Olympia Le-Tan has imagined a collection that is as suited to lounging around, as living it up.
"This is my second collaboration with Maison Kitsune," she tells Hello! Fashion "I am an old friend of the brand, well, its founders, Gildas and Masaya. We really enjoyed working on the first so we did a second!"
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Playful patterns feature throughout the collection
Olympia started her career at the age of 19 at the Chanel design studio with Karl Lagerfeld then went on to Balmain where she worked closely with Gilles Dufour who then created his own brand with Olympia by his side. In 2009, she launched her eponymous accessories label, combining her two obsessions, embroidery, and literature and created one-of-a-kind handbags and minaudières. The Brand's signature book-clutch was an instant hit, bought by luxury stores around the world. Both mentors offered her amazing lessons she has carried with her throughout her career, "Work hard, try and enjoy yourself while doing it and try not to take yourself too seriously," she explains.
The collaboration also boasts plenty of kitsch accessories
For the duo's second collaboration Olympia Le Tan and Maison Kitsuné teamed up with contemporary New-York artist and illustrator Aurel Shmidt, to create a series of amusing and "twisted" drawings. "Aurel is a friend. We've known each other for over a decade and I've always loved her work which I have a small collection of." Olympia divulges, "I showed a new series of pastel drawings she was working on to Gildas and he loved them. In this series she humoristically and provocatively draws herself with a group of friends that she has turned into rats, cockroaches and pigeons and we thought a fox would fit right into this group."
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Aurel Shmidt's playful illustrations underline the latest drop
Aurel depicts Maison Kitsuné's iconic fox carousing with various surprising guests. These lovely scenes appear across the whole collection, including on core jersey pieces and as an all-over print and on pyjama-style separates, sending the message that even 'household pests' like to party. Channelling moods of both restlessness and release, the collection comprises clothes that deliver more than just wearability; they become expressions of a good time.
Channelling moods of "both restlessness and release", the collection comprises clothes that deliver more than wearability; they become expressions of a good time. These hybrid looks from Maison Kitsuné and designer Olympia Le-Tan bring an offbeat dimension to daily style. The collection also works its way onto homeware, "I love the porcelain ashtray with Aurel's picnic scene on it," explains Olympia.
The pieces are equally suited to loungewear
The first collaboration was done when both teams were on lockdown and when there were strict travel restrictions at the time, so it was done entirely remotely. "For this one, it was great to be able to come to Paris and actually do fittings with the team." Olympia tells us the process wasn't as straightforward as the light hearted collection portrays, "It took a while; I think the first ideas started being discussed over a year ago."
Now that it's finally here we know what we’ll be wearing this party season.
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