have to justify everything else. But thanks to everything I've been through, I've been able to instill this in my daughters. "Don't waste time there." "Don't compromise on things." "A no is a no." "Make sure you are respected" "Be independent." All this, I was able to pass on to my children. We're not equipped to take such violent criticism about our looks and so on. What do you think is the best weapon against that? It think it's the values of women in my family who raised me, who were always extremely natural, who weren't interested in appearance, but rather in development. I think these values were passed on to me without really being put into words. They were strong and useful in difficult moments of life. The fact that I was able to see these women who never gave up is something that, perhaps, I've carried with me as a young woman. Regarding what people said about my looks, I really had to sometimes take it on the chin and say to myself: "But, fashion, the people that fashion dresses, are the women in the street!" In the end, that's what I wanted to stand up for. And think to myself: "I am what I am." There's a bit of pride and dignity inside of me. Or maybe this island, this image of the island where we're often invaded, and you have to defend yourself with only what you've got. And maybe a certain penchant for not letting injustice get the better of me. Something that's thrown back at me, that I don't feel, that isn't fair. Even at 15, do you manage to have mental strength like that? Let's just say that sometimes it was women who made me feel like that. It wasn't necessarily men. And I'd say to myself: "That's strange, those hard words coming from a woman." Quite harse. Quite... I said to myself: "I don't want to be like that." Fortunately, I was able to meet people who were so loving, who encouraged me to be what I was, who even asked me to go even further, like Jean-Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent. People who were, above all, there to create and get things moving. An actress I admire? Truth be told, there are many. Meryl Streep, she's absolutely divine. Jodie Foster, I think she's incredible. There are so many women like them, who are extremely inspiring. An actor? Christian Bale. He's fantastic. I said it with a French accent, I felt it. It's okay, he won't be mad. The person I'd love to have dinner with is Jimmy Page. I'd watch him play guitar. Would you mind showing us what you'll be wearing? Is it this outfit? No, that was to welcome you. No, I'll show you. I decided to go for something a little more classic, but simple. I think it's... I think it's modern. It's a suit with a vest, with bare shoulders. And the jacket over the shoulders, I think it's very chic. And to go there, of course, in this weather... A nice raincoat. And voilà. Masculine. Feminine. Stilettos. These little pieces always make it so dressy. Here, one last touch before leaving. And voilà! - Laetitia! - Hello, Laetitia! Hello ! - Can I take a photo of you? - Sure. It's the occasion. Thank you so much. Camille! Camille! Anna. Laetitia, please. While I'm at it, I'm visiting. We're at the Rodin Museum for the Dior fashion show. And I have to admit, I wanted to visit the museum and make the most of it. The sculptures are so beautiful. Actually, it's my favourite museum. I love this place. I can't wait! And thank you. Thank you for being here. I'm sorry, I love being with you, but I'm going to watch the show. It's the most important thing. Bye!