About Us
The world of fashion, beyond the hype
Label AÉ was born out of a realisation that all cultures are full of beauty, and that fashion is a great way to promote relationships and bonding. Whether in Paris, London or New York anyone can wear clothing that tells a story, with its own roots.
Label AÉ (Affaires Étrangères or “Foreign Affairs”) identifies designers for you, selecting the ones that wish to share their expertise. And because fashion is all about craftsmanship as well as art, we put it in perspective with other artistic fields.
Whom is your label aimed at?
First and foremost, women who like fashion. The kind of fashion that uses pieces from other cultures as inspiration. From year to year, adopting and adapting them in their own style. Label AÉ is aimed at everyone who has a feeling for a sense of harmony. Be it traditional Mongolian attire or the blend of colours in Masai costumes. The outfits worn by the Tuaregs, traditional Guatemalan woven fabrics or refined Japanese kimonos. For it’s clear that expertise developed and grew everywhere. Just as beauty speaks through the material, cut and shape of a dress, coat or piece of jewellery elsewhere.
Apart from this, Label AÉ has aimed at women as well as men who want to experience fashion through art, exploration and relationships with others. Our concept store aims to send everyone on a true journey.
What is your background?
I come from Lyon. After studying architecture, I joined a famous ready-to-wear brand. I stayed there for 20 years, including ten years as International Business Director.
What motivated you to create Label AÉ Paris?
My international experience allowed me to observe a trend: the standardisation of fashion, from Dubai to Helsinki, Riyadh to Reykjavik. In 2002 I discovered Kuwait. It was a real shock, a kind of revelation… I was intrigued by the care given to the abaya. This long, generally black piece that most Kuwaiti women wear: a vaporous effect, rich fabrics, embroidered, sometimes jagged. Or highlighted with sequins …
Each woman gave this uniform element its own, unique, exclusive character. With the development of luxury and ready-to-wear brands, the abaya became less present and I could see what Kuwaiti women wore. Colours, layering of pieces, interpretation, adaptation, and femininity defined the allure of these women …
They mixed traditional and cultural dress codes with Western codes and managed to create original silhouettes. Mixing cultures to breathe a new identity into fashion products. The Kuwaiti woman has been able to provide her alternative to the standardisation of the fashion offer, by playing on singular combinations. From this observation, I laid the foundations for Label AÉ Paris: a transcultural label that brings together fashion, art forms, discovery, and exchange.
