For months, American Vintage’s Style, Product and Pattern-Making teams have been preparing a unique collection to honour the 20th anniversary of the Marseille brand. Olivier Richaud and Céline Jeandaine, the Men’s and Women’s Collection Managers, explain their processes and inspirations.
Photos: Julia Champeau
How was this collection created?
We wanted to mark the occasion and … have fun! The moodboard for this collection is a bit different from usual. We explored new paths and creative directions while aiming for a “wow” effect with the cuts, materials and finishes. The idea was to do something a little offbeat and make a lasting impression. We also worked extensively with prototypes and adjusted them several times until we achieved exactly what we wanted.
How did you work with the materials?
We chose the ones we love to use and extrapolated them to the point where they became nearly unrecognisable. Our approach was almost scientific: we explored, we experimented, and we pushed the products to the max to turn them into something totally new. Like a series of collector’s items.
If you had to sum up this collection in a few words, what would you say?
Can I give you four words? I’d say: patches, logos, maximalism and unisex. Because we wanted to blow out our 20 candles in style, we created a series of very distinctive logos. We made the most of this opportunity to try different techniques: a woven label, prints, jacquard.
What about the colours?
At first, we wanted to focus on shades of ecru, off-white, grey or heather charcoal grey. Naturally, the palette expanded, sometimes with soft hues (blue, celadon, butter, pastel pink) and sometimes with deeper ones (midnight blue, burgundy, brown, khaki) or vibrant ones (grass green). Always with our famous subtle touch, of course!
When will we discover the 20 YEARS collection?
The 20 YEARS spring/summer collection will arrive in April, and the autumn/winter version will drop in September in a selection of stores worldwide and on our website.
AMV Journal is a space dedicated to encounters, discovery and travel. Every week, explore the musts, portraits and inspirations of American Vintage and its creation studio.