When thinking of the ultimate chic; two European cities come to mind. Paris and Milan. This season we’re happy to introduce to you three new brands on our radar from these Fashion Week cities. Blazé Milano, KOCHÉ, and The Andamane. Each brand is run by women for women. Meet the founders of each brand as they talk one on one with us about everything from inspiration, what makes their brands different, how to style their favorite pieces, and what the future holds. Combining elements of chic, iconic pieces and everything the modern woman needs in her wardrobe, meet our new obsessions.
Corrada Rodriguez D’Acri, Delfina Pinardi and Maria Sole Torlonia
The three of you were all fashion editors at Elle. Can you tell us about your backgrounds, how you met, and how you decided to create Blazé Milano?
Delfina: We’ve always loved the blazer as the key item to be perfect for every occasion (day to day, all night long and for the weekends). At the time the 3 of us were running from one show to another and the feeling coming from this powerful garment was strong. It was on every single catwalk, after such a long time. We saw that there was a gap in the market fully dedicated to this single product. A perfect, comfortable, seductive and bold blazer full line was missing.
We felt a very well cut blazer was a rarity, usually linked to the tailoring knowledge of the ones inspired by the styles that our mothers and fathers used to wear.
Sole and I grew up wearing tailored blazers for horseback riding competitions and Corrada, from her end, grew up dazzled by the gold buttons on her father’s uniform, an Officer in the Italian Navy. So the 3 of us had a fully equipped background, lifestyle and rooted aesthetic towards this garment.
BLAZÉ is an all-encompassing jacket for the contemporary independent woman who honors and respects herself as a righteous and fundamental key player in the history of mankind. Now, especially, more than ever before.
What makes Blazé Milano unique from other contemporary brands? Being from Milan, do you feel the essence of the city is a big inspiration?
Corrada: Though the brand is based in Milan from its conception, we have both an urban influence and a more close-to-nature DNA. The influence from the countryside and the sea inspire us constantly. What we try to keep unique is the authenticity to our story, our roots, why we picked the blazer (ranging from the uniforms of the royal navy and the horse-back riding world), the women that inspire us, and the values we believe in. The timelessness and classic charm we share in all our collections and explore with a different touch each time.
What inspires your collections and what other designers do you admire?
Sole: The collections are inspired by anything that catches our attention at the time, that could be something as simple as a stylish woman, an old movie or time, songs or particular interiors and art, sometimes we are inspired even by a special time of one’s life . This Summer collection in particular is SWEET ESCAPE … and it’s all about the moment in which it was designed. It was designed during the Lockdown and so it’s about the desire of travelling …The designers we are always inspired by are the great old ones such as Yves Saint Laurent, Cristobal Balenciaga , Coco Chanel and Christian Dior, those who invented the meaning of fashion each one with their one taste and style
Who is the woman you are designing for?
Sole: Blazé is made for the modern woman with a taste for a sustainable, well-made, wearable, functional and stylish type of fashion sense. Well-made garments are not to be considered fast fashion but something to pass on to future generations. These women value tradition and quality. They wear Blazé to enhance their assertive and confident nature while managing busy travel schedules; they need something quick and chic that will allow them to be presentable in every possible scenario.
Blazé Milano embodies the art of luxury and tailoring. By choosing one timeless classic and perfecting it, you’ve built a strong following. What is so special and unique about the perfect blazer?
Delfina: Thank you! Such a great compliment, it makes us so proud to be perceived like this. Behind our brand and our blazers, there is so much hard work that goes into it, from every single component of the BLAZÉ team. The blazer is a perfect item itself. It is a carryover from more than a century. In particular our blazers always have something unexpectedly extravagant regardless of the classic tailoring and sartorial construction. We add our aesthetic and knowledge in fashion, the most exquisite textiles and buttons, and we always reference a certain kind of woman, the tomboyish one, the down to earth one, the effortlessly elegant kind of being. Some of these women include: Lady Diana, Lauren Hutton, Caroline de Maigret, Lauren Bacall.
We’re absolutely crazy about the arched pockets! It’s strong details such as those that truly make a brand stand out. Why did you decide to go with the arched pockets as a standout statement?
Corrada: Thank you! Seeing that we started our brand with a blazer that we ‘borrowed from the boys’, it made us think of how we could add a touch of femininity and sexiness to its oversize and tomboy fit. This motif was very common in the 1920’s fashion designers and the Roaring Twenties, and the curve is absolutely a determinant shape of architecture and interior style of that time. That is the historical time frame which inspired us. Soon enough we realized how great the pockets looked on the blazers and how distinctive it could become. It’s actually our logo without being a logo, elegant and discreet, simply by adding our signature to the garment. Our collections have expanded now and we offer the total look where the Smiley Pocket is carried out throughout most of the items.
Speaking of, which are your favorite pieces from Blazé Milano for this season? How would you style them?
Delfina: I am in love with the ‘DRUMBEAT’ EveryNight blazer, it is made in micro-check pattern wool and has a double back vent. It’s very masculine and sophisticated. I can’t wait to wear it back in the city or for an elegant weekend at the countryside with my new ‘Highland’ turtleneck sweater and ‘Nariida’ jeans, both from our new BLAZÉ “CLUB SPORTIF” collection.
If you could have dinner with any 2 people (current or past), who would they be, why, and where would you choose to eat?
Corrada: I feel the happiest when I’m dining at a summery beach restaurant. I have a couple of favourite spots around Italy’s Mediterranean coast, but if I had to choose one to bring someone special it would have to be ‘Da Gioia’ in my hometown island Capri, where I spent so many summer holidays filled with treasured special memories. I would definitely bring my favourite author and poet Kahil Gibran and hear his thoughts with the sea view and some chilly Aglianico red wine. My other choice would be very different so I would have to change settings! I would love to have some style lessons from Brigitte Bardot at parisian restaurant Maximn’s where she used to hang out during the seventies and caused a scene once while entering effortlessly barefoot!
Who would Blazé Milano like to collaborate with? What is next for Blazé Milano?
Sole: We look to collaborate with brands or people who have style, who we feel bring something to the table that is different, but with a like mindedness. We get excited and energized by alternate points of view and value everything we learn from our collaborations. Ultimately, we look for beauty, taste and high quality. Right now, we are looking forward while at the same time going back to our roots. Blazé was born in 2013 as a “Made to Order” brand. We were lucky to expand into Ready to Wear as the market demand was for pieces that were readily available. Our Blazé Atelier is something different, our clients come to the atelier and get to be creative, create a one of a kind piece, add embroidered initials and then wait 4-6 weeks for their blazer to arrive. The items are unique and do not overlap with the ones we have in our RTW collections.
Christelle Kocher
Can you tell us about your background and how KOCHÉ came to be?
After my graduation from Central Saint Martins, I worked for prestigious houses such as Bottega Veneta, Dries Van Noten, Chloé, Martine Sitbon. In 2010, I became the artistic director of Maison Lemarié, Chanel Métier d’Art. I created KOCHÉ in 2015. Now, I share my time between KOCHÉ and Lemarié. I created KOCHÉ because I wanted to break some rules with my brand. I create a world which is generous, inclusive, and joyful! I want to open the ideas of beauty, genders, body shapes… Therefore I launched myself into this creative project. KOCHÉ DNA is based on elevated Couture know-how, crossed with streetwear inspiration and an artistic approach. It is a good mix of what built me over the years, professionally and personally.
In 2019, you won the ANDAM Grand Prize. How did this change your day to day and the business growth pace of KOCHÉ?
It was an immense honour to win the ANDAM award. It is a prestigious recognition of my work by highly skilled actors of the industry. It was incredibly special to me because Martin Margiela was part of the jury this year. Moreover, Renzo Rosso was the President of the jury and so he became my mentor. And, eventually, we signed a strategic agreement together to develop KOCHÉ with the help of his group OTB (Diesel, Margiela, Marni…). Now, we propose the best Made in Italy quality to our customers!
In comparison to other Parisian brands, do you feel KOCHÉ adheres to the french cliche of fashion?
Not really. I live and I am based in Paris. This is my city and I love it. But I used to work and live in London, Milan, Strasbourg and New York. As I see it, KOCHÉ is not a Parisian brand. KOCHÉ is an international project! We are listed in the Paris Fashion Week official calendar but I organized 2 shows in NYC, 2 shows in Tokyo, 1 show in Milan for my collaboration with Pucci and 1 show in Marseille. Traveling, meeting people from different cultures and origins is particularly important for me. It nourishes me and my creativity.
What inspires your collections and what other designers do you look forward to? Who is the woman you are designing for?
I am inspired by people: friends, artists, musicians, athletes… I am designing clothing for real people. KOCHÉ is a brand to be worn! and my inspirations come from real life. The woman that I dress is strong and I love the idea that a garment can give women confidence and power.
I am also very much inspired by contemporary arts. This Summer, I went to the Soulages museum in the South of France. It moved me so much. I had the chance to work almost 10 years with Karl Lagerfeld. He is still in my mind when I work. I am also lucky enough to consider Michèle Lamy, as my godmother in the industry. These persons inspire me and give me the strength necessary to succeed in fashion.
KOCHÉ embodies the art of luxury, tailoring and streetwear. Is this inspired by the way you style yourself?
Yes, I always wear KOCHÉ! I like mixing high-end pieces with more casual items.
Speaking of, which are your favorite looks from KOCHÉ for this season? How would you style them?
I particularly love the outwear in this season. The coats have advanced design with creative shoulders, for example. They can be either sophisticated and, at the same time, worn with a casual pair of jeans.
You’ve collaborated with Goossens and Adieu, who else would you love to collaborate with?
Last year, I did an amazing collaboration with NIKE around the Women’s Soccer World Cup. It was great to celebrate women in sports with NIKE. I designed 20 Couture outstanding dresses for athletes. I also developed with NIKE a soccer dress and a sports bra in limited edition. Last February, I was the guest designer of the Emilio Pucci Fall Winter 20 collection. We did a fashion show during Milan Fashion Week. It was an amazing experience to deep dive into the archives of the house. It was a lot of fun and pleasure to work with Laudomia Pucci and all of the team in Italy! I am very proud of the collection because it is a really good match between KOCHÉ and Pucci DNAs.
If you could have dinner with any 2 people (current or past), who would they be, why, and where would you choose to eat?
I would love to spend time with Simone de Beauvoir. She was one of the thinkers who had the biggest influence on me. She was bold and modern. She helped so much for women to fight for their rights and changed the way women are seen in our society. It was not an easy fight back in the days and it is still important to fight today!!!
For a perfect meal, I go to the restaurant CAM created by my chef friend Eseu Lee. It is gorgeous, I highly recommend it if you pass by Paris.
What is next for you and KOCHÉ?
A lot of new surprises are coming 😉
You work together in designing amazing and sexy boots for Paris, Texas. Both brands are very distinct yet with a similar touch. Can you tell us about your backgrounds, how you met, and how you decided to move on to womenswear with The Andamane?
The Andamane creative team felt the need to offer to the fashion forward, contemporary and always-looking-for-new women something extremely cool that could be worn not just daily but easy to transition to evening and night. Literally from office to party with just the need of grabbing a purse and a bold lipstick.
What makes The Andamane different from other contemporary brands?
The main difference in The Andamane is that the brand offers pieces that are following the latest trends while always focusing on essential pieces that always play such a big role in everyone’s attire.
Being from Milan, do you feel the essence of the city is a big inspiration?
Milano is a huge source of Inspiration for The Andamane. A city with art and fashion deep within its core, so you can’t even walk in its streets without being influenced by details, people and corners you pass by. What inspires your collections and what other designers do you admire? The collection is inspired by women of the past and present, how they loved and love to dress.
Who is the woman you are designing for?
The Andamane is for urban women always on the go, who want to feel cool from morning to evening, who travel a lot and need to have perfectly matchable pieces in their suitcase.
The Andamane embodies the art of luxury, seductiveness, and playfulness. One thing that stands out are your animalier patterns and exquisite metallic sheens. How much time do you spend choosing fabrics or patterns?
This is the most motivational and intriguing step of the process as it is where everything always starts. We always aim to choose fabrics and patterns that convey a positive and unique feeling by just looking at them and having them on the skin.
Speaking of, which are your favorite pieces from The Andamane for this season? How would you style them?
Our favourite pieces, which we love to style together, are silk slip dresses and our oversized padded blazers. We love the idea of matching a hugging minimal dress with a jacket that is more manly and street.
Who would The Andamane like to collaborate with?
As a brand we would love to collaborate with everyone who is able to inspire us, that brings a new vision and keeps the excitement up into the whole process of designing a collection.
What is next for The Andamane?
The upcoming Spring Summer 21 will be like a rebirth for the brand. The collection will be more clean and essential with timeless pieces in new fabrics, shapes and lengths in both bold and neutral colors. So, stay tuned as it will be exciting.
A special thank you to Corrada Rodriguez D’Acri, Delfina Pinardi and Maria Sole Torlonia, Christelle Kocher, and The Andamane team.
