RIZ POLI - IN RELATION

The inspiration of this collection? 
I first encountered José Dávila’s work at the 2022 Lyon Biennale, in the Usines Fagor exhibition space. Old furniture and stones were brought together in his particular way. These seemingly solid objects appeared fragile yet remained in a delicate state of balance. In 2025, his exhibition at Almine Rech left another lasting impression on me. I was particularly drawn to the works in which rocks, steel I-beams and cylindrical steel tubes interacted, maintaining their balance through mutual support and restraint. Standing in front of his work, I felt a certain sense of authenticity. Perhaps because the pull of gravity between different objects became so visible; or perhaps because, when tension approaches a critical point, the relationships between structures become all the more apparent. One thing always needs another in order to exist, doesn't it? This became the starting point for our SS27 collection. With the support of SPHERE, we have the opportunity to tell this story at the Palais de Tokyo, in the Point Perché exhibition space. By transforming old wardrobes and rearranging wardrobes, garments, hangers and the surrounding space, we are creating a narrative through the relationships between them. At the same time, we are planning three short films portraying the everyday lives of a Parisian couple, exploring the subtle and complex relationships that unfold between them. The films are scheduled for release in early 2027. The collection, the spatial installation and the films come together to form our SS27.

If you had to describe the colour palette, how would you describe it?

Coffee beans. From white blossoms to green fruits; from pale ivory beans to the deep browns of roasting. A seemingly ordinary bean, through time, temperature and human intervention, eventually becomes a delicious cup of coffee. I like to think of our clothes in a similar way. Through translucent layers, different colours interact with one another. Whether against the skin or layered over another garment, they influence and transform each other, creating new shades through their relationships.

What materials did you particularly enjoy working with?

First, a translucent crinkled nylon from Olmetex, one of my favourite fabric suppliers. Its semi-sheer, slightly hazy texture reveals our layered constructions in a subtle yet distinct way. Another favourite is a semi-transparent striped fabric in a deep béton [concrete] shade. The dark base and translucent stripes bring together a sense of androgyny and elegance. This season's knitwear was developed in collaboration with Groppo in Italy. We explored various possibilities through different yarns and knitting textures, aiming to preserve the character and transparency of the yarns while giving the garments a certain structural definition. We also continued working with our signature dark brown lambskin, with a Nappa finish on the inside and a dark gradient treatment along the garment edges. We then carried this hand-applied gradient dyeing technique over into our jersey pieces, exploring how the same treatment could take on a different character when applied to another material.

A destination for 2027?
I would love to go hiking and camping, to immerse myself in nature alone. To feel the leaves, the wind, the humidity, the hunger and the cold. I've never experienced anything like this before, but it's something I really long for. A friend told me about the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that crosses the Pyrenees between France and Spain. I would love to walk part of it and experience it for myself.
 

A childhood memory that determined your career path?

Before I started primary school, I lived with my grandparents in the countryside. I have a vivid memory of rolling an ice wheel across a concrete yard. Imagine something like one of Roni Horn's ice-like glass sculptures, with a red-hot iron rod inserted into it, being pushed across the ground.
I cannot say that this moment determined my career, but for some reason, the image has never left me.

A moment in fashion that has inspired your work?

There have been so many. One of the most recent was John Galliano's final show for Maison Margiela, the 2024 Artisanal collection. I was fascinated by the way he brought cinema and the fashion show together. The boundary between the screen and reality seemed to disappear. It was drizzling that evening, and somehow, everything came together so perfectly. It was simply beautiful. I've watched the video over and over again.

What film or book continues to fascinate you? 
The first film that comes to mind is Belle de Jour by Luis Buñuel. An erotic film unlike any other, and a masterpiece of psychological cinema.

As for books, I've been reading Gilles Deleuze's Francis Bacon: The Logic of Sensation. I haven't finished it yet, but it has already left a profound impression on me.

Francis Bacon is another painter I deeply admire, and reading this book has given me a new way of understanding and looking at his paintings.

A personal memory?

There must be so many, but my memory sometimes feels like a black hole that swallows everything. I was scrolling through my phone's photo album and came across a memory from my time at Y/Project. We once played a prank on the production team by stacking enormous rolls of fabric horizontally, one on top of another, all the way up from the floor, until we completely blocked the door to their office. Of course, it was just a little prank of ours.

Your playlist for the end of the year? 
Nostalgia, Hania Rani  

A new place you wish to discover in Paris ? 
I wish someone would tell me about a restaurant in Paris like Ultramarinos Marín in Barcelona.

An old one?  
The Musée des Égouts de Paris [The Museum of the Sewers of Paris]. I visited it during Nuit Blanche. Mathild Clerc-Verhoeven's woven sculptures were suspended inside the sewers. The almost magical lighting, together with the smell of the sewers, left a lasting impression on me. Smell is one of our most instinctive senses, yet sight is so dominant that we sometimes overlook the possibilities offered by our other senses. I wonder how many interesting possibilities there might be in smell itself.

Any dreams and projects? 

As I mentioned earlier, we are working on three short films portraying the everyday lives of a young Parisian couple, which we hope to release in January 2027.

We are putting a lot of effort into making them, and I hope that, with the resources we have, something in these films will resonate with the people who watch them.

I will continue exploring new ideas and possibilities in creative and hopefully bring RIZ POLI's clothes into more people's everyday lives, rather than having them exist only in images.

Hour mantra? 
Just before the August holidays, I spent a long time talking with Rens Lipsius in his studio. We talked about everything, but one particular thing he said has stayed with me.

I can't remember his exact words, but it was something along the lines of: "When you tell the world what you truly want, the world begins to move for you."

Those words gave me a lot of strength. I can be a little shy and hesitant at times, afraid to express what I really want. Whenever I find myself holding back, I think of that conversation.

L.B.

This interview has been lightly edited.