ANJALI KUMAR: It's Lunch Time at Google with Anjali Kumar.
Today our guest is Garance Dore.
GARANCE DORE: I like how say Garance Dore.
ANJALI KUMAR: Is that right?
GARANCE DORE: In French it's like Garance Dore.
ANJALI KUMAR: Isn't that what I said?
Garance Dore.
GARANCE DORE: Perfect.
ANJALI KUMAR: That's pretty good, right?
GARANCE DORE: Very good.
ANJALI KUMAR: I speak really good French.
We can do part of the interview in French
later if you want.
GARANCE DORE: OK, yeah.
ANJALI KUMAR: Because I'm basically fluent.
GARANCE DORE: [SPEAKING FRENCH]
ANJALI KUMAR: I brought you lunch.
I brought us lunch.
GARANCE DORE: OK.
ANJALI KUMAR: I got myself a sandwich.
And I got you some water.
GARANCE DORE: That's exactly what I need right now.
Thank you.
You know Fashion Week is around the corner.
ANJALI KUMAR: I know.
I got lemon, too.
GARANCE DORE: Oh my god, even better.
Two calories?
Oh my god.
ANJALI KUMAR: The whole lemon has 12.
So I figured this much, maybe one and a half?
You've been writing this beloved fashion and
illustration blog since 2006.
GARANCE DORE: Yes.
ANJALI KUMAR: Can tell us a little bit about the
evolution, and how you started, and the evolution to
what it is now?
GARANCE DORE: Of course.
The serious way?
ANJALI KUMAR: Sure, however you roll.
GARANCE DORE: The blog started because I was an illustrator.
I was like you.
I was at my office, all day at my desk.
What a life.
ANJALI KUMAR: Pardon my French.
GARANCE DORE: Yes, pardon my French.
Sucks.
ANJALI KUMAR: Who is the most active commenter on your blog?
Do you have like one guy that's always like, great
picture, nice legs?
GARANCE DORE: There is people who comment every day.
I can't describe it.
Like, there is so many.
I receive emails.
People name their kids Garance.
ANJALI KUMAR: Do you think they know where you live?
GARANCE DORE: If they look at the blog, like very, if they
want to know where I live, it's not that
difficult to find.
You can get so many information on people.
ANJALI KUMAR: How do they do that, all that information
that's available?
GARANCE DORE: Right.
ANJALI KUMAR: Such a problem.
So "Pardon My French" is your newest endeavor.
Do you know what pardon my French means in English?
GARANCE DORE: Yes, of course.
ANJALI KUMAR: What does it mean?
GARANCE DORE: It means, if I say merde, I can
say pardon my French.
It means--
ANJALI KUMAR: So do you walk around just like, [BLEEP]
this [BLEEP], pardon my French?
I mean, this fashion [BLEEP]
[BLEEP]
and I [BLEEP].
And I hate this [BLEEP].
GARANCE DORE: Yeah.
ANJALI KUMAR: Stuff like that?
That's what you guys go around saying?
You're like, oh, pardon my French.
GARANCE DORE: Exactly.
So I try to not swear too much on the videos.
ANJALI KUMAR: Did I just offend you?
GARANCE DORE: Well then that's good.
It's your video.
We can have fun.
[BLEEP]
you.
ANJALI KUMAR: [BLEEP]
you.
GARANCE DORE: [BLEEP]
ANJALI KUMAR: So I want to switch directions a little
bit, and talk about signature style.
Like the Anna Wintour, she's got the bob.
GARANCE DORE: Right.
ANJALI KUMAR: Like there's people who have that one
defining characteristic.
So I've been working on something.
And I'm hoping you can help me.
Just tell me what you think.
And maybe help me brand it.
So can I just show you?
So just give me a minute, and I'll just be right back.
OK, so this is what I'm thinking.
Can you see me?
GARANCE DORE: That's why I say don't try to
have a signature style.
If it comes to you, it does.
Just let it happen.
ANJALI KUMAR: This hat came to me.
It spoke to me in the store.
GARANCE DORE: Do you really want a signature style?
Do you want to be Clint Eastwood?
Do you want to be Anna Wintour?
ANJALI KUMAR: Who doesn't?
I feel like it gives me a little ethnic flare.
GARANCE DORE: It gives you some edge.
Yeah.
ANJALI KUMAR: Don't you think?
Stripes, and they go in, so they're slimming.
GARANCE DORE: No it's really--
ANJALI KUMAR: Slimming.
GARANCE DORE: You look like a parachute.
It's not very slimming.
ANJALI KUMAR: Like a parachute?
GARANCE DORE: You know, when the, you know?
You're totally YOLO.
ANJALI KUMAR: What does that mean?
GARANCE DORE: Like you only live once.
Let's do everything.
ANJALI KUMAR: YOLO?
GARANCE DORE: You don't know that?
ANJALI KUMAR: I never heard that before.
No.
GARANCE DORE: Oh, come on.
ANJALI KUMAR: That's not a thing.
I work at Google.
It's not a thing.
I don't know.
I'm getting old, though.
So it might be a thing.
GARANCE DORE: Yes.
It's a big thing.
ANJALI KUMAR: It's a thing?
GARANCE DORE: Yeah, and you're totally that.
ANJALI KUMAR: Wait, so what are you going to call my
signature style with the poncho?
Skydiving chic.
GARANCE DORE: Right, exactly.
Para chic.
ANJALI KUMAR: Para chic.
YOLO para chic.
GARANCE DORE: Yeah.
I like that.
ANJALI KUMAR: If you people steal this [BLEEP].
I'm suing.
GARANCE DORE: And [BLEEP]
your [BLEEP].
ANJALI KUMAR: I have a segment idea for your show, for
"Pardon my French."
GARANCE DORE: Oh yeah?
ANJALI KUMAR: It's all about para chic.
GARANCE DORE: Yeah.
ANJALI KUMAR: We can totally do this interview in French,
because I took it in seventh grade.
So I'm basically fluent.
GARANCE DORE: Yes, OK.
We can do that.
ANJALI KUMAR: So let me just ask you a few
questions in French.
GARANCE DORE: OK.
ANJALI KUMAR: [SPEAKING FRENCH]?
GARANCE DORE: It doesn't mean anything.
ANJALI KUMAR: I need my money back from seventh grade.
OK.
[SPEAKING FRENCH]?
GARANCE DORE: [SPEAKING FRENCH].
ANJALI KUMAR: You heard it here--
pigeons.
[LAUGHTER]
ANJALI KUMAR: It's all about pigeons.
GARANCE DORE: [SPEAKING FRENCH].
ANJALI KUMAR: The pigeons?
GARANCE DORE: Uh huh.
ANJALI KUMAR: It's all about pigeons.
GARANCE DORE: Exactly.
ANJALI KUMAR: I'm still hungry.
GARANCE DORE: I'm stuffed.