A rendezvous with Carla

I'd like to turn to Asia, particularly China and Hong Kong. What do you know about this part of the world?

I know too little, regretfully. Regarding China, I've only been there twice. My first journey was an official state visit with my husband in 2011 – it was incredible. We didn't have much time, but we had the chance to discover very special parts of the Great Wall, wander through the Forbidden City… it was a fantastic trip, four magical days from Beijing to Shanghai. And as a model in the late '90s, I travelled to Hong Kong, an incredible city that astonished me from the very first moment. Oh, I forgot to mention, I also love Chinese food.

A lot of people in Europe fear China as a threat to the Western world. What are your thoughts? Do you fear China?

No, but I can feel the power of this country and its clout, as well as the beauty of their youth. I've seen incredibly beautiful women in China and Hong Kong. Men also, in their twenties, who are astonishingly beautiful. When I was working for Bulgari, I met some of the most amazingly flawless Chinese models. That's was when I realised another type of skin could wear jewellery even better than dark skin, which showcases jewellery perfectly. Chinese skin is absolutely incredible, especially for jewellery, because it has something blue – so pale, so transparent. And their hair, their necks... it can be so sensual. Asian women could be the most beautiful in the world… the men also, but their refinement, their grace and their finesse has something feminine to me.

Someday, would you like to sing in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland?

Very much – and all around China. It would be my greatest pleasure to share my vision of French music with the public.

Speaking about music, I'd like to carry on with an artistic "Proust questionnaire". What albums did you listen to most this year?

I would say a mix of old and new. I have a permanent base of Barbara [Streisand], [Serge] Gains-bourg, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen – I bought a vinyl record of Cohen just a few days ago. But regarding the younger ones, I love this French girl named Christine and the Queens – she's so peculiar. I've also listened a lot to Tom Waits. And Antony and the Johnsons – he's celestial and seems to come from another planet.

What's your favourite pop song of all time?

Maybe God Only Knows by the Beach Boys. A true masterpiece – even if that's not an original answer.