The House of Denude
A Franco-British
Address Book
A curated directory of Franco-British life, bringing together wellness, hospitality, craft and design from both sides of the Channel in one place.
The Denude Directory is a curated directory of Franco-British life, bringing together wellness, hospitality, craft and design from both sides of the Channel in one place. Think of it as a trusted address book: people and businesses are included because we believe in what they do, so anyone looking for a French or British name in these worlds can find them easily.
A historical coincidence
The name also carries a happy historical coincidence. In France, the Directory, or le Directoire, was the system of government that ruled from 1795 to 1799, after the upheaval of the French Revolution and before the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. Governed by a five-man executive, it emerged from an attempt to create a more moderate and balanced political order after the Reign of Terror.
It was also a distinctly Franco-British moment in history. France and Britain were at war for much of the period, even as French fashion, interiors and social life were developing a character all their own.
We did not set out to echo the historical Directoire when naming the Denude Directory. But we rather like the coincidence.
Ours is a Franco-British Directory of a very different kind, one concerned with the people, places and ideas worth knowing across France and Britain, and with bringing those two worlds a little closer together.