Skip to main content
BooksEventsTravel

THE CHICEST MOUSE IN PARIS

By June 1, 2021June 8th, 2021No Comments
Celebrating the launch of Claris the Mouse at Le Bristol Hotel

Megan Hess is one busy woman! Just hours ago she was at Annabels in London to celebrate the launch of her latest book, Elegance The Beauty of French Fashion, and now we’re sitting at Cafe de Flore in Paris before she’s off to a book signing at Galleries Lafayette. But London wasn’t her first stop on this whirlwind trip. Megan has already been to Dubai and will be stopping in New York and Toronto for events before making the long journey back to her home in Melbourne, Australia. For someone who has spent the past few weeks on countless planes, trains and automobiles, Megan looks relaxed and at ease in a flowing Zimmerman dress and Valentino flats as we sip coffee and watch passers on the busy Saint Germain street.

Macarons and pink champagne, très chic!
A chic setting to celebrate the book launch of Megan’s first children’s book, Claris: the chicest mouse in Paris

Thank you so much for taking time out on your book tour to chat with us! How has the tour been so far? 

It has been so amazing! I am always so blown away by how so many different people connect to a single book and how much we all share as different cultures. My books are very visual and it brings me so much joy to see that in some small way one of my drawings has made someone feel good or inspired in some way. Even more so now that I have created a children’s book – it makes me so happy when children coming along to book signings tell me that they loved the book. Those moments make all the hours that I spend drawing, completely worth it!

We all love your children’s book character, Claris, so much. She is so chic and adventurous. How did this adorable character pop into your head?

It was during a stay in Paris while I was researching for my book Paris: Through a Fashion Eye, that I had a wonderful idea.. I was sitting on my little balcony at Le Bristol Hotel (as I am their Artist in Residence) and I thought I saw a little mouse on a neighbouring rooftop scurrying across the building. I remember thinking how wonderfully chic it would be to live in Paris, even if you were only a tiny little mouse!

Back where it all began at the incredible Le Bristol Hotel
The beautiful blooms for the table setting at Le Bristol

Wow… what a special story and what a lucky little mouse to live such a chic life in Paris! You mention Le Bristol Hotel, you launched the very first Claris book there in 2017. What a beautiful full circle moment… 

It really was! I love every inch of Le Bristol and I do feel like it’s the fanciest home in Paris and there was no where better place in my eyes to launch the very first Claris book there. We celebrated the book launch in style with a fabulous French High Tea in one of the most fabulous French Hotels to celebrate a fabulous French mouse – très chic! 

And finally, what do you hope children will take away with them after reading your book?

I always hope that kids will connect with Claris. One of the reasons I made Claris a little mouse is because she’s so small and everything in the world around her feels so big. I think this is how kids often feel too. I want kids to know that it’s wonderful to express themselves and be who they want to be – it’s ok to aspire to great things and want to have a wonderful life. I also really want kids to understand how important compassion and kindness is. Going out of your way to help someone is a powerful way to live – especially as a kid.

Leave a Reply