Adeline Mai's Fashion Proust Questionnaire
Turning the lens on one of Paris's most stylish photographers
Meet Adeline Mai, my favourite digital renaissance woman. She’s the sort of multi-hyphenate truly deserving of the title: accomplished photographer and collage artist, fashion and tech influencer and all-round AI expert, as you’ll gather by watching her Instagram videos. It’s pretty rare to have the same person on speed dial for both fashion and tech advice but therein lies the beauty of Adeline’s brain.
You may know her work as a photographer for tiny unknown brands of like Hermes, Chanel and Dior. Or for Vogue France. Or maybe, if you listen to Fanfare podcast, you’ll remember she created our collage for the podcast’s cover art.
Adeline and I got to know each other through the good ol’ photographer-subject rapport, where girl-crushes abound. One day she came to shoot Paris Vogue’s “Une Fille Un Style” interiors and personal style column at my old apartment and I couldn’t believe how fun and relaxed the whole experience was. Plus the photos really captured my, er, essence? Actually both of our essences because you can very much feel Adeline in her photos too. We’ve been pals since.
I love when Adeline turns the camera on herself, as her meticulous style well merits. It’s sharp, sure, and she doesn’t shy away from colour. She’s right: it really suits her.
The Fashion Proust Questionnaire will help you get to know Adeline ahead of the launch of her newsletter right here on Substack next week (!)
What is your idea of a perfect outfit?
Something very comfortable that I can wear every day and that would suffice if my checked luggage got stuck. I’d choose a really good pair of jeans, a good white t-shirt, a round neck cardigan, a belt, and black loafers to transition from day to night.
What is your greatest fashion fear?
Feeling squeezed into my clothes. I hate wearing jeans or pants that make me feel confined, like I’m trussed up.
What, in hindsight, is the worst outfit you’ve ever worn?
Does bad hair count? Because my post-high school bad hair and brows definitely felt like the worst “outfit” I’ve ever had.
What is the worst outfit you’ve ever seen on someone else?
Sneaker wedges. Despite their brief popularity in the early 2010s, I found them to be an …unflattering fusion of sneakers and heels.
Which living person’s style do you most admire?
I can’t lie—I always want what my stylist friend Morgane Bedel is wearing! She has that je ne sais quoi and the perfect accessories and jewellery to complete her looks.
What is your greatest extravagance?
A Christopher Kane space dress from 2011. I’m not sure I’ll ever wear it again, but it’s still in my wardrobe.
What is your current state of mind with regards to the fashion industry?
I don’t like the current trends—it all feels too fast and repetitive, with the same accessories being reinterpreted across different houses. The focus seems to have shifted from creativity to chasing virality and profits, which dilutes individuality. I miss the excitement of truly innovative designs and storytelling in fashion.
What do you consider the most overrated style virtue?
Total looks in neutral tones.
On what occasion do you lie about someone’s outfit?
When I don’t love a wedding dress, but the bride is my friend, and I love her so much—she’s beautiful, radiant, and so happy that the dress somehow becomes nicer in my eyes.
What is the quality you like most in a man’s outfit?
That it doesn’t look like he tried too hard but still seems neat and clean—like the right jeans and a white t-shirt.
What is the quality you like most in a woman’s outfit?
Good texture and daring a touch of colour or joy—like you Monica, with the red tights, or when pink was also your thing ❤️
Which fashion trend do you most despise?
Bad quality or poorly designed hats.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse when describing fashion?
“Élégant!”
Which runway collection in history was your greatest love?
The Hermès show in Shanghai, June 2023, which celebrated photographers. I love how playful Hermès can be while still maintaining impeccable cuts and using high-quality materials. Also, the Prada Spring/Summer 1992 runway show—I’ve been on the hunt for some pieces from it on Vestiaire Collective.
When were you happiest with your own look?
When I can wear heels without feeling uncomfortable and don’t have to carry a bag. As much as I love bags, I just love the freedom of having nothing to carry around!
Which designer’s talent would you most like to have?
Eileen Gray.
If you could change one thing about your wardrobe, what would it be?
I’ve been dreaming of getting my hands on the iconic petite veste noire tweed jacket from Chanel.
What do you consider your greatest achievement, career-wise (so far!)
Working for the houses I dreamed of collaborating with when I first started photography.
If you were to die and come back as a fashion item, what would it be?
A black classic Chanel bag.
Where on earth do you get the most style inspiration?
Movies! I still can’t get all of the In the Mood for Love qipaos out of my head—I want them all!
What is your most treasured possession?
A made-to-measure qipao. I don’t think I could ever find the same fabric to remake it, so I really cherish it and don’t want it to get damaged).
What do you consider the lowest depth of fashion rock-bottom? (Ex. Karl’s sweatpants)
Wedge sneakers.
What is your favourite fashion-related occupation?
Going to the opera and looking at the details of the costumes. Rediscovering clothes I own and wearing them in a different way. Scrolling on Vestiaire Collective and Vinted to find some treasures- it’s my kind of “lèche vitrine / plaisir coupable” (editor’s note: “guilty pleasure”.)
What is your most marked style characteristic?
A mini skirt. I can wear it with a two-piece suit, heels, sneakers, a hoodie, or a shirt. I love mixing it with everything—it’s fun and versatile, and even on lazy days, it still feels not too undone.
Who are your favourite fashion writers?
She’s not a fashion writer, but I loved how Susan Sontag approaches fashion in Notes on Camp. I like when we approach fashion through a societal lens, or as an expression of the collective consciousness.
Who is your style hero in fiction?
Monica from Friends. I juste love some of her looks, they never feel like too much.
Which historical figure’s style do you most identify with?
Jackie Kennedy meets Susan Kare—I consider Susan Kare a historical figure for her iconic design of Apple icons.
Which individual that you know (or have known) personally most influenced your style?
My Vietnamese grandmother, stylists I’ve worked with, my friends, and individuals like Morgane Bedel, Lolita Jacobs, Emmanuelle Deluze, you, and my agent Delphine.
What would you like to wear to your own funeral?
Something red—my mother always said it was my colour. I’d rather be dead avec une bonne mine (editor’s note: “with a healthy-looking complexion.”)
What is your style motto?
Try not to be someone else; there’s nothing worse than feeling disguised.
Stay tuned for Adeline’s very own newsletter launching next week!
What a fantastic person!
Love the interviews! 💗