In 2015 Bertrand Guyon was named as Marco Zanini’s replacement at the helm of Schiaparelli, as design director across both haute couture and ready-to-wear. The storied house is steeped in history, with an exceptional legacy of quirkiness and creativity, influenced by founder Elsa Schiaparelli. Guyon, an École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne graduate and seasoned couture designer, was previously at Valentino, Givenchy and Christian Lacroix. He may be the opposite of what many think of when the name Schiaparelli is invoked. Elsa was shocking, as in her favourite colour shocking pink, and her memoir was aptly named, ‘Shocking Life’. However, the more understated Bertrand, has not only respected the brands heritage and tradition, but has also given it a contemporary and modern take. Silhouettes have remained relatively simple and classic, occasionally incorporating sculptural elements, while colours and prints have been more adventurous. Cheeky appliqués and motifs may have employed skills learned at Valentino, but have been executed in a way that is very Schiaparelli.
You have been with Schiaparelli for just a few seasons. How have you found the position?
I feel like I have been here for years, although it is only my third collection, time goes so fast, but I feel very settled now. I know Elsa Schiaparelli’s body of work better, from the sketches of her collections we have in the archives, to pieces I have seen in museums. I guess it was a necessary period to get to know each other, the house, its spirit, the teams and myself. But, I must say that I immediately felt quite at home in the sense that it was immediately pleasant and welcoming. There is something here that makes you particularly at ease. It might be her spirit that is surrounding us, since we work in the very place where she used to work.
Elsa Schiaparelli
How do you find the pressure of reviving such an iconic French house?
It is something that I probably was not fully aware of when joining Schiaparelli, but that makes the challenge! It is about finding the right equation between respecting such an iconic house and its amazing legacy and history, together with the fact that few people outside the fashion world really know about Schiaparelli, whilst being contemporary and creating something for today’s women. The mission is to extract the spirit of Schiaparelli to re-invent its fashion.
How far do you feel you can push the collections towards your own vision, whilst still referencing Elsa?
This is what I am trying to reach with each new collection, but I start from scratch each season. Each time it is a new beginning. Doing, making, re-doing, re-making is the only way to hopefully find its own path, it is a complex process that only time will allow to fine-tune.
How would you describe your signature design style?
This is something that you might be able to answer better than me! I guess you need to be on the outside to answer that one. What I can say is that I have a natural taste for craftsmanship, femininity, precious elements and refinement. I love embroidery and embellishment, which is completely in sync with Schiaparelli. I also love working with all the artisans, and these collaborations are part of what Haute Couture and Prêt-à-Couture, our own version of ready-to-wear, are about. This is a real asset compared with other brands and high diffusion fashion. It is a tradition of excellence in terms of fabrics, materials, and embroideries. It is also some sort of resilience in a world where everything is done so quickly, the ‘humanity’ that goes into everything we do makes it truly unique.
Do you have a muse or someone’s style that you admire?
I do not have a muse per se, and do not sketch with a specific woman in mind. However, there are always many women who are references on the moodboards I do for each collection. They are not always the same, but some may come back. They can be a model like Guinevere van Seenus, Linda Evangelista, and Carolyn Murphy, or otherwise famous women like Loulou de la Falaise, Tina Chow, and Lee Miller. They embody a mix of aristocracy, culture and taste, which make them real personalities. It goes beyond their beauty.
What is your work philosophy?
My work has always been a vocation. I spend hours and hours at work, and love coming early in the morning. Something that is part of me is to constantly question myself and what has been done.
What was your first job in fashion?
The job that I feel wass my first real one is Givenchy, because I had always wanted to work there for as far as I can remember as a child. I also had the chance to work there with Hubert de Givenchy, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. It was an incredible experience.
Do you feel your training at other prestigious design houses has enabled you to hone your skills and bring a wider variety to your current collections?
Of course, they have naturally blended and nurtured who I am today. However, none of them are specifically or consciously present in my mind when creating today.
What was the turning point in your career?
The first one was when Hubert de Givenchy retired, allowing me to work with John Galliano and then Lee McQueen. I enjoyed what I wanted to experience, in the same way a ballet dancer who has been trained for years at the Opera with all the subsequent classical techniques going on to dancing for a contemporary dance company. Suddenly, I was exposed to another world of fashion, creation, influences, and references. The second was with Valentino. To get to know and work for that great Italian couture house with all its professionalism and its tradition of amazing ateliers, was something I had not experienced before. It helped me develop a new take on my job. Haute Couture is French and I am French, but working at Valentino, which is an Italian company, allowed me to experience and learn a lot.
What do you prefer working on, couture or ready to wear, and why?
My DNA is Haute Couture, especially because I love working with the atelier. The notion of time is also fundamentally different, which is quite crucial nowadays. At Schiaparelli, the fact that we take the time to nurture our collections might be the added value that women appreciate. We do not produce 20 collections a year, which may make each one quite ‘banal’ for the clients. Haute Couture also refers to a different culture, a craft that is exclusive.
What drives and inspires you on a day to day basis?
Anything inspires me on a daily basis, from a book, a magazine, a film, or music. For instance, I can get completely obsessed with a certain kind of music, an artist, or songs, and will listen to it from morning to evening for days. It will put me in a certain mood that will certainly influence what I am working on. Then, after a while, I will not listen to it for a long time because I would have switched to another one. Each season is marked by a small number of musical influences. I travel in my head more than physically.
How have you found the recent movements of Creative Directors across other design houses? Does this give a feeling of unease or do you think it injects new passion and ideas?
According to me, it is not really healthy. A designer needs a bit of time to develop and fine-tune a vision. Some may manage to do it from the first season, but most human being needs time to properly digest and find the right balance between creativity and commerce. The right equation between the designer, the manager and the brand is a formula without a unique recipe, however it does take time. What is fundamental is the dialogue between the various parties in order to avoid misunderstandings and create a clear vision. All these changes can be quite destabilising for the teams, but also for the clients who see the style change from season to season, making it difficult for them to identify themselves with the brand through the years of change.
How have you reacted to the rise in social media and e-commerce in the fashion industry?
There is something there that makes it somehow quite exhausting. That global quest for new pictures every 2 seconds and for commenting on everything seems non-stop. I am not sure it helps anyone think about the world we live in, or simply try to understand it, making people become judgmental rather than analytical. At the same time, it is quite stimulating to watch such a variety of pictures. I guess it is a question of balance.
Do you feel that this will keep changing the future of fashion?
I would not be able to tell as it keeps on changing and evolving at a very quick pace.
By Eliza Scarborough
