Interview by Margot Thibaut.

When and how did you decide that you wanted to be a designer?

I think I always had this wish somewhere inside of me, it just came out with more self- confidence and excitement after my last day of high school , when I said Adios to all my books and science blouse!

It was your dream job?

Honestly , yes.

What is the first thing you designed and for who (yourself,a friend…)?

I remember making a jumper skirt out of a large pair of jeans for a friend of mine, we were 16.

Who’s the designer you admire the most and why?

I admire Haider Ackermann’s talent for his surprising fabric pattern combinations, and his sublime way of draping and styling on his models. I loved watching him dressing the models backstage during my internship.

Who’s your muse, your icon, when you create a dress?

My icon would be some kind of a timeless Arsène Lupin . I like that young gentleman-thief, elegant and amused spirit. Passionate people inspire me a lot, so I find my muses in my very close surrounding.

If you had to design an entire collection using just one color, which is the one you’d pick and why?

Black or white, to contrast with the previous work. Draw a line in a different direction and see where my inspiration will take that color to.

Who’s the first person you show your sketches to?

Closest friends of mine..and mother , who always has a very particular judgement on every single thing I show.

What is the fabric you love the most…silk, lace, velvet and why?

I am attracted by the preciousness of silk and velvet. The look, the structure, the touch, their everything except stitching , which is another thing.
But over all , cotton is the one I cannot miss. Piqué, popeline, denim, jersey.. all we can make out of it allow me to play with volume and construction forever.

If your clothes had a soundtrack, which songs you’d choose?

Something fresh, emotional, nostalgic that would take the audience into a comfortable universe I try to express through my work. Elegance should also be the key note.

Do you have any trick to avoid that “blank page” moment when you’re at the beginning of the designing of a new collection? Do you watch a movie, flip an old magazine…

Go out , anywhere but I need to move. I need to take some time alone, see new landscapes, old movies, and then people again. Heading straight to fabric shops and flea markets are also
my key-escapes. But the most important and efficient thing is to take care of my working space, and living space which includes private daily life – it is all about balance, I can not force myself to work and be creative. Best creativity comes out spontaneously.

If you weren’t a designer which job in the fashion world you would like to do and why?

Probably photographer. Capturing ‘the’ moment on a picture is for me a genius human talent that I admire a lot. I developed a passion for it after an improvised photography lesson with an analog camera, which I fell in love with.
Stylist is also a job I would go for. Making looks with my own collection on different models during my countless fitting sessions, and being on the set for photoshoots in the wildest places have probably been one of the most exciting parts of my student life so far.

Photo credits: Frederic Bastin.