Occasion Dressing

Rosie
Assoulin

Raised in Brooklyn, 29-year-old Rosie Assoulin is redefining the event-dressing scene with her theatrical, playful and elegant designs. She works with instinct, passion and skills honed at master ateliers, Oscar de la Renta and Alber Elbaz. Having launched her debut collection in 2014, Assoulin has already become a magnet for fashion and Hollywood’s new generation who are drawn to her dreamy yet pragmatic designs.

Words by Harriet Quick

Let’s talk about your fascination with volume and structure – your dresses have a sense of light drama…

It’s part of our DNA. There is a strong sculptural line that we play with each season. In the last six seasons, we have been bending the line, curving it and folding it over – you name it. It’s always a challenge to take a sketch and work it through and also make it not feel costumey. That’s a dirty word for us. I do aim to make everything look effortless, elegant and clean.

As a woman, how do you approach the question of sensuality in style?

I do think of what is respectful for a woman and it’s not just a question of being flattering. I do love the back and I play with cut outs and drapes to reveal that area while still holding you in. Comfort is also a huge part of the equation – you want to live your life and I don’t think being pulled, pushed and tucked in all directions allows for that freedom. It’s like a lover – you don’t want your lover to look foolish, you want that person to look respectful, to be confident and to be bold.

What was the inspiration behind one of the standout looks in your collection, a pea green gown and trousers at Lane Crawford?

We called it Thumper – after the rabbit in Bambi because of the soft long volume. We try to find the colour that each piece deserves. My approach is to treat each piece as a jewel box piece. A style might have a sporty feel, or a vintage sensibility or it might be more tailored or avant-garde. I like to blend identities. For me, it’s not unlike looking at Instagram. You might flip from an image of Marcel Duchamp, to a quote by Einstein to a Rem Koolhaas building – I love that diversity. I like the fact you can’t put your finger on it. That’s what I’m aiming for.

You are working in a very rarefied world, what is luxury to you?

There’s the internal and also the global idea. Internally, it is having pieces made in New York and maintaining direct control, so there is no disconnect. That is a luxury. There are also the wonderful, beautiful fabrics like silk faille and organdy and the new generation of technical blends that have a subtle diversity. There is an emotional luxury also to being inspired, to being able to change your eye. It’s not based on desire because that can become empty but about the ability to move your eye onto the next thing. It is a real privilege.

What are your thoughts on how we socialise right now – the cross between the formal and informal, uptown and downtown?

Black-tie galas, birthdays and dinners – every event calls for a different balance and a different chemistry. Sometimes it’s not about being the most fashionable. I think every woman makes it up in different ways. I love using separates – a beautiful draped top, for example, with a man’s trouser takes on a different personality than when worn with a skirt. But every piece should offer up options. I don’t know anyone who does not have anxiety about getting dressed up, but the ability to change things up and down makes a difference.

Before you launched your label – describe one outfit that made you feel utterly fabulous?

I am going back to my teen years. Once I had an engagement party at the last minute. I had some scarf fabric lying around and hotel sewing kits so I created a draped dress built around a strapless bra.

You worked as an intern both for Oscar de la Renta in New York and Alber Elbaz at Lanvin in Paris – two masters of evening wear. What did you learn?

While they were completely open-minded and had dynamic, openhearted relationships with their ateliers, both Alber Elbaz and the late Oscar de la Renta always went with their instinct and gut. I just wanted to be around them while they were draping on the model or in fittings. I wanted to be around the energy of the live design process and it just so happens that they are known for being the most charming and charismatic designers. It was very exciting, very focused, passionate and again very instinctive.

Occasion Dressing

Rosie
Assoulin

现年 29 岁的 Rosie Assoulin 于美国布鲁克林长大，以其富有戏剧性、充满趣味又优雅十足的设计在礼服领域独树一帜。曾于 Oscar de la Renta 和 Alber Elbaz 手下工作的她将自己的天分、激情和在大牌工作室里所学到的技能全部注入了自己的设计之中。 2014 年推出首个服装系列后，她便一跃成为了时尚的吸铁石，使得好莱坞的年轻女明星们纷纷成为了她梦幻又实用设计的拥趸。

撰文 / Harriet Quick

你设计的裙子总是略带戏剧感，这是不是与你对服装的体积和结构特别迷恋有关？

这是我们设计基因里的一部分。在每一季的设计之中我们都试图探索对立体线条的运用。在过去的六季设计里，我们极尽所能地尝试将设计线条弯曲、卷曲和折叠。画出草图并设计出成品总是充满挑战，同样充满挑战的还有削减它的隆重感。我们不喜欢“隆重”这个词，因为我的目标是让每件作品都散发出优雅、简洁又水到渠成的感觉。

作为一个女性，你如何看待时尚与性感之间的关系？

我确实思考过什么样的服装才算是尊重女性的服装，而设计的要点亦非只是想以此博得他人的奉承或者恭维那么简单。我对展示女性的后背有种偏爱，因此我会在确保服装仍旧得体的情况之下用适度的镂空或褶裥来展示它。此外，舒适度也是设计方程式里一个相当重要的因素。每个人都想生活得自由自在，而我认为各个方向的拉扯、推挤和硬塞会让这样的自在感觉消失殆尽。它就如同你对爱人的期望一样 —— 你总不想你的爱人看上去不得体，而是希望她看上去值得尊重、同时散发着独立和自信的气质。

在连卡佛里我看到一件漂亮的豆绿色礼服裙和同系列长裤。它的设计灵感源于何处？

我们叫它“Thumper”，因为这样有体积感的柔软长裙就好像《小鹿斑比》里的那只同名小兔。我们想为每件设计找到最合适的颜色，而我的办法就是把每一件设计都视为装满珠宝的盒子。有的设计是运动风，有的是复古风，而有的则更为合身或前卫，我喜欢把这些风格都融合起来。对于我来说，这就像是浏览 Instagram 一样，在手指滑动频幕的过程中，你可能既看到了法国画家马塞尔·杜尚的画作，又看到了爱因斯坦的名言和荷兰建筑师雷姆·库哈斯的作品，而这就是我所喜欢的多元化。令作品呈现出让人无法言喻的感觉，这就是我的设计目标。

你所身处的行业追求极致的考究，那么奢华对你来说意味着什么？

奢华于我而言有内外两方面含义。从内部来说，服装全部在纽约生产，以便我们直接把关和管控，确保万无一失是一种奢华；得以使用优质、上等的罗缎锦、蝉翼纱和具有微妙多样性的新一代科技混纺面料也是一种奢华。此外，情感层面上的奢华则包括灵感四溢以及能够改变视野的设计状态。这跟欲望无关，因为欲望会落空，而我所描述的设计状态是前瞻性的、创造性的。这才是真正的奢华。

你对现如今社交场合的着装有何看法? 正式与休闲之间应该有怎样的交集？

不论是正式活动、生日还是晚宴，每个场合都需要不一样的平衡感和火花。有时候并不是最时尚就是最好的，而我想每个女性对此也都有不同的解读。我喜欢分体式服装，比如用一件漂亮的褶裥上衣搭配较为男性化的长裤时所展现的性格，就会与搭配半身裙全然不同。我认为每件服装都应该拥有能够提升造型正式感的能力，因为我所认识的每个人都会对盛装装扮心怀忐忑，所以若是一件服装能够拥有在盛装和休闲装之间游刃有余转换的能力，则可扫除这种忐忑和焦虑。

在创立自己的品牌之前，有没有哪套服装曾让你在穿上之后感觉非同寻常地好？

那要回溯到我的青少年时期了。有一次我要参加订婚派对，但几乎没有时间准备服装。我手头上只有一些制作围巾的面料和酒店提供的针线包，于是我就拿这些材料在一件无肩带抹胸上为自己做了一条褶皱长裙。

你曾在纽约的 Oscar de La Renta 和巴黎的 Lanvin 担任过实习生。从 Oscar de La Renta 和 Alber Elbaz 这两位晚礼服大师身上你学到了什么？

他们不但完全思想开放，而且与工作室里的人们保持着融洽又坦诚的关系。除此之外，Alber Elbaz 和刚刚过世的 Oscar de la Renta 先生也经常凭直觉和本能进行创作。当他们在模特身上试装时，我总是忍不住站在旁边，因为我想吸取那种现场设计所散发出的能量。那种场景令人激动难耐，专注又充满热情，还有不可或缺的即兴挥洒感。我想这也是为什么他们会被视为最迷人、最有魅力的知名设计师的原因。