Denim is really having a moment in fashion. In fact, it's far more than a moment as the material has transcended its casual cool status and moved into the realms of high fashion with everyone from McQueen to Marques' Almeida reinventing denim for SS16, via the way of Faustine Steinmetz and Vetements. This season we've seen a whole host of denim dresses or jeans reimagined with new proportions and silhouettes, and now French celebrity stylist and our latest style crush Camille Seydoux has created a capsule collection for Roger Vivier, entirely in denim.
The six-piece collection consists of platform sandals, ankle boots, trainers, a shoulder bag, a bucket bag and a backpack as Camille updates the Roger Vivier legacy with her modern but quintessentially French nonchalant chic.
During a pit stop in London, between trips to New York and Tokyo, we caught up with the effervescent Camille, at Claridge's over tea and scones, to discuss the covetable collaboration, inspiration and the allure of Parisian girls. NB she's just as sexy, playful and clever as she looks.
What inspired you to do a collection centred on pyramid patchwork denim?
I don’t think it was because it’s trendy or because everyone else is doing it. It came pretty naturally to me. Jeans can be so many different kinds of blue so the principle idea was to play with the different aspects and shades.
From the capsule collection, is there a piece that you enjoy wearing the most or fits in most with your aesthetic?
Honestly, I love them all. They all have a different purpose. The booties are very easy to wear for the day. The shoulder bag is more ladylike while the bucketbag is perfect for a date or the evening because it can hold all your essentials and you can wear it across the body. I love the sandals because I love super high heels and these are really comfortable. Actually, there are two pieces that I don’t have yet – the backpack and the sneakers. I really want the backpack for the summer. I love the idea of having it to take to the beach with your book and sunscreen. Each piece is so different.
So did you create them for slightly different girls or does the collection cover different aspects of your personality and wardrobe?
It’s for every occasion. You can wear the collection from day to night, Monday to Sunday.
How did the collab come about and what was the creative process like?
As a stylist I used Roger Vivier for shoots and events and had pieces in my personal collection. It’s a house I’ve always respected so I was very honoured when they asked me. I met Bruno Frisoni and the team and they were great. I was very free to do what I wanted. The collection was based on the Prismick bag that already exists and when I said denim they said "great". They didn’t say "oh no, it’s not very Roger Vivier." I think they wanted to do something different. It’s the first time that Roger Vivier has collaborated with someone else.
You were a dresser when you were a student, but how did you transition from advertising and the art world into styling?
I did plenty of things when I was young. I even wrote a novel. I think I’m a very creative person, I’m not being pretentious, I think it’s the way I am. When you’re young you try to do different things because you don’t know which field you want to explore.
I’ve always had a strong connection with fashion. My mum used to have a shop and she designed clothes and my step mum was a model too so I grew up with it. I tried different things but even when I was in advertising, it was within the fashion sphere. Then the celebrity styling came naturally because my first client was Lea. I first styled her and everyone went crazy for her style so of course, when you do successful things, people come to you and want you to dress them and it was a snowball effect.
Coming from a big family with lots of siblings, did that encourage you to develop an idiosyncratic style?
Oh yes. We’re all different. I have a tomboy sister, Marine who is the eldest. Then I have Ondine who is crazy about Liberty floral prints and she loves vintage. Lea is very much in another world. Sometimes she’s... you don’t know where. And my sisters say that I’m the craziest. I don’t like boring style and I don’t want to be categorised. Sometimes I want to be very sexy for my boyfriend. Sometimes I like to have sneakers and a very casual look. Sometimes I want to be high fashion. I like so many things.
Are there any particular women whose style is inspiring you now?
I have different obsessions but now I have Marie Antoinette and I love her and I love Sofia Coppola movies. I also love Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, that classic New York, American style. I think she was so classy. And actually, I’m also completely crazy about Rihanna. I want her to wear my collection!
Why do you think women universally try to emulate French style?
I don’t know. We’re all unique. You have some English super trendy girls wearing lots of colours and then you have the classic English women. The same thing for the French. You can be very Parisian – you’re afraid to mix and you’re going to wear a lot of black, grey, white – and then you can have a crazy one like me and I don’t care about matching colours. Maybe the French thing is not about what you wear but maybe not being afraid to flirt, to drink wine, to eat. Some women put so much pressure; they need to go to the gym, they need to eat carefully, they dress for others and not for themselves. Maybe the French woman doesn’t care.
The thing that I like about Carrie Bradshaw – and something I like about women in London and New York – is that she dresses to go to the grocery store in high heels and then you have this episode where she’s doing the cover of The New Yorker and she has no makeup on and she’s completely heartbroken because Big left her. She has something French. She loves accessories and she smokes. She’s having fun. Sometimes the French woman is too chic. I think Yves Saint Laurent said it but I can’t remember: you need to be a little bit vulgar sometimes. If you’re too perfect you’re boring.
And bar Rihanna who would you like to see in the collection?
Everyone! I don’t have a special woman in my mind. I just want a cool girl, a girl who’s enjoying herself. Who’s crazy and alive, who’s going to see her boyfriend in my boots. If you wear my collection you’re going to have a lot of men. I’m a lucky charm.
Camille's collection will be available from April in Roger Vivier boutiques around the world.
Follow Camille on Instagram @camilleseydoux
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