A Postcard from Frances Phillips from...

WESTERN PROVENCE

This summer, Frances packed her namesake dress - the one we designed in collaboration together - into a straw bag and escaped to Western Provence. There’s something about this part of France that draws her back year after year: the way the sun hits the limestone buildings, the scent of lavender in the air, the long lunches that stretch into late afternoon swims.

This summer, Frances packed her namesake dress - the one we designed in collaboration The Frances dress is right at home here: light enough for the midday heat, refined enough for evenings out and always just the right amount of effortless.

Here are Frances’ favourite spots:

Where to swim

Swimming in Provence is a ritual - always cold, always worth it.

– Calanque de Port-Pin

– Baie des Singes

– Pont du Gard

Favourite lunch spots

Lunch is not just a meal here — it’s a sacred pause.

– Tuba Club: for seafood by the sea, followed by a swim at a nearby calanque.

– La Table d’Estoublon: for a refined lunch at a chateau with its own wine.

– Le Bistro du Paradou: for a long lunch with a set menu. The cheese board is a must!

– Chez La Belge, Arles: for coffee and a quick bite in Arles.

– Any food market: You can’t go wrong!

What to explore

Provence invites slow wandering — here are Frances’ favourite spots:

– Atelier Vime: for their curated shop and if you’re lucky, a look around their beautiful home.

– Carrières des Lumières: followed by a walk to the top of Les Baux-de-Provence.

– Abbey Notre-Dame de Sénanque: to see the lavender fields in June or July.

– Gordes & Roussillon: because you have to see them at least once.

– L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Sunday market: particularly for the antiques.

– Any brocante: stop when you see one — there’s always treasure.

– Château La Coste: for the art & architecture walk around their grounds.

– Les Rencontres d’Arles photography festival: runs from July to October.

– Fondation Vincent Van Gogh: a must in Arles.

There’s a rhythm to Provence that slows you down in all the right ways. Mornings are for exploring, afternoons for swimming and eating, evenings for wandering cobbled streets. And all the while, our dress came with her - from shady café terraces to calanques at sunset - a reminder of thoughtful design and memories in the making.