Sonia Rykiel’s artistic director Julie de Libran on Anish Kapoor, Seattle’s coffee scene and personalised perfume

My personal style signifier is a man’s jacket. If I am not actually wearing one, I’ll have one around my shoulders. I’ve worn them since the early 1990s when I was in fashion school and borrowed them from my boyfriend. I like the broad shoulder, and the fact that it feels like a uniform. 

The last items of clothing I added to my wardrobe were workout pieces from LA brand Alo Yoga. They are so flattering, and brilliantly cut for comfort and functionality, and the jersey they use is extremely soft. I’m also very attached to a pair of green suede block-heeled shoes by Fabrizio Viti. I fell in love with them when I was in LA to host a dinner and wore them with a knitted top, skirt and evening bag that all have the same “cage” design. Workout bottoms, from £35, aloyoga.com. £979, fabrizioviti.com

The accessory I’m eyeing next is a pair of olive-and-black striped appliqué-leather ankle boots from our pre-fall 2018 collection. They have a tiny kitten heel so they are great when you need to be active all day. I will wear them with a black leather miniskirt and black cashmere knit. £450, soniarykiel.com

A recent “find” is Nilufar Depot in Milan. Nina Yashar, who I’ve known for a long time, opened this huge space with the most amazing collection of art and 1950s design from names such as Giò Ponti. It’s extremely well curated, and she also works with designers to create new furniture. I bought some modular bookshelves by the Italian architect Massimiliano Locatelli. Bookshelves, €13,200, Viale Vincenzo Lancetti 34, 20158 Milan (nilufar.com)

The best gift I’ve given recently was a “charcoal coffee” that I found in America, which I’ve given to some friends. It’s very healthy, and the flavour changes depending on whether you have it with water or with oat milk. I’ve stopped drinking real coffee and I feel much better. £24, schizandu.com

And the best one I’ve received recently is a 1970s floral mousseline dress from Yves Saint Laurent that my grandmother gave to me. I remember her wearing it when I was a child. I love vintage, but having something that also has a personal memory makes it even more beautiful.

The accessory I would never part with is a vegetal-leather agenda. I bought it from Hermès when I was 30, and I couldn’t live without it. The leather ages beautifully. I have to write everything down or I forget it – it’s therapy for me.

My favourite app is Instagram: it’s addictive. My family is abroad, so my brother signed me up. I look at it in the morning or last thing at night and I love that I can see what everyone is doing.

The item I will keep to pass on is a Sylvie Corbelin necklace I bought when I was pregnant. I have told my son I will give it to him when he’s older. It’s made from antique elements – a tooth, a claw and a tortoiseshell chain; it looks quite sauvage. From €5,000, Marché Paul Bert, 110 Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Saint-Ouen (sylvie-corbelin.com)

The people I rely on for personal wellbeing are Dominique Pianel, my osteopath – he’s a magician; and my trainer Justin Galvez, because if I am not training I can’t have chocolate. It’s quite intense and he gets me doing all the things I hate, like squats and push-ups. Dominique Pianel, 116 Blvd Raspail, 75006 Paris (+331-4514 6637). Justin Galvez, justingalvez.com

If I didn’t live in Paris, I would live in Tokyo. I love the culture and the aesthetic – the mix between antique style and the very modern and futuristic. Everything from the trees and flowers to the desserts is so cheery. The Aman is extraordinary – even just the view from the pool. Daikanyama T is an amazing bookstore and coffee shop that has a brilliant selection of Japanese magazines. I also love shopping for vintage clothes in Tokyo, and Laila Vintage is one of my favourites. Last time I was there I found all these French designs from the 1960s and earlier that were reworked in Japan. Aman, Otemachi Tower, 1-5-6 Otemachi, Chiyoda (aman.com). Daikanyama T, 17-5 Sarugakucho, Shibuya (real.tsite.jp/daikanyama/english). Laila Vintage, 5-46-2 Jingumae, Shibuya (laila.jp)

My style icon is my mother, Corine; I have many, but she has influenced me the most. I would spend hours in her closet as a child looking at all the fabrics and details. She introduced me to this world and to creativity.

An unforgettable place I’ve travelled to in the past year is Seattle, where I stayed with my brother. The city has a real charm and it feels quite Anglo-Saxon, but there’s also this incredible wildness – I was amazed by the beauty, the vast expanses of forests and mountains. 

And the best souvenir I’ve brought home is a bronze and malachite angel. It’s not a souvenir exactly; recently I lost my grandfather, who lived in the south of France, and it was one of his things that I brought back with me.

The one artist whose work I would collect if I could is Anish Kapoor. I do have one piece by him – a sculptural gold ring that I bought from the Louisa Guinness Gallery in London – but my dream would be to have one of his sculptures. I fell in love with a piece at Art Basel in Miami that was like a drop of water in a gold metal; the shape was so bold and simple but it created such emotion. 

The last meal that truly impressed me was at Starbucks Reserve in Seattle. It’s their first roastery, and all the huge coffee roasters are right in front of you; it smells incredible. They are working with Italian bakers so they have all these fantastic breads like focaccias as well as French pastries for breakfast, and the coffee is fantastic; it’s really well done. 1124 Pike St, Seattle (thestarbucksroastery.com)

The last music I downloaded was Phoenix’s Ti Amo. I love the strength of the four members of Phoenix when they play together, and the energy they bring to the music. 

In my fridge you’ll always find soya milk, oat milk and almond milk and I always try to have kale, which is hard to find in Paris; I aim to do a juice in the mornings with kale, apples, kiwi, carrots and blueberries. I’m not super-healthy, but I try.

If I had to limit my shopping to one neighbourhood in one city, I’d choose SoHo in New York. I do most of my shopping when I travel, and here you can walk to so many different places and access such a mix of independent stores. I love 45RPM, a Japanese store with beautiful fabrics where they mix things like amazing Japanese denim with vintage American cowboy boots. I go to Opening Ceremony’s boutique and see its latest inspiration, and James Perse where you can pick up great T-shirts. And I always find interesting things in De Vera, which has antiques and an amazing collection of new and old jewellery. 45RPM, 169 Mercer St (45rpm.com). De Vera, 1 Crosby St (deveraobjects.com). James Perse, 60 Mercer St (jamesperse.com). Opening Ceremony, 35 Howard St (openingceremony.com). 

The beauty staple I’m never without is my perfume, which has iris, vetiver and jasmine in it. One of my closest friends, Daniela Andrier, is a nose, who makes scents for different brands; she created it for me – she knows exactly what I love – and called it Infusion da Belle, which is my middle name

The best books I’ve read in the past year are Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend series – I’m on the third book. It’s a wonderful story about friendship that begins in Naples in the 1940s and goes through so many periods. It’s beautifully written.

An indulgence I would never forgo is dark chocolate – any brand will do, I love all kinds, but if I am pressed I’d choose Debeauve et Gallais. From €6, debauve-et-gallais.fr

My favourite room in my house is my bedroom in Saint Germain. It’s all in white apart from the walls and the floor. I have lots of art in there, and my desk where I sit to design, and there are double door-windows that look out over Paris.

If I weren’t doing what I do, I would be a photographer. I have a few cameras and I always wish I could have more time to take more pictures or even to do my own shoots.