FASHION AND JEWELRY DESIGNER AMBRE DAHAN INVITES US INSIDE HER HOLLYWOOD HILLS MANSION, WHERE L.A. HISTORY MEETS PARISIAN CHIC

Born in Paris and now very much at O home in Los Angeles, fashion designer Ambre Dahan is a flawless mix of French chic and California cool.

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Her designs under the label SPRWMN are sought after by the world's most stylish stars, from Rihanna and Kylie Jenner to Jennifer Lopez and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

But when we meet up at her bijou villa in Hollywood Hills, Ambre reveals that her career almost took a very different path. Though she dreamed of a future in fashion, her parents encouraged her to pursue a law degree advice she dutifully followed. Afterward, when she was about to enrol in the French Institute of Fashion, they intervened once more. "Why don't you study economics first?" they said. Again, she obeyed.

Finally, fate took a hand. Ambre joined some friends to help with a fashion fair that included the fast-rising brand Joe's Jeans.

And that's not only how she found her true calling but also how she found her first true love.

Charismatic California-based Joe Dahan was one of the pioneers who helped turn denim into the universal object of desire it is today. "I thought he was great," recalls Ambre.

"A little later, I had a job with Cartier in New York, where I met him again. He said, 'You should come to Los Angeles. You'll like it.' And in the blink of an eye, I found myself designing with Joe, marrying him and living in Los Angeles." That was 20 years ago.