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LA CAGE: ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Interviews

Finalists at the 39th Hyères International Fashion Festival in October 2024, Victor Koehler and Victoria Baia founded LA CAGE while they were still students at École Duperré. Playing with the conventions of ceremony and the catwalk, they present their Summer ’27 collection as the continuation of an imaginary journey fuelled by craftsmanship. “If you’re going to spend your day sewing, you might as well let silk glide through your fingers,” they say. They are part of the SPHERE Showroom, an initiative for emerging brands organised by FHCM with the support of L’Oréal Paris and Le DEFI taking place at the Palais de Tokyo until June 28.

How are you approaching this season?

We further the journey we began with the AW26 collection by presenting a short film, ‘Le Fou Voyageur’, directed by Max Delagrave. It’s inspired by the story of Albert Dadas, a walker who was found thousands of kilometres from home, unable to explain why he had set off. Around this central character, we’ve created a cast of eccentrics and outsiders who accompany him on his journey with no destination.

 

How does this collection differ from the previous one?

In this collection, we meet Albert Dadas again, our eccentric traveller who walked all the way to Siberia and Turkey last winter. We picture him still on his journey towards India and shedding his woolen overcoat. Whereas the previous season focused on the people he met, now the focus is on his wardrobe, which evolves and wears out as his journey progresses, becoming increasingly eclectic.

 

In what way is summer a special time for you?

It’s the time when we retreat to our workshop to create, and when we start working on new prototypes and enjoy the quietness of Paris as it empties out during the summer break.

 

A holiday-related memory?

The cryptic tours at the Prada Foundation in Milan.

 

What are your influences and inspirations?

- Queer by Luca Guadagnino

- The poet Chloé Delaume, and her readings at the Maison de la Poésie

- 19th-century photographs of weddings and gatherings

 

How important is craftsmanship in your work? And in this collection in

particular?

As designers and craftspeople, we are keen to incorporate traditional and artisanal techniques into a contemporary ready-to-wear collection; it is the joy of making that drives our design aspirations. Our collections are built around beautiful craftsmanship and exquisite materials. If we’re going to spend the day sewing, we might as well let silk glide through our fingers.

 

What’s your current favourite place in Paris?

Our studio in the 19th.

 

What’s your favourite destination?

A bed and breakfast stay overlooking the bay on Staten Island in New York.

 

 

L.B