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by Alice Pfeiffer
A teddy bear Takashi Murakami and a Mickey Mouse pillowcase discarded informally on a vintage leather chair: a mix of typically French "nonchalant" design and a world that seems come out of the imagination of a child. We are at the office of Bertrand Guyon
Which corresponds perfectly to the tradition surrealist which characterizes the Maison Schiaparelli of which he is creative director since 2015. Sta défiler à Paris the seventh collection of Guyon for the brand and only the fourth as an official member of the Haute Couture Trade Union Chamber and, nevertheless, Bertrand, designer in calm tones walks serene and joke with small hands projecting an air of confident trust
Donner a new life at the traditional Parisian house seems to have become fashionable: Balenciaga, Balmain and, more recently, Carven, Vionnet and Poiret are all examples of " asleep beautiful ", the sleeping beauty who wakes up, as the French call it.
But, unlike Carven, for example, the c A story barely remembers, resurrecting an icon like Elsa Schiaparelli is another challenge. Impressed in the imagination as one of the most avant-garde stylists of the twentieth century known for his collaborations with Dalí, Cocteau and Man Ray, "Schiap", as he is nicknamed to Paris, continued to influence fashion for a long time after the closure of the fashion house in 1954.
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His vision puts into action a chain reaction that inspired, over the years, 39 Yves Saint Laurent's aesthetic, the feminine silhouette-shaped perfume bottles by Jean-Paul Gaultier, the "daily press" by John Galliano and the newly created lace-up glbades by Gucci
"With the 39, increasing retrospectives and a growing interest in the history of luxury, "commented Arnaud de Lummen, general manager of the private investment fund Luvanis, specializing in the revival of luxury brands (including Vionnet, Poiret et al. the House of Moynat), l the rebirth from a historic fashion house is almost guaranteed . Moreover, it is a proven practice. When Lagerfeld debuted at Chanel in 1983, everyone said, "Do not touch him either, it's dead and 'irresistible', as the designer himself has often said. But what people tend to forget, is that Chanel closed in 1939 "and was relaunched, gradually, from 1954. Each time, the task was to translate a past found in desires contemporaries ". Lummenis
Luvanis established different strategies for each of the brands that brought new life: with Vionnet, a specialist in bias cut, for example, she decided to focus on contemporary costumes, a element of novelty. for the House. As for Poiret, "in which none of the original models could be used since the modeling has undergone considerable changes over time", it was a question of restoring the historic talent of the fashion house. adding and perfumes . For the Moynat luggage brand, sets up unique and spectacular orders (see a complete kitchen suitable for a chef contained entirely in a portable chest) to draw attention to the art of leather goods. "The past must be understood deeply before can extradite extrapolate and reinvent codes ," Lummen decreta
What is Schiaparelli's strategy? Acquired in 2006 by Diego Della Valle and Roger Vivier, approaching this house was one of slow and gradual growth. In 2013, Christian Lacroix created a free collection; later that year, Marco Zanini badumed the creative direction meticulously reporting Schiaparelli's greatest hits . Today, after having reopened the original workshop of Place Vendôme, the house is committed to redefining the wishes of contemporary women and to imagining what the legendary founder would have done. for her.
"The strategy has evolved slowly," says Guyon. " I first followed my instinct ."
In 2016, a ready-to-wear collection was launched reproducing the original embroidery on contemporary blouses, silky bombers and blazers.The French fashion historian Elodie Nowinski also points out "the use by the house of social media and a young and optimistic digital communication as well as the involvement of celebrities in a sort of varied and inclusive casting . "This, he explains, has" allowed the house of to successfully rethink its tradition in light of our current frantic culture. "And although the brand refuses to show sales, it confirms that it has quadrupled the size of the company. 39, workshop compared to 2014.
Guyon seems not to be disturbed by the "weight" of Schiaparelli's surrealist past. He distanced himself from any obvious quote. And in the new collection examines a lesser-known aspect of Schiap, or his personal style . "He was incredibly creative at work but personally not so much, which I find very intriguing.He had a discreet style that I tried to figure out: minimalist black clothes, a brooch on the neck, a touch of fur here and there ". The moodboard includes familiar images of Man Ray and Irving Penn; a scrapped series originally designed for Vogue UK but never published and a picture of Schiaparelli at a masked party, dressed in radish (in the evening she became a little more imaginative, admits Guyon).
In the new couture collection one finds, then, modern reinvention of his looks : a piece inspired by a portrait in white feathered boa dress signed by George Hoyningen-Huene, and a simple black dress that will probably have worn to work accompanied by a surreal touch in the form of a pin-shaped eye on the chest. The love of Elsa for animals (including some of her favorite dogs, Popcorn, Mister X, Nuts and Guru Guru, all of which are part of the moodboard) has been freely translated into woven flora and fauna motifs. in knitted garments and sequins embroidered for a " psychedelic panther effect ", not to mention the flamenco inspired necklines. The goal, Guyon explains, was to convey and translate Schiaparelli in a "not too superficial, obvious or masked: a subtle equilibrium" way.
And if Elsa experimented with new technologies and fabrics today, the workshop continues to collaborate with experts of the tradition: Lesage craftsmen (for embroidery) and Lemarié ( for feathers and flowers) as well as avant-garde specialists, including the young expert Julien Vermeulen in pen. " We are also opting for an increasingly ethical approach and staying away from any rare fur for the next collection." There is a new audience, more attentive and green who appreciates the so-called alternative luxury explains Guyon.
Among its customers there is indeed Cate Blanchett Kristin Scott Thomas and Tilda Swinton not to mention Celine Dion who will often wear Schiaparelli outfits during her recent tour
Elsa would have approved.
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