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César Domboy on the psychological geography of Paris and L.A.

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A1A3079.jpg ![A1A3079.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887c5_A1A3079.jpeg) GUCCI shirt, and jeans and stylist’s own belt. A1A3302.jpg ![A1A3302.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887bc_A1A3302.jpeg) GUCCI jacket, shirt, and jeans and stylist’s own belt. A1A3372.jpg ![A1A3372.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887b2_A1A3372.jpeg) GUCCI jacket, shirt, and jeans and stylist’s own belt. A1A3674.jpg ![A1A3674.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887cb_A1A3674.jpeg) PRADA shirt. A1A3701.jpg ![A1A3701.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887bf_A1A3701.jpeg) PRADA shirt, MAISON MARGIELA turtleneck and boots, LOEWE pants, and FALKE socks. A1A3867.jpg ![A1A3867.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf362433f4c084887d7_A1A3867.jpeg) PRADA vest and pants, MAISON MARGIELA shirt, and DIOR HOMME belt. A1A4090.jpg ![A1A4090.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887c2_A1A4090.jpeg) PRADA vest and pants, MAISON MARGIELA shirt, SALVATORE FERRAGAMO shoes, and DIOR HOMME belt. A1A4230.jpg ![A1A4230.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887b9_A1A4230.jpeg) HERMÈS  coat, shirt, and pants, GIVENCHY shoes, and PRADA socks. A1A4323.jpg ![A1A4323.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887c8_A1A4323.jpeg) HERMÈS coat, shirt, and pants, GIVENCHY shoes, and PRADA socks. A1A4591.jpg ![A1A4591.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf262433f4c084887ab_A1A4591.jpeg) GIVENCHY jacket and shirt. A1A4964.jpg ![A1A4964.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf362433f4c084887d1_A1A4964.jpeg) ACNE STUDIOS sweater and pants and SALVATORE FERRAGAMO shoes. A1A5099.jpg ![A1A5099.jpg](https://assets-global.website-files.com/62ee0bbe0c783a903ecc0ddb/6472aaf362433f4c084887d4_A1A5099.jpeg) ACNE STUDIOS pants and SALVATORE FERRAGAMO shoes. [](https://flaunt-mag.squarespace.com/config/pages/587fe9d4d2b857e5d49ca782#)[](https://flaunt-mag.squarespace.com/config/pages/587fe9d4d2b857e5d49ca782#) César Domboy on the psychological geography of Paris and L.A. “Everything has to do with how L.A. and Paris are organically designed and how it affects the inhabitants there.” Domboy remarks, “How you move from one location to another is key." César Domboy, the 26-year-old Paris native who starred alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the heart-grasping film _The Walk_ (2015) describes Los Angeles as less embodied by the superficial title it’s received, and more as a place with distinctive cultures informing its essence. “Every social class in Los Angeles has a cool style—one that looks as if they’ve stepped out of a Bret Easton Ellis’ book or the film _Las Vegas Parano_ \[ _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ \] (1998).” Domboy explains, “It’s notorious for breeding the ultimate cool being, one that has as much to offer as to give.” The pressure to sustain a sense of beauty could be one of the infamous unspoken rules of living and making it in Los Angeles. In Paris on the other hand, the pressures of beauty reflect a much more organic and authentic take on appearance. Domboy describes a modern day Parisian woman as being “Wildly natural—a beautiful, cool girl that relies on a more natural take on beauty.” Are all individuals in L.A. artificial on the inside and out? Parisians seem to be able to distance themselves from the standards of beauty in their society, and better cope with that pressure. The philosophy of _liberté_—to be free from society’s standards, free from the thoughts of others, and most importantly free within your own mind, body, and soul—seems to be one that Parisians hold dear, and encounters you might have in Los Angeles can transpire differently in Paris. “Everything has to do with how L.A. and Paris are organically designed and how it affects the inhabitants there.” Domboy remarks, “How you move from one location to another is key. In Paris, you have way more chances of meeting someone because you are out more and walk. You are most likely to collide with someone and encounter people. In L.A., I am sure you can meet a true friend or soul mate. But you will rarely meet someone unexpectedly... except maybe in a car crash!” This year finds Domboy in the romantic comedy _Up for Love_ alongside Jean Dujardin—a bonafide star in his native France who snatched American hearts (and the Oscar for lead actor) as George Valentin in _The Artist_ in 2012—and drama _Un sac de billes_. So is there a Los Angeles future in store for the promising Parisian, or would the nice weather dampen his drive? “I like being in the sun, so a place that is always warm and sunny is certainly pleasant for me. But I think it has nothing to do with talent. You can be a genius whether it rains or not.” #### Photographer: Fe Pinheiro. #### Stylist: Henry de Castillon. #### Groomer: Pomme Seiler for B-Agency. Location: Hotel Montana, Paris.