Sezane is opening its first flagship store in New York and is celebrating it by launching a new collection. It actually turned out to be a collaboration with the L.A. Dance Project which once again proves that dancing is a reoccurring subject in fashion.
The French cult label Sézane embodies the style of the typical Parisienne, who is often times caught wearing striped long sleeves while having one or two glasses of Bordeaux at “Café de Flore” with her gals. With that approach in mind – it is probably best described as elegant casualness – Sézane is now on its way to conquer the American fashion market as well. September 7th is the date on which the second Brick-and-Mortar of the online store is to open. While the first one, the “L’Appartement Sézane“ is found in Paris, this new one will be located in New York – Nolita to be precise – where American architects Talbot & Yoon created a 185 m2 store that does not fail to bring across a cozy feeling. For that purpose and for taking the French flair and positioning in Manhattan, exclusive décor elements have been imported from France. So for, any American who is looking for a little bit of Paris in their lives, they are able to stroll along the apartment and get their share of the “vie parisienne” in form of high-waisted jeans or silk blouses.
Sézane x LADP
On the occasion of the new store, Sézane collaborated on a 10-piece collection, with none other than Benjamin Millepied, the dancer and choreographer behind the L.A. Dance Project. Unsurprisingly, Millepied drew the biggest influences from his passion for dancing, which is recognizable even at first glance. The playful collection has been available since August 23th and is offering a wide selection from ballet flats, bodies, simple t-shirts and a denim jacket with the imprint of the word “dancer”.
“I love every art form, but classical dance especially”, says Morgane Sezalory, founder of Sézane. “What I love about Benjamin Millepieds L.A. Dance Project is his alternative way of interpreting the classical dance. Regarding our collection, he had a clear vision of what it was supposed to be: comfortable clothing with a lot of contrasts.” Millepied is not only co-founder of the L.A. Dance Project but has also been working as a director of the Òpéra de Paris. His prominence also comes from working on the psychological horror-thriller film “Black Swan”, in which he set Natalie Portman as a more than ambitious prima ballerinca in scene, helping her win Best Actress at the Academy Awards.
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Campaign pictures – sezane.com
Fashion & Dance – a never ending love story
However the movie about the life of a ballerina was not the only thing that got an enthusiastic response in 2010. Especially the costumes – designed by American fashion design duo Rodarte – inspired many others to create looks ballerinas would wear. This trend seems, as it is often the case in fashion, to be repeating itself. Tulle and pleats, ballet flats and powder shades like rosé are conquering our streets and catwalks. Bodies and wrap over tops are seen not only in Sezane’s flagship stores but in many other shops, be it downtown or online. To make the look more modern and suitable for everyday life, the ballet classics are being combined with sneakers and sweaters. It’s actually no surprise that the popular point work came back to life in fashion, looking at all the similarities between the two cultural fields.
L'Attitude
Ever since ancient Greece, costumes have been a main component in theater, making those of stage dance forerunners for several fashion trends. In 1832, it was the first time people were introduced to the tutu on stage thanks to the dancer Marie Taglioni. In classical ballet, the tutu became shorter and shorter – that is especially interesting when considering that regular women were allowed to show that much skin only many years later. The “Ballets Russes”, founded in 1909, impressed couturiers like Paul Poiret. Besides, Yves Saint Laurent also drew inspiration from the vibrant color scheme, inheriting it in his couture collection of 1976. And that’s by far not all: More and more fashion designers created costumes for dancers. During the Golden Twenties, Coco Chanel for instance, provided costumes reminiscent of bathing suits for a beach scene in “Le Train Blue”. Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace, Giorgio Armani and Albert Kriemler followed suit.
So it is pretty obvious that fashion loves dance. Looking at all these graceful ballerinas wouldn’t we all want to pirouette along in some delicate chiffon dresses? The answer is more than apparent. Luckily collections like the one Sezane just launched bring us one step – or in ballet language: un pas – closer to this dream.
The Sézane mood
Sézane campaign video – vimeo.com
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Text by Aline
English translation by Vivian
Layout by Angela & Carmen
