A new Chapter for Les Dessous de Blue
IT WAS A BRISK EARLY OCTOBER DAY WHEN BLUE AND I WERE SITTING DOWN OVER A CUP OF STEAMING TEA. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW SHE IS RESTRUCTURING HER LINGERIE BRAND AS WELL AS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN LUMÉRA AND LES DESSOUS DE BLUE. SPOILER ALERT: SOME OF HER CUSTOMER FAVORITES ARE SOON GOING TO BE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON LUMÉRA! ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF US LAY SOME OF THE FIRST PROTOTYPES FOR HER NEW COLLECTION. I FIRST INTERVIEWED BLUE A FEW MONTHS BACK AND SHE TOLD US THE STORY OF HER PARISIAN-BORN BRAND LES DESSOUS DE BLUE. NOW, A NEW CHAPTER IS AHEAD AND WE’RE GOING TO FIND OUT ALL ABOUT IT!
words by Sarah Marie Franken
photographs by Andrew Day
You have an amazing new project IN THE MAKING! Can you tell us more about it?
I am going to recycle silk scarfs, like the Hermès Carré, into lingerie sets! I am going to take scarfs from another era and turn them into modern lingerie pieces.
Where do you buy the scarfs?
For the first drop, which is going to launch in a few months, I am buying them in vintage stores all over Paris. My favorite one is called Episode, it’s in the second arrondissement. This is actually where I buy most of them, they have so many options!
“I am going to take Silk scarfs from another era and turn them into MODERN lingerie pieces.”
Blue Duraffourd
What is your thought behind involving recycling into your brand?
For me, it’s important to reuse things. There is so much waste, especially within the fashion industry. By reusing fabrics that already exist instead of buying virgin fabrics, I want to help reduce the waste of the industry. I think that recycling and reusing are going to be a big part of fashion’s future. It’s great to reuse the scarf’s fabrics and to give them a new life!
How do you design the pieces?
Les Dessous de Blue is about being comfortable, it’s a brand for everyday lingerie that still make you feel sexy. I revolve my designs around the three basics styles of bras and panties: the triangle, the balconette, and the underwired bra. For the panties we have the Brazilian tanga, the bloomer and the g-string. The scarfs are so individual and extravagant that we decided to keep it consistent with the patterns. In each drop you can find one of these designs realized with a different scarf.
Can you explain your work in drops further?
It means that each month I will upload 10 pieces on my website. I want people to be excited to own a piece that only exists once. I will start with a first drop of 10 sets this December. And then every month there will be 10 more styles, each set being made out of one scarf. For each drop I choose a topic, the first drop was about heritage and country life and the second one all about flowers.
“The scarfs are so individual and extravagant that we decided to keep it consistent with the patterns.”
Blue Duraffourd
How do you make sure your customers will buy the right size?
I measure each piece very carefully and communicate all the details with my clients on my website. In any case, there is a return policy. My clients can always send their pieces back to me to make alterations. I’ve been doing that with my previous collections as well.
Some people worry that vintage and recycled garments are not as clean as new ones. Can you explain how you ensure the hygiene of the pieces?
I bring all the scarfs to the dry cleaning first thing. There, everything is properly cleaned and ironed, that process is very important to me.
Let’s talk about the designs in front of us – which was your first ONE?
The bustier. When I saw the scarf, I thought: this piece has to be seen! I wanted to make it into a garment that you can wear as a visible part of your outfit, with a blazer over it or with a white shirt below. I always choose the most interesting scarf as the bustier, it’s the only piece one you can wear outside.
I love the set with the blue edges. It has castles and a little city on a white background.
Yes, and a map! I love this pattern. I try to really use up every inch of the fabric. The original scarf had a blue border, so I decided to use that for the straps. Whenever I have some leftovers, I also make small bags that the set will arrive in. With this one that was the case.
That’s great to use up the leftover scraps like that!
And when I only have a little bit of fabric left, I will do a scrunchie! Imagine the scrunchie and the lingerie set together!
And then the last one with the flowers – what’s the story here?
It’s a balconette bra with a bloomer panty. It also comes with a little bag. The elastics here are yellow – I didn’t have purple like on the pattern. But I like to use up the stock I have as well. Like that I can reuse things I bought in the past and I like the combination of colors! Same with the cotton pieces that go in the bottoms of the panties. Instead of buying the exact color, I like to mix and match them with the leftovers I have in my atelier.
You are completely redoing your brand. What we have been seeing until now is not going to be available anymore on the Les Dessous de Blue website?
Yes, I wanted to do something new. I was really getting into the idea of recycling. One brand that inspired me was Havré Studio. They use vintage men suits and make them into innovative women garments, for example a miniskirt and an oversized cropped blazer. I like this idea of a circular economy and thought about how I can implement that into my own business. One further idea I had was that people can send me their old vintage scarfs. Silk scarfs they maybe inherited from their grandmother, mother or found in a vintage store themselves. And I can make them the set that they would like.
“People can send me their old vintage scarfs. Silk scarfs they maybe inherited from their grandmother, mother or found in a vintage store themselves. And I can make them the set that they would like.”
Blue Duraffourd
Great idea! Here your customers could be involved in the design process. And turn a sentimental piece into a garment.
Another idea I had is to show the scarfs and a few pattern options online and then my customers can decide exactly which scarf they want in which shape!
I’m excited to see what you will decide to do. You have a very good communication with your customers, so I am sure they are going to give you great feedback about what they’d like to see! In other news: Let’s talk about our special collaboration!
Yes! So, as Les Dessous de Blue is going to head into a new direction, all my bestsellers and absolute customer favorites are going to be sold exclusively here on Luméra! In my online store, I am only going to sell the silk scarf drops from now on. For the first pieces of our collaboration, you and me sat down together and talked about design ideas and gave the silk set a little update in new colors and an extra piece: a matching tanga!
“All my bestsellers and absolute customer favorites are going to be sold exclusively here on Luméra!”
Blue Duraffourd
We are very excited to launch this special collection soon as the first pieces to be sold at the Luméra online store! Thank you Blue for another inspiring interview!
Further Reading
Georgia Gibbs styles six summer evening outfits in New York City within our Sustainable Style Challenge series. All pieces are slow fashion and from her own wardrobe.