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  2. French to English
  3. Textiles / Clothing / Fashion

Elles ne font pas la mode, elles sont la mode.

English translation: Not just a style but style itself/They don’t just reflect the style; they are style itself.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:Elles ne font pas la mode, elles sont la mode.
English translation:Not just a style but style itself/They don’t just reflect the style; they are style itself.
Entered by: Clare Hogg

23:16 Dec 30, 2013
French to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Textiles / Clothing / Fashion / copywriting (marketing text on luxury bed linen)
French term or phrase: Elles ne font pas la mode, elles sont la mode.
I am translating marketing text for a manufacturer of luxury bed linen. I need a snappy, but elegant English translation for the below.

"Nos créations sont pures, elles sont sophistiquées. **Elles ne font pas la mode, elles sont la mode.**"

Thanks in advance for your help!
Clare Hogg
Spain
Local time: 20:28
Not just a style but style itself.
Explanation:
I like the word 'style' in this context.
Selected response from:

Jane F
France
Local time: 20:28
Grading comment
I agree "style" works better than "fashion" in this context. Thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +4They don't follow trends, they set them
philgoddard
4 +2They don't reflect fashion, they are fashion
emiledgar
4 +1They are not trendy, they are the trend
jmleger
4 +1Not just a style but style itself.
Jane F
4They're not just what fashion is made of: they are fashion.
tralamode
4They're not just in style. They are style.
Mercedes Claire Gilliom
4They don't follow fashion; they create it.
ACOZ (X)
4They don’t create style, they embody it.
Nicolas Fralin
3They don't make fashion, they're fashion itself
Yolanda Broad
1They don't belong to a trend, they are "the" Trend.
Ahmed Alami


  

Answers


8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
They don't make fashion, they're fashion itself


Explanation:
Or fashion incarnate, if you want a highfalutin version.

Yolanda Broad
United States
Local time: 14:28
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: I don't think you can say bedlinen "makes fashion".
3 mins
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
They are not trendy, they are the trend


Explanation:
par ex.

jmleger
Local time: 13:28
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: Trendy has a very 1970s ring to it these days.
6 mins
  -> Go to Google type trendy and click on images, let me know if you see a lot of images fron the 70's.
agree  Yolanda Broad: I like trendy.
1 hr
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30 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
They don't follow trends, they set them


Explanation:
.

philgoddard
United States
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 30

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Alison Kapor (X)
11 mins
agree  Stephen D
15 mins
agree  EJP
9 hrs
agree  B D Finch
10 hrs
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31 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
They don't reflect fashion, they are fashion


Explanation:
As I see it.

emiledgar
Belgium
Local time: 20:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 54

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Hollywood
1 hr
  -> Thank you.
agree  Verginia Ophof
4 hrs
  -> Thank you.
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
They're not just what fashion is made of: they are fashion.


Explanation:
Adding another option...


    Reference: http://livre.fnac.com/a1277394/Xavier-Chaumette-Ces-tissus-q...
tralamode
United States
Local time: 14:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Not just a style but style itself.


Explanation:
I like the word 'style' in this context.

Jane F
France
Local time: 20:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 42
Grading comment
I agree "style" works better than "fashion" in this context. Thanks!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yolanda Broad: I like "style" too. :-)
6 days
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2 days 10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 1/5Answerer confidence 1/5
They don't belong to a trend, they are "the" Trend.


Explanation:
Good luck

Ahmed Alami
Morocco
Local time: 19:28
Native speaker of: Native in ArabicArabic
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2 days 18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
They're not just in style. They are style.


Explanation:
Just another suggestion. I don't know if I like it better with or without italics:

They're not just in style. They are style.

or maybe:

They're not just in style. They are the style.

Seems to me it's all about keeping the short, "pure" statements and rhythms that exist in the French source. After that, the exact phrasing is just a matter of taste.

Mercedes Claire Gilliom
France
Native speaker of: English
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3 days 39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
They don't follow fashion; they create it.


Explanation:
Just another suggestion. You could also change the second part of the sentence to "they are fashion" but I think "create it" reads more smoothly in English, even if purists will say that it slightly changes the meaning (if you really think about it, this is debatable).


ACOZ (X)
Australia
Local time: 03:58
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 12
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4 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
They don’t create style, they embody it.


Explanation:
Or: More than a statement, they are fashion itself.

Nicolas Fralin
France
Local time: 20:28
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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