An unprecedented invasion, it began with the shock of a diminutive French president declaring he wanted to make love to us all. Or, at least, that’s how it sounded when he launched the Anglo-French entente amicale after years of frosty entente cordiale. In the days of a gloomy Brown government, these Gallic love waves lapped willing UK shores.

Then Nicolas Sarkozy sent in the pièce de résistance, the triumphal, arching Amazon who would bring us to our knees: his loved-up, delicious new bride, Carla. We were putty in her elegantly gloved hands, and Sarkozy knew it. As each successive flabby politician or ageing royal kissed her cheek or breathed in her fragrance, the president’s, er, stature visibly inflated.

But who was the mastermind behind this memorable seduction? Photographs confirm France’s own first lady has been calling the killer public-relations shots. An accomplished musician, heiress and former supermodel, she has been busy shaping the mage of this presidency, wooing key French editors and photographers. In 2002, when she needed images for her first album, Quelqu’un m’a dit (Somebody Told Me), she called on the photographer Claude Gassian. The edgy, arty Gassian has been shooting portraits of musicians from Leonard Cohen to Mick Jagger to Madonna since the 1970s. And on last month’s state visit to Britain, it was Gassian that Carla called on to record her trip behind the scenes.

The pictures reveal the casual ease of the charm and fashion offensive. From trying out clothes before the visit, to dressing at Windsor Castle, Gassian was there to record every moment: subject to Madame’s approval, of course. He remains discreet about the visit: “There was no particular brief. We just have a trust that has been built over the years.” Anything more to add? Rien.

Back home, the French recognised her achievement: a survey showed that an initially sceptical public had been persuaded that Carla was a good thing. But this personal portfolio shows something more: an instinct for the joy of it all, a confidence that goes way beyond her official duties, an independence that means she’s happy to run her own photo shoots whether the president is there or not. While this continues to help his ratings, it’s a clever strategy. And in the long term – who knows?

Whatever the future brings, it’s fun to watch her at work. As the British photographer Martin Parr has observed, the worlds of documentary, fashion and art are so intertwined, they’re hard to tell apart. Never more so than in shots like this. But as long as we are aware of the manipulation, we can enjoy the results. Vive la révolution.

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