The Bite Magazine - issue 16

Speaking of her mother, Céline Marie says, “She had her very own style, very chic and inspired by her French roots. One day, I secretly started playing around with her sewing machine and I guess my passion for making and creating new clothes has evolved.” Throughout the years, Céline Marie con- tinued making all sorts of garments and accessories, starting with leather hand- bags and clutches which then evolved into more delicate dresses, blouses and skirts. However, there was something she had always wanted to do and that was, “to specialise within the industry as I’ve always had a passion for delicate fabrics, laces and the value of well-fitted lingerie.” When it comes to fashion, Céline Marie sees this as a very powerful tool that every individual person – subconsciously and consciously – uses on a day by day basis. “It is a form of self-expression and in my opinion, crucial in the process of creating oneself. Fashion enables us to make statements and design our very own identity, whether it is what we rep- resent or want to represent. Therefore my aim is not just to create beautiful things for an idealised person or world but tell a story with each piece which reflects what lies beneath the obvious.” Also seeing fashion as a way to create meaning and build awareness by being noticed and being seen, her aim as a lingerie designer is “not just to create beautiful garments but to challenge people to look beyond the actual piece and look at its journey.” This includes sustainability, upcycling and recycling, and creating awareness that are funda- mental in her design ethos with an aim to evolve the concept of ethical fashion in the future within her designs. Having lived in London for the past four years, Céline Marie believes that the capital city has somewhat influenced her sense of style through the inspiration of cultural diversity and urban chic. “I love that the city is marked by this colourful mix of cultures, traditions and vibes. I especially enjoy going for a walk through Brick Lane in Shoreditch, east London where I currently live.To me it is a major hotspot for the most eccentric, unconventional and authentic street styles and independ- ent designers and creatives.To me, this is the greatest inspirational source as it is 100% real, authentic and unique.” As an independent designer, Céline Marie enjoys creating her own trends and inno- vation of the current market with new ideas and techniques. “It is also an abso- lute pleasure to work so closely together with other highly creative minds from different backgrounds such as photogra- phers, stylists and artists. It is an endless source of inspiration for me and opens up different perspectives.” Through her absolute love of lace and layering which she described as “pretty much one of the basics of my daily wardrobe”, the designer told us that “delicate and high quality lace always adds a touch of femi- ninity and the effect of layered materials gives the sort of depth to the design which in my opinion makes it a lot more interesting. I’d also say that I don’t nec- essarily follow conventional trends such as harnesses but like to cut into different things and mix ideas.” The first piece that Céline Marie believes she had ever created was little lace-up shoes for her cat in red velvet. In her current vocation as a designer, she explained that there are no generic number of rules and times to construct an individual piece of clothing as it always depends on the design such as its com- plexity, fabric choice, size and fabrication. “A simple basic bra in a sample size can be made in two hours if the pattern pieces and fit have been made and approved previously and everything else is already prepared. On the other hand, I have also created an embroidered and beaded body which took approximately 150 hours of pure making and sewing which does not even include the hours of fitting the pattern on the body.” Her biggest accomplishment in being a designer is “the appreciation and love that I get for what I do and the fact that other people actually identify my person- ality within my designs.” She also counts support from her family and friends as well as other people as motivation in following the path that she is going. “To me, it is also exciting to be featured in magazines and edito- rials. In fact, I found out about my first ever feature by pure accident as one of my friends was just browsing through some magazines online and spotted one of my designs in an editorial for Kaltblut Magazine . I also became one of the final- ists of the Link Award and showed my collection on the catwalk in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. My first ever runway show will always remain a memorable moment in my career as a designer.” When making a quality article of cloth- ing, craftsmanship, ethical approach and design story are the three key aspects that Céline Marie most values. Especially designing lingerie and intimate apparels, high quality materials and fabrics are very important as the garments are in contact with the skin at all times. Also, as she explained, the finishing on the inside and outside of the garment is equally fun- damental and determines market level and quality. “Apart from fabrication, the ethical aspect also plays a major role to me as a garment can be beautifully made but environmentally harmful which in my opinion takes its beauty away. And lastly, the story that the article tries to tell or convey brings it to perfection.” When it comes to preparing for a fashion shoot or show, her golden rule is always to have scissors and pins on her just in case. “I remember at one show, the models were so tiny that I had to take in one of the sample size bras down three sizes to make it look about right in the last minute. Other than that, all I need to function is a dedicated team and lots of coffee.” Céline Marie admits that she is a huge fan of La Perla Atelier and their latest collec- tions which have been a mix of intricate lingerie and seductive outerwear pieces. Besides their timeless and elegant yet feminine designs, the designer added that she was absolutely amazed by the flawlessness of their creations disguising bite lingerie