On the shores of Lake Como with the French businessman Pascal Cagni

My style is minimalist. Having worked with Steve Jobs for many years, my uniform was a dark blue or black T-shirt and jeans that were always well-cut. Now that I’m an ambassador for international investment in France, I’ve bought formal suits by Ermenegildo Zegna Couture and Dior, with blue shirts by Brioni and Hermès ties (€255, hermes.com; Zegna suit, €5,200, zegna.com. Dior suit, from 2,900 euros, dior.com; Brioni shirt, 590 euros, brioni.com).

Cravatta in twill 100 per cento seta. HERMÈS (255 €).

MY FAVOURITE ROOM IN MY HOUSE

My room at Villa Cagni Troubetzkoy in Blevio, on Lake Como, which also serves as my office. From my very first visit to the villa, on 29 August 2009 – my mum’s birthday – I was captivated by the view before me and thought that this was where I would place not only my bedroom, but also my desk. And so it came to pass. During the long years of renovating the villa – about ten of them – I decided straight away which window would be my view of the lake.

THE VIEW THAT INSPIRES ME

Here in Blevio, from the window opposite my desk, I can see Monte Rosa in the distance, and further to the right, Villa d’Este in Cernobbio and Villa Pizzo. It is a privilege. The last ray of sunshine that illuminates the lake on our side of the shore falls directly on my house, which is why the Russian prince Aleksander Vasily Troubetzkoy chose this spot when he had it built. Today, the villa is let out and forms part of a wider project, C4 Collection, a hospitality company that I founded and which is run by my daughter Inès (the group has five properties, three of which are on Lake Como, one in the south of France and one in Courchevel, ed.). I hope to expand the portfolio soon with a rationalist hotel in the Tremezzina area, where I have bought a villa to return to my roots. My father was actually from San Siro, on the same side of the lake, but he later chose to go and work in France, where he settled (a week’s rent at Villa Cagni Troubetzkoy: from 250,000 euros, c4collection.fr).

L’interno della villa di Blevio a cui è dedicato il libro “Villa Cagni Troubetzkoy: Una storia di passione e cultura sul Lago di Como”, curato da Suzanne Tise-Isoré ed edito da Flammarion(72,75 € suamazon.it).

THESE ARE ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE

In every home I have, there are always lemons, oranges and ginger for my first drink of the morning, followed by Sanbittèr in the little triangular bottle and Campari Soda.

THE LAST PRESENT I RECEIVED

From my wife Catherine, a map of Lake Como dating from 1863 and a tourist guide in which the villa appears for the first time (at Villa Carlotta, Tremezzina, the exhibition Greetings from Villa Carlotta. Paper Souvenirs, Travelling Memories until 8 December, villacarlotta.it).

Nuova Carta Topografica del Lago di Como, creata da Pietro Allodi nel 1866 (131,99 € conc ornice in legno su oldmapsonline.org).

IF I HAD TO LIMIT MY SHOPPING TO ONE NEIGHBOURHOOD IN A CITY, I’D CHOOSE...

I wouldn’t call them neighbourhoods, but rather a place set up by a friend, Value Retail. They’re outlet centres, like the one in Bicester near Oxford or in Fidenza. Generally speaking, I buy very little and do so thoughtfully, either at the airport or at this outlet. I believe in sustainable shopping (valueretail.com).

The Apartment, lo spazio riservato agli ospiti speciali al Fidenza Village del gruppo Value Retail. © Giovanni De Sandre

THE ARTIST I WOULD COLLECT IF I COULD

I’m finally going to take some time to explore art, and I intend to do so for the next 10–15 years. I’ve fallen in love with the works of Giuseppe Penone, an Italian artist and a leading figure of the Arte Povera movement, thanks to the Lia Rumma Gallery. I rediscovered this artist on a recent trip to Saudi Arabia at the Ithra Museum. In the garden of Villa Cagni Troubetzkoy, I have already identified ten spaces in which to display works of art (liarumma.it. At the Gagosian in New York, the exhibition Giuseppe Penone: The Reflection of Bronze, which explores the artist’s work on trees from the 1960s onwards, runs until 2 July, gagosian.com).

“In bilico” (2012), di Giuseppe Penone ai Jardins du Parc de Versailles. © Archivio Penone / www.giuseppepenone.com

THE LAST MEAL THAT MADE AN IMPRESSION ON ME

A dinner with the French interior designer François-Joseph Graf at the restaurant L’Ambroisie on the Place des Vosges in Paris (two Michelin stars, a two-course meal and a dessert for 350 euros, excluding wine, ambroisie-paris.com).

Uovo di quaglia con crescionee caviale Kristal di Bernard Pacaud, chef del L’Ambroisie di Parigi.

MY FAVOURITE HOTELS

I really love the Park Hyatt in Paris. Between 2000 and 2017, before I returned to France, I spent more than 300 nights at this hotel; it became my second home (€2,000 per night for a double room, hyatt.com).

L’ingresso delPark Hyatt Paris.

MY NEXT TRIP

I travel a great deal, both for work and for pleasure, and the two often go hand in hand. Singapore, Indonesia, Ecuador, Japan. I’ve just returned from New York for Hidden Treasures, 250 Years of Franco-American Luxury Stories, an event organised by the Comité Colbert to celebrate 250 years of Franco-American partnership. Italia is always on my itinerary: it’s a country I return to often and with great pleasure. In October, I’ll be celebrating my 65th birthday there with my family (theshed.org).

THE THING I WOULD NEVER PART WITH

My iPhone. I also always carry the notes my children have written to me; I’ve kept them all, ever since they were little. In every bag I own, there’s always a Hermès horn shoehorn (made of beech wood, 205 euros, hermes.com).

MY FAVOURITE WEBSITES AND APPS

I check the weather on the WeatherPro website every day – it’s important as I travel a lot. Some of my favourite apps include G7 for taxis when I’m in Paris, Sonos for music and LinkedIn for work (weatherpro.com; g7.fr; sonos.com; linkedin.com).

A PLEASURE I WOULD NEVER GIVE UP

My sister Lucia’s cherries in syrup are my péché mignon.

THE PIECE I’M KEEPING TO PASS ON

A Loro Piana jacket I bought as a young student of Political Science in Paris in 1982, which I have now given to my son Paul. Even back then, I had travelled all the way to Biella to find out more about the textile group. I still keep their clothes, such as the Arthur Jaune shirt, the Voyager jacket and the Roadster. I didn’t have much money back then, but I already loved beautiful things (loropiana.com).

Giacca Roadster in cashmere con trattamento impermeabile Storm System, LORO PIANA (4.700 €).

IF I DIDN’T LIVE IN PARIS, I’D LIVE...

In Blevio!

WHAT IF IT WERE A BIG CITY...

London, where I lived for 15 years with my family, but also Milan, which I am rediscovering and where I can see how it is changing and becoming more open.

IF I DIDN’T DO WHAT I DO, I’D…

I’ve always been interested in politics. Having worked in the hi-tech sector, I’d like to build a European industrial group in the lifestyle sector. That’s exactly what we’re doing with Manufactures C4 and our three fashion houses. We took part together in the Salone del Mobile in Milan with a joint exhibition stand and we’ll be attending Paris Design Week in September. Otherwise, I must say that a childhood dream of mine would be to own a football club on the scale of Como 1907. A third career path would certainly be that of an environmental activist, because the urgency of the ecological transition is very real: I have, in fact, joined the board of directors of the GoodPlanet Foundation, run by my friend Yann Arthus Bertrand (goodplanet.org).