Meet the Political Journalist Turned Roger Vivier Muse Who Is Influencing Fashion Followers in a Whole New Way
Samar Seraqui de Buttafoco
Samar Seraqui de Buttafoco doesn’t consider herself a fashion risk-taker, unless she’s dealing with a pair of shoes. The Lebanese style blogger admits to having a “daily uniform, which is a cashmere sweater and jeans in the winter, and cotton T-shirt and jeans in the summer.” She adds, “I find it easier to have fun with shoes.” Seraqui de Buttafoco is one of 17 fashion influencers featured in Maison Roger Vivier’s new book, out today. Published by Rizzoli and overseen by Inès de la Fressange, the coffee-table tome is titled #LoveVivier and features original photography, interviews, and essays; other contributors include Leandra Medine, Christene Barberich, and Chriselle Lim. Seraqui de Buttafoco stands out among these fashion powerhouses for her unique background: Before launching her style website, Une Libanaise à Paris, and her label, Das Mot, consisting of tees and sweatshirts with words like habibi and womanist printed on the front, she was a political journalist who worked for an international news channel for nearly 10 years.
“It was very stimulating intellectually but emotionally draining at the same time,” Seraqui de Buttafoco admits. “It was hard to detach myself from work once I was home.” Things became increasingly difficult for her once the Arab revolution began and “the images received by the editors were of incredible violence.” She needed an outlet, something to take her mind away from the harsh news cycle. “I wanted to continue to work on my writing but with something lighter, and this was how I came to launch my blog anonymously,” she explains. After the blog gained some traction with viewers and fans online, big fashion brands, namely Hermès, came calling. “It gave me confidence,” she says. “I also began to have more fun with my writing and I wanted to fully embark on the adventure.” She eventually launched Das Mot in 2017 with the “idea to celebrate French impertinence in all languages and to not do so in the caricature of a Parisian or French fashion look.”
Seraqui de Buttafoco doesn’t want to be defined for one kind of style, one type of writing, or one single social media personality. Like her approach to dressing—she loves mixing textures, as well as bold colors and big skirts—she treats her online persona with ease and honesty. In fact, she recently deleted all of the pictures on her Instagram feed, save for one: a flyer for a benefit concert on June 3 for Palestinian refugee children. “For me, the important thing is to be true to who we are, and if we are sensitive to what is going on in the world, we will talk about it in a natural way,” she explains. It’s a fresh perspective for both fashion and politics: positivity, progressiveness, and having fun, even if the world seems to be falling apart.
