Valette Studio - RHYMING LINES

How would you describe this collection? 

This is our thirteenth collection, and we’re now in our sixth year. It took me five or six collections to find our DNA. Other brands specialise more in streetwear. Today, we remain true to this versatile wardrobe. Suits, shirts and tailored pieces, through a new focus on detail, more complex pattern-making and the deconstruction of the suit.

What are your influences and inspiration? 

Constructivism for its lines, is set against a Dada-inspired deconstruction. More broadly, it is always the human body; dressing it in a way that enhances it without disguising it.

In terms of volume, colour and cut, what is changing the most? 

Jackets are becoming wider, and the shoulders are more pronounced. The feminine silhouette revolves more around the dress. The body’s proportions remain emphasised. The season’s colours centre on black and white, punctuated by an exclusive print. The zip serves as a finishing touch. The aim is to ensure the product and the collection’s narrative are clear and understandable. Aside from my own collections, my workshop enables us to develop collections and designs for other independent brands or luxury houses, either as private label projects or through our design studio. Design is linked to production by essence.

In what ways are you most loyal?

I was supposed to become a notary/solicitor. We’re now a team of ten people. What matters most to me is my freedom, know-how expertise and people.

How important is craftsmanship/ know-how to you? 

It’s vital. Valette Studio has always had its own workshops and also acts as a design studio for numerous independent brands and luxury houses. I see myself more as a couturier than as a fashion designer. Creation through craftsmanship and expertise. 

Who is your target audience? 

Our customer range goes from 18 to 78, and includes both men and women. We have nine retail outlets in the United States and Shanghai. We do a lot of direct-to-consumer sales, with around 200 customers across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As the wholesale market was quieter when I launched the brand in 2020 (during the Covid pandemic), I very quickly set up a skilled in-house workshop. This now gives me a great deal of freedom when it comes to deliveries, collaborative projects and the technical aspects of creativity.

Who are your favourite heroes in real life? And in history? 

Daring individuals like Sagan, Gainsbourg, Bowie, Warhol, Jagger, Mozart… In history? The Petit Prince, no doubt, for his wisdom. 

What distinguishes an allure in men?

Their touch of femininity.

The worst lapse in taste? 

Being afraid of making a lapse in taste, precisely.

What role does music play in your creative process?

I work closely with a composer who creates a unique soundtrack for the show each season. As a child and later as a teenager, I used to be an opera singer. For me, music and sound are an expression of emotion, just as much as the drape of a fabric or the look of an outfit. Creating the soundtrack for the show is an incredibly liberating process. 

Is music involved right from the outset of a new collection, or does it come into play later in the staging process?

The creative process for the music begins at the same time as the iconographic research and 2D sketches – even before the 3D models are developed. It all starts with my words, which the composer then translates into sound. This also sets the tone for the collection and sometimes even defines its volumes.

Can we talk about a distinctive sound identity for Valette Studio, in the same way that there is a visual identity?

Absolutely! Just as the visual identity evolves from one fashion show to the next, the music has its own signature style, which changes with every collection. The idea is basically that the music, too, showcases the clothes. Jacques Valkenberg has been composing the music for the shows since 2023. Trained as a guitarist, he got into electronic music at around the age of 15, and he continued to compose alongside his studies. He’s currently studying astrophysics at Harvard, so we work remotely this season. But what really matters for our work is how wide his musical knowledge is: classical, electronic, guitar… He has such a great range of influences that he can switch from one style to another without ever repeating himself. I rarely give him very specific instructions. It could be a word such as ‘Berlin’ or ‘the Mediterranean Sea’, the style of an era, or simply a certain energy; and that’s where he starts. His work meets the same high standards as ours: the quality of a fabric is matched by the refinement of an acoustic instrument; a minimalist cut is paired with a simple rhythm. And what I’ve been really enjoying lately is working on the atmospheres: a track for the opening, coordinated with the lighting, and another for the finale, when all the models come back on.

This interview has been lightly edited. 

L.B