Haute Couture

Given the state of French politics these days, Sylvie Ohayon’s crowd-pleaser arrives as a breath of fresh air. French legend Nathalie Baye plays Esther, the top seamstress at Dior’s fabled Avenue Montaigne location in Paris, who is soon to retire. Jade (Lyna Khoudri) is a poor 20-year-old of Muslim background from the Parisian suburbs who one day steals Esther’s bag. Upon seeing the bag’s contents and realising their worth and meaning, Jade has a change of heart and decides to return the bag. Esther, who grew up in the Parisian banlieues as the eldest child of Jewish immigrants, sees something special in the young Jade and offers to mentor her… Writer-director Ohayon keeps the political largely beneath the surface here, instead focusing on how a little bit openness and compassion for others can change lives.