TREND SETTER: Creating a clothing line was never on Tagwalk founder Alexandra Van Houtte’s to-do list.
But when Paris department store Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche came calling to invite her to design a capsule collection for their private label, there was only one answer.
As the Paris-based entrepreneur put it: “Who says no to Le Bon Marché?”
Come February, a 15-piece range will bow that includes summer-weight dresses, a skirt, a bomber jacket, fluid trousers, and a sweater, as well as a coat. It will be the first outing of a new identity of the women’s private label, now dubbed Maison Rive Gauche, which will offer seasonal collaborations.
For Isabelle Fine, director of women’s fashion at Le Bon Marché, Van Houtte was the obvious choice for a collaboration. “[She] represents our DNA and the values of our private label: trendy, joyful, elegant and always in step with the zeitgeist,” she told WWD.
Van Houtte needed some convincing, though. “I have to admit I thought their initial email was spam,” she said. “Although I was a fashion assistant very early on, I’m an entrepreneur, not a designer or an influencer, and I’m a [French] size 46,” the equivalent of a U.S. 14 to 16.
That said, she knew exactly what she wanted out of a clothing range.
Being inclusive in terms of sizing was key. “I get so many questions about what I wear, where I bought it because when you’re a [larger] size, looking good is obviously harder because you don’t fit in the sizes offered by most brands,” she said.
Sizes for her Le Bon Marché capsule go from a French 34 to 50, or U.S. size 2 to 18. Some pieces come semi-finished, tailored to fit upon purchase.
Van Houtte was also adamant that the price range should be accessible. “I want people to see it on me and feel they can afford it, not that it’s unattainable,” she said.
Prices will start at 125 euros for a short black skirt and go up to 495 euros for an embroidered wool coat.
Style-wise, she favored versatile shapes – don’t call them “timeless basics,” an expression she finds too generic – that mix chic Parisian-style staples with her English touch, in a nod to her dual heritage.
Asked if she reached for the Tagwalk trend prediction dashboard to develop her capsule, Van Houtte said she hadn’t.
“Hopefully, [the products] are going to be there for a long time in people’s wardrobes so I didn’t have to have a quick win,” she said.
Around 40 percent of the references have been developed using textiles sourced from Nona Source, in keeping with Van Houtte’s desire for a more conscious approach to fashion. Le Bon Marché’s private label products, which also include its Balthazar men’s line, will be labeled with Fairly Made-certified QR codes with sourcing and traceability information.
In addition to clothing, there will be eight lifestyle references, including notebooks, ceramic plates, toiletry cases and a scrunchie, as well as a La Grande Épicerie tote bag.
The Alexandra Van Houtte x Le Bon Marché collaboration will be sold at Le Bon Marché and on the department store’s 24S website.