The French Republic honors Wallace’s decades-long impact on fashion, culture, and creative education
Paula Wallace, founder and president of the Savannah College of Art and Design, has been awarded France’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, one of the highest civilian honors bestowed by the French Republic. Presented on February 11, 2026, at Villa Albertine in New York City, the distinction recognizes Wallace’s sustained contribution to France’s cultural life and her role in strengthening international creative exchange—particularly through education, historic preservation, and fashion-focused cultural programming. Established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture, the order celebrates individuals whose work has advanced artistic excellence and cultural dialogue both within France and globally.
In honoring Wallace, the French government underscored her transformative influence on the cultural ecosystem linking France and the United States. Mohamed Bouabdallah, Cultural Counselor of France in the U.S. and Director of Villa Albertine, noted her “visionary leadership and enduring dedication to creative education, historic preservation, and cultural exchange,” praising her as “a distinguished steward of the arts and an essential partner in strengthening the cultural dialogue between France and the United States.” Wallace reflected on the honor as a collective achievement, saying, “I am profoundly honored to receive this knighthood from the Republic of France, which honors the success of every SCAD student and graduate who’s studied at SCAD Lacoste for more than a generation, as well as the many SCAD graduates who contribute to the cultural and economic life of France as creative professionals working for Hermès, Dior, CHANEL, Ubisoft, Airbus, L’Oréal, UNICEF, and so many other global brands.”
Wallace’s impact in France is most visibly realized at SCAD Lacoste, the medieval village in Provence’s Luberon Valley that she helped transform into a global destination for art, design, and fashion education after its donation to SCAD in 2002. Through the restoration of more than 50 historic structures and the creation of museums and cultural institutions—including Musée SCAD Lacoste—SCAD has positioned Lacoste as an active center for contemporary creative dialogue, honoring French fashion and cultural heritage while shaping future generations of designers and cultural leaders. The Chevalier distinction adds to a growing list of international recognitions for Wallace, affirming a career defined by the belief that fashion, art, and education are not separate disciplines, but interconnected forces capable of shaping culture across borders and generations.