The day my sister Madeleine nabbed her collab
La Redoute x SIXSOEURS
Interview with Madeleine 'Jeanne my sister Jeanne' for
the release of the La redoute X sixsœurs collection
Jeanne Ably, la 4ème sœur, journaliste aux Informations Dieppoises (Haute Normandie)
Jeanne, my sister Jeanne :
La Redoute X SIXSOEURS
La Redoute, it's still crazy! Remember the hours we spent as children leafing through their catalog and cutting pages from it. Not to mention the orders we placed with them, waiting for the package to arrive as a gift from Santa Claus? How were you approached by them? Tell us the story!
I received an email from the director of collaborators and creators, Sylvette Lepers, in the fall, mentioning the possibility of working together. They particularly liked the SIXSŒURS universe and the way of offering a fashion made in Paris. I dropped everything and canceled my Christmas vacation to provide the first sketches by mid-January. And here we are for the collab La Redoute X SIXSOEURS.
What is the concept behind this La Redoute X SIXSŒURS collaboration?
Combining two worlds: that of SIXSOEURS, which has a rather strong DNA, which is defined by a graphic, architectural, singular and easy to wear style, with that of La Redoute, which is aimed at a wider audience. I had to adapt my design by creating a collection that was not too eccentric, still graphic and very identifiable with SIXSŒURS, but even more easy living. Quite naturally, I composed more affordable pieces. A real challenge for me and an opportunity for SIXSŒURS, if I may say so, to “democratize” itself, by allowing the younger generations and those with more modest means to afford my clothes. I care a lot about that. This fall there will be SIXSOEURS of MERCI at La Redoute, and that's awesome!!!
What will the La Redoute X SIXSŒURS capsule collection be made of and what inspired you to create your key pieces?
This collection includes a snow black denim jumpsuit, a loose velvet kimono jacket, a large plaid wool coat, bright pink pants, a bright green top and surprise… a patchwork jacket! We will obviously find the graphic and "architectural" line inspired by the Japanese wardrobe specific to SIXSŒURS, as well as its bright colors and its volumes.
There are really a lot of similarities with our SIXSŒURS FW 22 collection. For example, I propose for La Redoute X SIXSOEURS these bright pink cotton gabardine trousers, and on the FW22 SIXSŒURS side a series of six trousers in blue, fuchsia, purple, grey, parma, caramel… also very luminous.
What about the fanny pack, which is your bestseller?
La Redoute immediately spoke to me about my fanny pack, which is a real success, and which I ship all over the world. But I admit that it is a piece that, for the moment, I reserve for myself. Moreover, for this back-to-school season, we are going to innovate by offering it in exclusive fabrics, with careful info in preview, a leopard print fanny pack, and a revised volume.
What does this collaboration mean to you? La Redoute X SIXSOEURS ? What do you think it will bring you, in terms of visibility and notoriety?
La Redoute, it is for me une true story of family and adolescence. First memory of the “emotion of purchase”, in a way. It must be said that we purchased much less at the time. As children, with La Redoute, we were allowed, once or twice a year, to buy without counting too much, in a kind of joyful frenzy. We gathered, all six sisters, around our mother who made the famous phone call on the landline. Communication opened the doors of paradise to us. The wait was already a joy. And then there were the first collaborations with La Redoute and Vanessa Bruno and Isabel Marant, and we saved to afford certain pieces. The same thing when I furnished my first apartment: I ordered from La Redoute. This is, in addition to the fact that it's a french company, who has roots in the North of France, like our mother.
Starting a collaboration with a person like Sylvette Lepers, who has a strong personality and extensive experience in the fashion industry, is for me a most rewarding experience. I was also lucky enough to be able to work very closely and in complete confidence with their teams in Roubaix, where I went several times, an opportunity to discover their way of working. I hope to be able to renew the La Redoute X SIXSŒURS experience, and thus allow SIXSŒURS to gain visibility, even if we already have more and more points of sale in France and soon abroad.
.jpg)
Finally, can you tell me a few words about the new collection SIXSOEURS?
There will be, among other things, a new jacket, Valentina, oversize, our new iconic model that we declined in wool then in exclusive blue velvet, like a small “Japanese-inspired” cape, made in Italian wool, with a mottled beige and purple herringbone pattern. We will also find a velvet version (finally!) of the Marche à l'Ombre trucker cap, a new version of our darling fanny pack, larger and in printed fabrics, as well as a stylish beanie with French manufacturing. Attention is paid, as always, to large coats cut in very beautiful woolen fabrics from Portugal and Italy. And, for the first time, I created a skirt in a purple fabric with hearts, and another in leopard print. These are my first skirts. The fall where everything happens!