Today, Flora, artistic director of Atelier des Dames, answers our questions regarding the creation of the Escale Océane capsule.
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Why Escale Océane?
Last year, we launched our first ready-to-wear capsule âEscale Tropicaleâ. We loved this idea of ââtravel, we wanted to transport you on vacation to the warmth of the tropics thanks to our colorful print since we imagine our collections and find our inspirations during our travels, thanks to the places that have marked us and face to the beauty of the landscapes that we discover. This year, we wanted to stay with the idea of ââa stopover and a trip, but this time, by highlighting our dear region that we love so much and taking you on a journey into our world.
In this somewhat special year where we are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Atelier des Dames, we wanted to highlight this region which inspires, animates all the members of the team and which is the basis of our values, our coast Atlantic. Caroline and Quitterie wanted a pattern with something that resembled them. The most beautiful photos of our beloved region are taken and diverted by my brush in order to pay homage to the history of the Atelier des Dames, our way of life, our walks on the beach and our beloved forest, in a shades of pastels soft. You are immersed in our world: a late July afternoon, a beach behind the dune, friends laughing, a salt water bath, a âshellfish and crustaceansâ playlist⊠So welcome to our Ocean Stopover .
How did you create this collection?
To develop the pattern of the collection, I started by making a sketch following the brief of the girls who explained to me what they wanted and what they imagined for the Océane stopover. They told me the elements they wanted to have on the pattern and from there, I let my imagination speak to create the sketch. At each stage, I have my drawings validated by the girls in order to be as consistent as possible with their ideas. It's real teamwork. Then, I started to paint, I scanned my drawings and I assembled everything to obtain a homogeneous result then the magic happens... I also check that the pattern is repetitive to apply it on the clothes .
What can we find in the collection?
This year, it's new, we're integrating shorts into the capsule. You will also find a long-sleeved shirt , a short-sleeved shirt which has been reworked to obtain a looser effect. There is also the skirt , the scarf and all our accessories: the clutches, the purse, the vanity case, the beach towel , the travel bag and our superb pins !
Why did you launch this collection?
Caroline and Quitterie wanted to develop the product and graphics side of the brand. I brought my experience and my knowledge in textiles to obtain pieces that resemble us and above all that enhance you all year round!
What inspired you to create the creations?
The sublime landscapes of our Atlantic coast inspired me a lot, I took many walks between Biarritz and the Landes, and all the characters you find on our motif were drawn from my imagination. The sunbathing couple is inspired by my parents, a surfer with his board passing by the series of girls on the beach, real nods to our team. I thought of the beachgoers strolling on the beach, of the lifeguards present every summer, of Caro and Quitterie and of all those people who follow us and who make the Atelier des Dames come alive.
What did you want from this collection?
For the Escale Océane, I wanted to obtain more freshness, a softer result than last year. So I used watercolor, worked on color gradients and used pastel colors. My goal was to get a cute and colorful result with lots of color transitions.
Why did you make these patterns?
On our motif, you can find the Capbreton lighthouse, the Villa Belza and the Rock of the Virgin in Biarritz. These are the emblematic places of our south, everything that reminds us of the coast, the beach, the pretty Basque houses, everything that makes our southwest beautiful. These motifs are holiday souvenirs, which we find on postcards, you must have seen them if you have already come on vacation here.
@jerem_lrr
What is your favorite in the collection?
I love the shorts worn with the short sleeve shirt. The fluid material makes the whole thing super comfortable to wear and the finish offers a relaxed look and I'm a fan! I love the fact that you can wear the two pieces separately but also that you can do a total colorful look!
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What did you like about creating this collection?
It's super satisfying to follow the process from start to finish, with the girl-generated idea evolving over the days. We started from a drawing to arrive at a capsule of ready-to-wear and accessories and that's great! I loved working with the company in Portugal which takes care of the production of the products. Receiving the first prototypes is also very pleasant!
I hope you enjoy the capsule as much as I enjoyed designing it â€ïžâ