Through the Eyes of Julie de Libran
THE CARESSING EYE
Julie de Libran in her own words.
To see them, again and again…
“This month of January is an opportunity for me to thank all the women and people who support me and have allowed me to present this collection. I’m doing an artistic installation where the pieces will be displayed. Some will be worn by the muses of the house, and at the same time there will be a film projected on a big screen. The pieces will be hung up, and guests will walk around and discover the collection from different angles.”
To watch means to live
“To touch and to see means to live. It is the celebration of craft. It is the discovery – that moment of emotion the eye creates when you see something for the first time. The eyes initiate a thought, calling for an interpretation. They push me to develop, even to remake a piece. It is the look that makes me evolve, always. Many of the dresses in the collection are moulded and sewn on the bust, starting from the material to drape, then making the model. That’s what I like. There can be challenges: structuring something fluid, to give it a shape or by putting lots of little folds to create a roundness, while at the same time it should remain light on the body.”
Eyes on the inside
“I like things to be worn. The way a garment feels is key. When you feel comfortable in a garment, everything is alright. You can focus on other issues than what you’re wearing.”
An eye for detail
“I’ve always been an observer. I’m told I notice details; I always have an eye for them. It can be something unexpected: a finish, like if the material has a herringbone pattern, I cut out the v’s like lace, so that the bottom of the fabric ends in spikes and then I build by hand. I spend hours and nights sewing these models, even if I have fairy hands next door that take care of the finishing touches.”
More than meets the eye
“This season I chose to use blue, which looks like a piece of sky. It flies. It’s a deep and light shade – a ski blue, very graphic. I have shiny materials, or ones with sequins. I enjoy when the shine is subtle – when it draped or constructed. This is always fun.”