Paris Je T’aime: Iconic French

Being both self-proclaimed French fashion lovers, we are genuinely happy to be interviewing Sandrine Halpin, blogger of Iconic French, an online destination for anything French-fashion related. Through interviews with emerging French fashion designers, curated picks on beauty products, style tips and interesting facts about the history of well-known brands, Sandrine is reaching out to anyone interested in French fashion. We sat down with Sandrine while putting together her first capsule collection to break down the infamous French je ne sais quoi style, and discuss French heritage style tips, and, of course, her upcoming line.

What did initially draw you to French fashion?

I am French! Born and raised in France, I have been immersed into French fashion since I was a child. I would raid my mother’s wardrobe, wear her silk underskirts as dresses, wear all her hats, jewels, shirts – even stealing her anti-ageing cream at the age of 7 – and pretend play the princess in front of her mirror! That got me a few memorable rashes we still laugh about.

What is your opinion on the emerging fashion designer market in France?

I am impressed that, despite the economic conditions being what they are, I see a lot of designers going out there on their own, sometimes launching their brands straight out of fashion school. They risk a lot to defend their visions and give a concrete turn to their creativity. Some of the pieces they create literally blow my mind away and some of the designers I met got me thinking “this is so beautiful, how could I ever buy mainstream again?” So, I see a lot of initiatives, superb talents with a real appetite for success, and this very precious freedom in their creations that has not been damaged by industry diktats yet.

In your website, you also tackle the history of French fashion. Is there something we would never guess about it?

Not so long ago, everything was made to measure. Couture used to be affordable by everyone or most.

How do you think that the French heritage reflected in today’s fashion brands?

I can see young designers introducing new materials in their creations (Token Paris, Victoria/Tomas to name a few) the same way French houses introduced 3D patterns and new materials in the 1930s; Hands of Oizo is creating pannier waist belts inspired by 18th century dresses – the list could go on and on endlessly. The heritage is renewed and is everywhere virtually, not to mention the boards put together by trend forecasting agencies. And let’s face it: with the crazy pace the fashion industry has to go by and the number of collections that need to go out every year, there is a lot of recycling going on.

What sets French bloggers apart in the fashion blogging game?

Their tone of voice, not so politically correct.

How would you describe the style of American women compared to one of the French?

America is a huge country. It takes longer to cross from one coast to the other than it takes to cross Europe. It is utmost diverse, and women in New York are completely different from women in Miami, in LA, or women who live in the middle of Illinois. Climate variations are also significant (from sunny Arizona to chilly Alaska) and play a big role in the way women dress. At the other end of the spectrum, French women are bound by a very long common culture and history on a relatively small, unified territory. It is important to outline those differences to explain why in my opinion there is no such easy thing as comparing the style of American and French women. In the broad lines, it is safe to say that French women tend to privilege aesthetics over comfort in their clothing, and that American women seem to seek more guidance and style advice. French women do not really seek advice or easily follow trends, they look at magazines to see what is out there and then they just do their own thing.

Give us a few tips on how to do fashion like a true French girl.

Mix and match; new and vintage, casual and sophisticated, cheap and luxurious. Also, sensual is better than sexy.

You are preparing to launch your first collection. Tell us a few words about your line.

I am quite picky. I noticed I can hardly find T-shirts I like, that have the right fabric, the right feel on my skin, the right cut and a design I like. So after a couple of years of T-shirt dearth, I decided to create my own capsule collection so I can wear the pieces I have in mind that I could never find. The same way I designed my wedding dress and picked the fabric in Bali a few years ago, a beautiful bright turquoise silk base, covered with a turquoise thin veil embroidered with multicolored tiny pearls. As you can imagine, wedding shops do not abound with bright turquoise silk dresses; I am not sure what they are waiting for.

What are your future plans?

To complete redesigning my website, which should launch end of May; continue curating and interviewing emerging French designers; create my T-shirt capsule collection and launch of my e-shop later in the year; stop eating Haribos.

iconicfrench.com

Images via Iconic French

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