Since its creation in 2005, American Vintage has changed women’s styles to appeal to everyone. To learn more, we talked with Olivier Richaud (men’s and women’s stylist) and Pauline Savignet (women’s stylist and manager of the kids’ collection).
Cover photo: by Jonas Unger, for the SS23 campaign
What’s the AMV woman like in 2023?
She’s a real-life woman who knows who she is and stays curious about the world around her. She’s like the wardrobe that we make for her: deeper, multifaceted, layered.
SS23 Campaign
How is she different from the AMV woman of 2005?
She owns her identity more. In her wardrobe, she mixes delicate and flowing materials with heavier pieces. When American Vintage was created, we developed a lot of T-shirts and knitwear. Since then, the collections have grown with many new products and the style has become more structured.
Left: FW16-17 campaign; Right: SS17 campaign
How do you express the relationship to the body through clothing?
We play with juxtapositions. Every piece must work with the wearer’s wardrobe. We always focus on freedom of movement, so that women feel at ease in their clothing. That’s why we offer a good balance between fitted garments and more oversized ones.
SS23 Campaign
American Vintage is making more and more unisex pieces …
That’s right. We noticed that there’s more fluidity between men and women. Sometimes, we end up with what we call creative accidents.
Left: FW18-19 campaign; Right: FW19-20 campaign
For example?
We design a piece for men, a big coat, for example. Then, a woman at our office tries it on and we realise that it looks great on her. There’s a key concept of sharing clothing. And sharing in general: we encourage people to spend time in our stores, because these are places where you feel at home.
SS23 Campaign
How do you approach the image of women in the campaigns?
American Vintage has a very diverse casting with different personalities that we want to identify with. It’s always very authentic: we turn the spotlight on women of all ages, so that every woman can make the pieces their own.
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.