Charlotte Bialas: It’s always thanks to incredible encounters and beautiful discoveries. I met an Italian manufacturer who only made printed fabrics for ties and scarves, and who worked exclusively with the big fashion houses. One day, he found himself in trouble and decided to sell all his stock. When I got to his warehouse, he told me “It’s a shame, I just sold more than 40 000 yards of ancient fabrics that could have been of interest to you… I sold them a week ago.” Three months later, by chance, I heard about a place that could be of interest to me and it turned out to be the man who had bought those 40 000 yards of fabric.
There was a plant in Switzerland that produced fabrics for Yves Saint Laurent or Balenciaga. Today, we can still find stocks from this manufacturer who made incredible fabrics! In England, they have more printed fabrics. The British really love their prints and are fond of ancient fabrics. In Manchester, there’s an ancient fabrics shop, but they don’t have much yardage.
Yes, the fabrics dictate the collections. I don’t have summer or winter collections, it’s constantly changing. I only work with silk, and sometimes with printed wool. It is a very rare and beautiful fabric. I know a woman who collects fabrics and has many of them; I buy some yardage from her. I don’t buy a lot of cotton because it is harder to preserve while silk is more resistant, the weave is sturdier. The fragile part of silk is the mousseline. People have pre-conceived ideas about silk. It can actually be worn in winter as well as in summer as it thermo-regulates, and good quality silk does not get creased. You can work, travel, you name it, and is stays impeccable.
Because I’m interested in printing on this fabric. There are more options with silk than with cotton. Printing on silk is unique as it is a more ancient fabric than cotton. There is stencil printing, 8-cylinder printing, hand printing and now digital printing. Digital printing will never be the same because you can’t find the same depth in colors. That’s why I don’t buy anything from after the 90’s. But digital printing can be very beautiful. Stylists like Dries Van Noten use it.
But they use it to print photos, they use it to create something because there is no other way. They use digital printing in a positive way. What they lose in terms of color, they balance out with composition. One day, the 2000’s will be sought after; it will be the new vintage, but all in good time. Let’s see how it will age. Silk must be perfectly preserved to find such high-quality fabrics. I look at the storage method before buying anything, because it makes a huge difference.
Some people work with prints from the 50’s, but they use digital printing. Some people buy clothes that are already made and transform them by combining fabrics. There is a French designer who works some of her pieces with vintage scarves. My concept is more complicated to turn into a large-scale business. People seem to think that it is not a great business idea because it implies small quantities which makes it hard to manage. I sell to Japan a lot, they like the fact that they are limited series, they order large quantities with different fabrics. When I started this brand, I met a lot of people who asked me why I wanted to work with ancient fabrics. I told them that there are things that exist and that we do not use, so there are many things to do! It is tricky on the production side, but it is fantastic to work with.
I need to constantly broaden my scope of research and it takes a lot of time. I travel 3 or 4 times a year, to a different country each year. I really want to go to Italy to stop in the towns and villages. I heard about some stock in Hong Kong that dates back to the previous century, at the time of the British Empire, with many wonderful European fabrics. Japan is very interesting too, for their kimono industry. They have unique skills and knowledge. Their silk is called “chirimen”, it is a very delicate silk crepe that’s only woven in Japan. It is the best in the world. They have large high-quality stocks, but manufacturers are closing because people do not wear kimonos as much as they used to. As kimonos are made of straight and geometric panels, the silk pieces are all 35-cm wide, which implies a different way of thinking. We’re forced to think about the shape, which I find very interesting. I feel inspired by Asian clothes; their prints, the cut of traditional clothes… They have prints on the outside and cashmere inside. Silk was invented in Asia. I love the combination of silk and cashmere.
I’ve been here since November 2016, before that I was in the Marais district. I had a sort of showroom/workshop. It was perfect to start a brand but too small to show all my collection, I needed more space. And I found this place by chance. Here, it works by word of mouth. When a client comes to see me, she knows exactly why. Clients find what they are looking for as there is a very wide variety of fabrics. There’s always a fabric for everyone. Each fabric finds their owner.
I’d like to, but I don’t want a big fashion show. I’d like to organize a more intimate event, where we can take time to explain everything, like we would with an exhibition. I want to work on the atmosphere, on storytelling… there are many things to do. And I’d rather do it in the summer, it would be nicer. I’m working on it.
I worked for several fashion houses in Belgium, in Germany, and later became an Artistic Director for a French brand. People would call me to help with their collections and create something with what already existed. It was more about reconsidering today’s customer. I had to define the global energy of each brand and know the local and international market. I was often involved in marketing and merchandising. Merchandising was very complicated because there were 6 different types of stores with different concepts, so we had to think about how to present the collections. We were forced to start with the end of the line: how could we use the stores for the collection. It changes creativity. Building a business is interesting. I learned many things in the positions I held. And I use them today for my own brand.
Yes, I work the other way around now. I first had to do a lot of research because I did not know if there was any stock, and it all became possible thanks to the people I met during my travels. You can feel it when you’re doing something that’s right for you; when it becomes meaningful, you’re headed in the right direction. You need to be brave; you need to be daring. When you’re passionate, nothing can stop you. Passion fuels your work, and it never brings any disappointment.
I hold very few private sales, once or twice a year, but I do not need clearance sales because I have very limited stock. Private sales are chic, and they make our customers happy. As I don’t make winter/summer clothes, I don’t need to clear stock. Prices vulgarize the products. There are discount sales all over and clients eventually understand that we’re paying too much for some products. Some clothes are manufactured specifically for sales and clients are not fooled – they’re tired of it, there are too many sales. Every day my clients tell me that they never find anything, that everything looks the same. There is plenty of creativity in France, the tricky part is to find investors. We need private investors or patrons who really want to invest, but who also have a vision.
Interview by Barbara Sensey
Paris
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