At least according to priestess Isabel Marant, the vibes are off in Paris.
“Summer is fun,” she said. “But soon, it won’t be as fun anymore. There is a feeling that everyone will struggle with rising electricity and gas prices and restrictions [on fuel use] going on. I’m not sure it’s going to be a very peaceful winter.”
Another industry leader — one who is more of a showman than a villain — can recognize here the healing power of fashion and the urgency of an upcoming runway show. But when I asked how the style community could get through these uncertain times, Marant was smart enough to keep her point of view as sharp as her stiletto heels. “The most important thing we can do is manage our consumption,” she notes. “And isn’t that a funny thing to say in the middle of a store?”
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The store in question — Marant’s second New York City store, officially opening on Madison Avenue this week — is a pretty cool one. It’s lined with wood with the same blonde hair color as Marant’s muse Rianne Van Rompaey, and filled with timeless bestsellers like Pull out the knife Sweater and black cowboy bootsalong with some newer hits like hot pink sunglasses and pleated leggings. “It is exciting to be here because no matter how old you are, having a position in New York City is an achievement. It means you made it. It means we’re not just talking to French girls — we’re talking to everyone. “
Of course, “The Girl Who Speaks French” is the MO of Marant’s Lifetime Parisian Girl who started her career as a teenage seamstress before working at French establishments like Chloé and Martine Sitbon. Her eponymous line launched in 1994 and has gained steady traction in the industry — design awards, crowded catwalks, knockoffs from cheaper brands — along with a fan base.” it” stable like Anja Rubik and Halle Berry, who have made her boho style mainstream. “I realized what a person could do to my clothes because of Kate Moss,” she said. “She put on my sweater and it got big – everyone wanted it. We can’t keep it in stock and it’s just super normal Sweater! But when Kate Moss wears it, it really makes a difference.”
Fashion is about fun. “
-Isabel Marant
When I confessed to Marant that in my 20s, I also bought That sweaterShe replied with a confession of her own: “I thought [the sweater craze] a bit stupid at first,” she admitted. “But the more I think about it, the more I realize that there are a lot of women who are not confident, or unnatural in the way they pose. So if Kate Moss — or Hailey Bieber, now Hailey Bieber has the same effect on our clothes — if they could influence women to feel like surname are great girls, I think that’s great, because fashion is fun. ”
Fashion is also involved in acquisitions, but Marant will be thrilled if you buy her second hand. (You can buy a pair of her famous wedge sneakers for under $100 on The RealReal.) “I think the resale is really cool, very clever…[shopping] provides a lot of happiness, and I totally understand that, but you don’t need it new. I’m always more excited when I go into a vintage store. “That said, some fabric improvements to be something completely new, consisting of a pair of covered silk pants that look and move like leather, but feel significantly lighter and avoid the liquid plasticity of the more popular “vegan” exchanges. “We know fashion needs to build things that last and things that are made in a smart way,” she said. “Otherwise, it’s just a lot of bullshit.” (Reader, I’ve touched these pants. They’re definitely not bullshit.)
Back in Paris, Marant studied housewares, creating pottery in his studio. “I am obsessed with doing things by hand,” she explains. “You know, because there’s such a big company, I don’t have time to do things by hand anymore. And that’s what I really, love to do. Also,” she laughs, “I’m starting to get better at it. I mean, I didn’t start so bad. “
Marant Got To Get Her Store Opening Dinner With Blackstreet, Stretch Armstrong And 40% Queer’s Eye cast, along with a steady stream of American models like Carolyn Murphy, Lily Aldridge and Hari Nef. “Of course, the style is more popular now,” she said, “But other than that, the French style, it hasn’t disappeared. It’s the idea that clothes are kept, and lived, comfortable and without too much effort. You can not pretend become who you are, you know? You have to find joy in who you are, and fashion is how we know that joy.”
“Her beauty and her brain don’t go together.” —William Shakespeare
