Robert Clergerie might be embarking on a new chapter, but the brand is still very much celebrating its rich history.
The French heritage label unveiled its first collection under CEO Perry Oosting and creative director David Tourniaire-Beauciel at Paris Fashion Week today. (The designer crafted some, but not all of the styles.)
“I prefer to concentrate to be clear and concise on each category — and not too gimmicky,” Tourniaire-Beauciel said. “I wanted to create a link between all the shoes, trying to mix together all of the elements of the Clergerie DNA.”
Raffia and stretch elements continued to be key in a collection that played up its architectural aesthetic and femininity.
“It’s elegant and super-fresh,” the creative director said, though he noted that his first full collection would be pre-fall ’18. “I used some elements that already existed for this season,” he said. “For winter, it will be the real me.”
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Tourniaire-Beauciel also created stylish sneakers —the 326 range — that are available in the brand’s new Paris store at 326 Rue Saint-Honoré and also online.
The designer his goal is to spend as much time in the factory as possible. “You need to understand who you are,” he said. “I need to recreate this connection between Paris and Romans, [the French town where the factory is based].”
Tourniaire-Beauciel, who has designed shoes for Ferragamo, Balenciaga and Givenchy, said he aims to bring some of the things he learned at Italian factories to Clergerie’s production home in Romans, France.
It’s clear he’s excited about the opportunity. He proudly showed off black and white photographs featuring the factory and its workers, which lined the walls in the showroom space.
