Babeth Djian to be awarded Chevalier de l’ordre de mérite

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Mar 8, 2022

Babeth Djian, one of France’s most respected fashion editors, is to receive the distinction of Chevalier de l’ordre de mérite, or the Knight of the Order of Merit, later this month.

The prestigious award will be pinned onto Babeth, as she is universally known, during her next charity dinner for her AEM, the association to help children of Rwanda. It will be held in Ledoyen on the Champs-Élysées on March 24.
 
“It’s a generous gift for fashion, and I think also a recognition of Numèro. But above all for AEM,” said Djian, the founding editor-in-chief of Numèro, one of most respected independent fashion magazines in France, and indeed Europe.

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“It’s been 15 years that I have been staging the association dinner. I believe it’s a great association for the children of Rwanda. And I didn’t have to wait for Black Lives Matter to start this project,” Babeth told FashionNetwork.com.
 
Since its foundation, AEM has collected millions of euros in funds to enable thousands of young women to attend schools in Rwanda, and latterly adjoining countries.
 
Testifying to her reputation, Jean-Paul Gaultier will actually pin the medaille de Chevalier de l’ordre de mérite on to Djian in Ledoyen, a top ranked Paris restaurant.

“I love Jean-Paul, and to receive this honor from the greatest of couturiers is fantastic,” added Babeth.
 
While the award was made by the one of France’s greatest military officers, General Benoît Puga, Chevalier de Legion d’Honneur.
 
In a brilliant career, Babeth has worked as a stylist with the gotha of fashion, from Gaultier to Karl Lagerfeld to Alber Elbaz. And with many master photographers – Peter Lindbergh, Paolo Roversi, Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Mario Sorrenti and Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.
 
Known for her booming laugh, uber glamor dress sense and fashion feminist views, Djian founded Numèro back in 1999, and has been the editor-in-chief ever since.