Q&A: Lola Rykiel, Author of Lola on Love

Lola Rykiel, photo by Beth Garrabrant

It was early 2014 and I had just started documenting my journey through the murky waters of the Parisian dating scene via Dbag Dating, when not one but two people sent me an article entitled “New York Guys vs. Paris Guys.” It was written by a Parisienne named Lola Rykiel, who happened to be going through the flip side of my Parisian culture shock while living in New York City and channeling her experiences in her column on HarpersBazaar.com, Lola on Love. A few years later, Lola and I were introduced by a mutual friend, and since then she has become my go-to source for all things Parisienne, as recently documented on Vogue.com. The coolest thing about Lola (besides her keen knowledge of the best cocktail selection in downtown NYC) is her ability to delve deep into any subject matter and shed an alternate light on a topic in a way that only a truly insightful person can. In honor of today’s Bastille Day, we sat down to chat about trans-Atlantic dating discrepancies, the intricate art of self-love, and the ever-green enigma that is the Parisienne.

French Girls Know How to Accessorize—Especially for Bastille Day

DD x Vogue · by Marina Khorosh

Liberté, égalité, fraternité—liberty, equality, fraternity. In our tumultuous, often unpredictable world, one must honor any reason to celebrate these three guiding principles of human camaraderie. Since most of us cannot exactly ring in tomorrow’s Bastille Day by frolicking around revolutionary stomping grounds, we propose that you do the next best thing and channel your inner French citoyenne through the wardrobe staples that truly speak to her liberal spirit—her accessories. Just like the emblematic national motto, the Parisienne’s approach to accessorizing is part of her inherent independent sensibility, rooted in timeless style and personal pieces that truly connect with their owner. A French girl usually goes for discreet, carefully selected accessories that never adhere to trends or overwhelm her outfit, but instead relay her personal story, one unique detail at a time.

The French Girl’s Guide to Summer Date Style

DD x Vogue · by Marina Khorosh

Few things beat a great summer date. Be it with your future life partner or merely a fleeting romantic interest, there is something incomparable about that long, breezy, post-dinner stroll through still-warm city streets, feeling like the protagonist of your own indie film. Granted, no nirvana is complete without the perfect outfit, which is where things get tricky, at least for me.

With effortlessness being the ethos of summer, even the most innocent attempt toward allure—such as a black liner, or a heel—feels unnatural in our global warming–induced heat. And yet it’s not like I can allow my inner romantic ingenue to show up to a date in my usual summer uniform of denim cutoffs (i.e., an object of near-constant mockery among my friends). This inner turmoil leads me to believe that summertime date dressing abides by a completely separate sartorial code, one that I have yet to master. And who better to help me than the ever-effortless Parisiennes, originators of the Pinterest Holy Grail of summer romances, from Jane Birkin’s eyelet-clad beach frolics to Romy Schneider’s PG-rated La Piscine ensembles?

But, Really, What is a Man For?

Musings of the Mind · by Marina Khorosh

Over the holiday weekend, my 18-year-old niece (think my doppelganger with a brain) and I decided to drive up to the Catskills for a long-overdue one-on-one with nature. Trudging along one of the trails, accompanied by nothing more than fresh air and a palpable sense of Fourth of July spirit, we started talking about the meaning of personal independence.

“You shouldn’t need to be with somebody to be happy,” I preached, attempting to wipe out any remnants of rite-of-passage Russian family brainwashing that encourages one to settle down at earliest convenience.

“Yes, but it’s so nice to be with someone.” was the response of a teen who had recently gotten her first taste of true romance. I had been there myself and didn’t want to argue, and so I didn’t.

The Dbag Dating Guide to American Men

Typecasting · by Marina Khorosh

American culture is hardly my forte. Despite living in this country for the past 10 years (three-year-stint in Paris excluded) and being a proud owner of a blue passport that can magically whisk me through the majority of international customs, I can probably tally up the number of American men I have dated on one hand. (New Yorkers don’t count, because, let’s face it, New York is NOT America.) However, I feel that it is my duty as a U.S. citizen to provide this male segment the same Dbag Dating glory that has been granted to representatives of numerous other cultures. In honor of the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, I would like to introduce the official Dbag Dating Guide to American Men, sourced via personal experience and testimonies of numerous girlfriends!

6 Guys You Should Date at Least Once. Just because.

Typecasting · by Marina Khorosh

Most things in life are best done with purpose. Dating – for the majority of humans, at least – happens to fall directly into this category, an endeavor with a distinct end goal of securing a life partner and living happily ever after, Disney princess-style. And yet, most of us are well aware that our murky modern dating waters often oblige us to kiss a shitload of frogs until some contaminated variation of Prince Charming eventually crosses our path. While many consider this predicament to be the seedy underbelly of dating, I like to view it as an opportunity to explore a portfolio of unique human characters, enabling me to enrich my life experiences – and this blog. With this in mind, I have summed up the top male species that every woman should degustate at least once in her dating career, just because.