BIARRITZ BY SIGRID DE L’ELPINE
BIARRITZ BY SIGRID DE L’ELPINE: A Designer’s Hideaway. Biarritz isn’t just a retreat, it’s a ritual. For Sigrid de l’Épine, founder of Maison DEL’EP (link here), this Atlantic jewel reflects everything her brand stands for: precision, sensuality, and discreet utility. After two decades shaping luxury at Hermès, Balenciaga, and Chanel, she returned to the ocean’s edge, not to look back, but to create something utterly personal. “I looked for it, couldn’t find it, so I created it.”That search led to Maison DEL’EP: haute maroquinerie rooted in elegance and purpose. Leather cases worn like jewelry, not hidden, but revealed.
WHO IS SIGRID DE L’ÉLPINE?
A Parisian designer with a Basque soul, Sigrid de l’Épine spent over two decades shaping the codes of luxury, from Margiela-era Hermès to Balenciaga with Nicolas Ghesquière, and Haute Couture at Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld. Today, she’s the founder of Maison DEL’EP, a leather goods brand that turns everyday essentials into wearable rituals. Equal parts elegance and function, always within reach.
THE CITY SHE CHOSE: BIARRITZ
Sigrid first met Biarritz at sixteen. First loves, first parties, first taste of independence. Decades later, she still finds herself drawn to its contrasts: Belle Époque curves beside Neo-Basque angles, surfboards parked under Art Deco villas. “As soon as I arrive, it’s like I never left.” Between ocean, cliffs, and countryside, it’s not just a backdrop, it’s a source of inspiration.
WHERE SHE EATS IN BIARRITZ
Ahpe is her go-to for unpretentious, creative dishes built on local produce. Chez Marius offers terroir cuisine in a traditional Basque house. On market days, she heads to Les Halles de Biarritz, a feast of flowers, cheeses, hams, and neighbors. Nearby, Hazia in Anglet is a surfer’s secret with fine cuisine, and Coin de Table bakes bread in front of you, still warm. In Guéthary, Hétéroclito is where she drinks and dreams, vongoles, cocktails, a crowd of insiders. La Terrasse Biarritz Bonheur serves updated Basque flavors with a sweeping view of the Grande Plage.
ROMANCE BY BIARRITZ’S SEA
Her ideal date night? La Plancha, right on Ilbarritz beach, under the haunting Château d’Ilbarritz. There’s no music, only grilled scampi, padrons, and the sound of the sea folding into dusk.
COFFEE, ALWAYS WITH A VIEW OF BIARRITZ
She stops on the wall facing the Côtes des Basques, or pauses at La Plage du Port to take in the Rocher de la Vierge and Villa Belza, a view dipped in cinematic nostalgia. Forget pubs, Sigrid heads to Adam for local macarons and Gâteau Basque (since 1660), and Miremont for its pavlova and Béret Basque, best taken away or eaten in their tearoom facing the waves.
HER FAVORITE CORNERS IN BIARRITZ
The Côtes des Basques, always. Early surfers, long promenades, and golden light on mythic cliffs. Back then, the bar Carlos stood there, a temple of elegance and energy. Even now, the view hasn’t aged. In fact, it feels eternal. After all, some places don’t change, they just deepen.
WHERE SHE FINDS CULTURE IN BIARRITZ
A short drive away, the Guggenheim Bilbao still stuns her with Gehry’s architecture and curated exhibitions. In Guetaria, the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum is a quieter, sacred stop, where the couturier’s genius began.
FASHION STOPS IN BIARRITZ
At Duchatel, one of France’s most respected concept stores, she not only finds emerging labels but also timeless pieces, curated by Anne, Fabrice, and Patrick with rare flair. Meanwhile, in Guéthary, Yaoya Épicerie beautifully mixes Japanese delicacies and Basque terroir in a former village grocery store.
SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS IN BIARRITZ
She flees noise and crowds. In contrast, the countryside soothes her, she books a table, or a night, at Hôtel Arcé. Meanwhile, on the coast, she takes her time in Guéthary, sipping coffee near the old train station or under the small cliffside church. During winter, Ferme Ostalapia calls, fireplaces and deep comfort just minutes from Biarritz. As a result, her rituals anchor her across the seasons.
A FINAL DETOUR IN BIARRITZ
If time allows: San Sebastián. A funicular ride to Monte Igueldo, tapas in the old town, a glass of txakoli poured from high above, but only if you’re not driving back. Sigrid tips her hat to Notox, the Anglet-based surfboard brand crafting boards from flax, cork, and recycled materials, the kind of quiet innovation she believes in.
HER SOUNDTRACK WHEN WANDERING IN BIARRITZ
The Year of the Cat – Al Stewart
Gods and Monsters – Lana Del Rey
Relax – Mika
Tattoo You (album) – The Rolling Stones
I Smoked Away My Brain – A$AP Rocky
Is This It – The Strokes
Love You Till the End – The Pogues
Into My Arms – Nick Cave
Mother’s Little Helper – The Rolling Stones
Did you enjoy BIARRITZ BY SIGRID DE L’ELPINE? Discover GEORGES VICIDOMINI PARIS: SWIMWEAR & STYLE.
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