De Libran also saw the venture as an opportunity to explore her interest in sustainability (her spring 2019 Sonia Rykiel collection was made primarily from sustainable fabrics). The dresses are made from archived materials sourced from mills in Italy and Switzerland and made to order to reduce waste. “In the past, I was trying to find materials, but it was so hard,” she says. “But there are so many solutions now, and I thought it was time to become more responsible.” Despite introducing e-commerce on her website a little over a month ago, de Libran has already been inundated with personal orders, and Julianne Moore picked out a white silk jacquard negligee dress for a recent television appearance. De Libran has also partnered with Matchesfashion.com on e-commerce, which kicked off this week.

After drinks and canapés on the terrace, the 15 guests gathered in the eat-in kitchen for dinner. The ingredients for the seasonal Gallic menu came straight from de Libran’s organic garden in southwestern France, and the meal was prepared by her family cook, Maria. She served puréed potimarron (winter squash) for soup, a kale and feta salad, and an apple compote (with a side of chocolate mousse) for dessert. Even the eggs from the chickens the family keeps were used to make a baked soufflé served as a main course. Later in the evening, some guests decamped to the courtyard to smoke while others lingered over tisanes and coffee near the fireplace. “In France, it’s more elegant to invite people to your home,” de Libran says. “You can make it more personal.” Here, she shares her advice on entertaining, the Parisian way.