Key figures behind the scenes of the House, Céline Jeaudaine and Marion Rougerie are in charge of the women’s and men’s lines at American Vintage. Between unisex fashion, inspirations and freedom, they talk about their trade.
What does it mean to be “fashionable” today?
Céline: It’s not really about clothing anymore. It’s more about an attitude, an allure and a personality. So, when I come up with a new piece, I try to enhance the body and free movements… Instead of imposing something, I reveal!
Marion: That’s exactly it. At American Vintage, what counts is lifestyles, not trends. Are you urban, sporty or into travel? Our clothing adapts to all situations and celebrates the people who wear it.
Céline, you are in charge of the women’s lines. Marion, you oversee men’s fashion. How do you work as a duo?
Céline: We work hand in hand to develop the themes of our collections. We source the materials, colors and cuts together.
Marion: Only once the basic work is done do we give a feminine or masculine “angle” to our pieces. In this way, our two lines are constructed in a coherent way.
Where does your love of unisex pieces come from?
Céline: Unisex fashion is rooted in our DNA. You really see this in our homewear, with its cozier cuts and knits, which makes you want to pick any piece, whether it’s from the men’s or women’s collection…
Marion: This approach to gender-neutral fashion is also closely linked to the history of American Vintage, which started with T-shirts. This has to be the most versatile piece in the world: it’s essential, unisex, timeless and transgenerational all at once… It’s the essence of our creation.
Where do you get your inspiration?
The autumn-winter 2018-2019 lookbook
Céline and Marion: From our travels, from the great outdoors, from the passing time… Our collections reflect an ambience, an era. For our Fall/Winter 2018-2019 collection, for example, we were inspired by Aubrac region in France, with its lush expanses, farmhouses, cozy wood interiors and early-morning outings. Our wardrobe took on a slightly more aristocratic feel, but with a twist, with revisited hunting and fishing looks.
The spring-summer 2019 lookbook
Marion : And for the spring-summer 2019 collection, we imagined the outfits that friends would wear in a holiday home. The freshness of the stones, the jeans of the city that meet the printed shirt that slept in the cupboards…
What makes your colors “exclusive?”
Céline: We invent them ourselves! Sometimes the color that we think of only exists in our minds. We hunt down materials, put them together and carry out dye tests until we obtain the perfect result.
Marion: A color defines a piece. We look at it in the light, in the shade, in the sun… And we always keep the colors of the rest of our collections in mind. Everything has to intuitively mix and match!
The AMV Journal is a place dedicated to people, discovery and travel. Every week, vibrate to the rhythm of the crushes, portraits and inspirations of American Vintage and its design studio.