Paris — As all eyes turned to the Louvre after last month’s shocking jewel heist, one especially stylish figure on the museum grounds caught the internet’s attention: a sharply dressed man, wearing a fedora tilted just so, standing coolly next to some nonplussed police officers.
Buzz about the so-called “French detective” included speculation that he wasn’t even real, but a product of artificial intelligence.
Turns out he is real — and 15 years old.
Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux met CNN at his home in Rambouillet, about 30 miles southwest of the French capital, to discuss the social media furor.
Though he may cite fictional Belgian detective Hercule Poirot as a style icon, Pedro confirmed that he was not involved in the investigations — and his outfit, he claimed, is simply his everyday look.
Pedro had planned to spend October 19 at the famed museum with his mother and grandfather. After the trio arrived to find the museum closed, the stylish teen was unknowingly photographed by an Associated Press journalist documenting the crime scene.
He learned about the viral photo when a friend showed him a TikTok video that had nearly 6 million views.
“In the moment, it was, like, very funny,” he told CNN.
He explained his clothing: “For me, it’s important to dress classic. And I like to dress like that because I love history, especially the 20th century.”
He has been embracing ’40s-era fashion for almost a year now, he said. His obsession with the style began when he dressed as Jean Moulin, a hero of the French resistance during World War II, for carnival. Amid the parades and costumed festival-goers, he found a liking for the new look.
“He realized the effect he had on other people,” said his mother, Félicité Garzon Delvaux. “Everyone looked impressed.”
Since then, he has adopted the vintage style everywhere, even at school.
Unlike many of his classmates, Pedro does not own sweatpants. He is not, however, above reaching for the cargo pant on occasion.
Good taste has long been a topic of discussion for the Garzon Delvaux family.
Pedro’s mother, who brought him to the Louvre on that eventful day, grew up in Chartres, about 50 miles southwest of Paris, “in a museum” with an art curator for a mother and a prolific French storyteller for a father.
In their home in Rambouillet, paintings, antiques and knick-knacks line walls and shelves in a manner reminiscent of an exhibition.
“The beauty of things is always very important in our family,” Félicité affirmed.
Due to her husband’s job as a diplomat, the family moved often, living in England, Spain, Bangladesh and eastern France before returning to Rambouillet four years ago.
Some of the Pedro’s most striking pieces have been gathered from around the world.
His vintage Soviet watch, for example, was bought in an antique store in Calcutta and repaired with parts that he sourced from Bulgaria with his father.
His first tailored suit was commissioned at the age of 12 during a year spent in Bangladesh.
Asked what he wants to do in the future, Pedro said he was interested in pursuing diplomacy like his father and paternal grandfather, or perhaps joining the military.
The young man conceded that the uniforms may have something to do with the matter.
But despite his carefully cultivated appearances, Pedro remains an enthusiastic young man of his own generation.
When asked if his friends at school appreciate his style, he was quick to respond. “Yeah, I think I have a lot of aura.”
The-CNN-Wire
