France is at home in the kitchen or in the dressing room.
As strange eyeTan France's fashion expert built a reputation on the Netflix reboot for carrying out transformational makeovers, possessing keen style sensibilities, and leading a relentless campaign to get people to tuck in their shirts the French way.
Forbes Travel Guide caught up with France as the Fab Five film the ninth season in Las Vegas, and the Emmy winner revealed he's working on his first scripted role. He couldn't say much more about the project, other than that it will begin this summer, but he did share tips on airplane attire, the two travel destinations he visits repeatedly, and why fellow student Antoni Porowski might have some competition in the kitchen.
What should travelers wear on a long-haul flight while remaining chic?
Here's my opinion: I don't dress up. I just wear the nicest version of travel clothes I can find. I like to keep it really sleek and only wear one color. I kind of fall into a rotation where, for a few months at a time, I'll wear a certain color palette. Right now I'm in my camel era.
I have these Guest in residence camel pants that could be compared to pajama pants, but they are sturdy. They are cashmere. They feel magnificent. And they look dressy enough that I can see Gigi (Hadid, the founder of the luxury knitting brand) in her heels wearing them. They are very chic. And then I'm wearing a camel-colored T-shirt that comes from Uniqlo and a camel sweater. These elements combined create a truly sophisticated look.
Sometimes I put a big black overcoat on top, a coat that goes almost to my ankles. Then, when the flight gets cooler, I have layers I can take off. And no matter how many layers I take off, I always look chic underneath. And that's my advice in general, when it comes to layering: remember that the layers underneath aren't there just for comfort. You may need to remove the outer layers, but you still want to look sophisticated, like you have a full look underneath.
When considering must-have fashion pieces, aside from the little black dress, what is one piece that should be in every woman's wardrobe?
Any leather jacket that suits you. And it doesn't have to be leather. It could be vegan leather. Something you can dress up or down very easily. My favorite is a motorcycle jacket and has been for 25 years. This is what you can add to your rotation to help you create your own vibe.
What fashion item are you obsessed with at the moment?
Gold jewelry. It doesn’t have to be real – it can be a costume. I have lots of costume jewelry. My castmates in all the shows I've done call me the “Persian Prince” because my hands and wrists are usually stacked in gold jewelry. I just think it's the most beautiful way to dress up a look.
Even though I'm just wearing my travel outfit, which is, like I said, very plain pants, a simple t-shirt, and a sweater, I put on all the jewelry, and it seems very intentional that it's the way I put together my look. Unlike the “it” bag or shoe, get jewelry that you can build up to or carry around, so you have a minimal or maximalist look that makes it clear that it's all about you. It all depends on how you wear your gold jewelry.
France knew Vegas well.
You are filming season nine of strange eye in Las Vegas. Have you discovered any spots there?
I went to a place called Lotus of Siam. I had one of the best Thai meals of my life. Many people told us this was the place to go. They weren't wrong: it was magnificent. We ate a lot of Thai food in Vegas. It's been wonderful.
There is a store that we will be shopping at in the next few weeks. It is called Vasariand their offering is incredible.
What are some of your favorite travel destinations?
I have been to these two places several times because they are my favorites. People and my friends say, “Well, there might be other places that will be your favorites.” » I know there is much more to discover, however, I am a creature of habit. Once I find something I like, I stick with it.
The first is Iceland. I love Iceland so much. I think it's beautiful and the scenery is unlike any other place. The people are so nice. The crime rate is so low that I feel so safe. And I find the food delicious. I love how isolated it is – I feel like I'm on another planet.
I really like Reykjavik, but what we like is doing the Golden Circle. My favorite thing is not to book a hotel for the first or last night, then drive around, and when we find a place we like, we get a hotel.
Iceland is No. 1, tied with Japan. I like Tokyo such. I went there last month for a quick trip and it was my fourth time there. I love Tokyo, I love Kyoto – these are the two places I visited in Japan.
It truly is my favorite place on earth. I love everything about it. I think it's so peaceful and the people are incredibly civilized. I love this culture. I just think it's magical and light years away from the rest of us.
Are there any places you would still like to visit?
Seoul, Korea, this is my next one. I love Asia so much and Seoul has been on my list for a while. I was going to go there last month. I choose my own wardrobe for strange eye, but I only have two and a half to three days to do my shopping. So I went to a place where I knew I could get everything I needed, that's why I went to Tokyo. I wanted to go to Seoul instead. But I want to leave that for when I have a week and Rob (my husband) can join me too, which is difficult at the moment because we have two very young children, a 2 year old and a 10 month old. . So we will wait a few years to be able to experience this together.
When you travel, what do you use as carry-on luggage?
I use a brand called Far, and then I will also carry a backpack. For my trip to Japan, I only took hand luggage. I can fit three looks in a carry-on and a few other sharing options, like tops, so I can rotate. I will wear pants and a shoe again.
I also like a waterproof toiletry bag that was given to me by Byredo. I use it as a Dopp kit and fill it with these stackable, refillable containers that take up little space and put in it moisturizer, night cream, facial cleanser and eye cream .
The culinary sanctuary of France.
You recently documented building the Tudor-style home of your dreams at Salt Lake City on the video series Finally home with Tan France. Unveiling the kitchen, you said: “This The Workshop stove – I've been dreaming of having something like this for about 20 years. » Why did you covet this cooker?
It's so grandiose. I feel like I'm the person I desperately wanted to be, who is chic, sophisticated and so daring. I've always dreamed of being the kind of person who had a focal point in the kitchen like this because, to me, it exudes sophistication. And I'm such an avid cook that this is the most convenient cooker for me.
I have friends over most Thanksgivings and Christmases, and I always had to really figure out the timing of everything I cooked. I know this is a problem most people have, but since I'm a big cook, I wanted to finally get to a point in life where I could get to having a much bigger stove. And that's what I have now.
We moved in a week before Thanksgiving and we had a Thanksgiving meal and then a Friendsgiving meal, I was able to make full use of both ovens on this stove. This week really confirmed why L'Atelier was so important to me.
What's your favorite dish to cook on the stove?
For the cook, many things, but above all a dish called Daal. It's a South Asian take on comfort food. These are lentils. The West would compare it to a soup, but it is very thick. It's my favorite thing to make, it's my husband's favorite meal, and it's my son's favorite Indian meal. I make it in large batches – I can also freeze it. This gives me the space to be able to prepare enough for 20 meals, which is wild.
And then on the oven side, I love making a chocolate cake – in particular, Ina Garten's chocolate cake which I tweaked, so now it's a chocolate ginger cake. This is my favorite thing to cook.
Salt Lake City takes the cake – literally – for France.
When out-of-town guests visit you in Salt Lake City, where do you like to take them?
There is a bakery that I love, tulie. They definitely make the best pastries in Salt Lake, but some of the best things I've had in the US. They do a wonderful job, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a Salt Lake resident. When it comes to baked goods, I don't give credit if they aren't great, and they really are.
There is an Indian restaurant that I really like called Bombay House. That's wonderful.
And then I like to take them hiking. I'm very outdoorsy. We are hiking on what is called the Bonneville Shore. And then there is a place called Antelope Island, which is about a 20 minute to a half hour drive from Salt Lake, and it's beautiful, magical, and there's an island that has a group of antelopes and mountains to climb. It is surrounded by the Great Salt Lake.
