The Halo Bulletin: 11.1.12

Maxime Simoëns on His Romantic, Ballet-Inspired Prêt-à-Porter DebutMarch 4 12:30 PMby Faran Krentcil 0 CommentsPhoto: Olivier BuhagiarOn the Paris Fashion Week circuit, the newish designer Maxime Simoëns is cheap karen millen dresses kind of a big deal. He's just showed his first ready-to-wear collection, after years spent working on couture. He's lured French style darlings like starlet Mélanie Laurent and singer Keren Ann to his front row. And, oh yes, he's secured a coveted investment from LVMH, the luxury fashion powerhouse that owns Louis Vuitton, Dior, and even Sephora. We spoke with the 28-year-old designer backstage before his prêt-à-porter debut.ELLE: How did you decide you were ready to start a ready-to-wear collection?Maxime Simoëns: For me, it's about creating a world of my own style, that is easier when my pieces are available to buy in stores. I want women to be able to see my dress, buy it, and wear it out the very same nightas long as the quality is still excellent, I mean. ELLE: Your house music is a blend of techno and Tchaikovsky. Why?MS: This collection was inspired a lot by the Ballet Russes, the Paris ballet productions, and I absolutely adore ballet. I find it to be very inspiring.ELLE: Were you a ballet dancer before deciding to design?MS: Non! I definitely don't dancereallybut I love to watch ballet. And Swan Lake is always my favorite.ELLE: What about Black Swan, the Natalie Portman movie. Does that figure into this collection at all?MS: I thought that was a really cool movie, but it's not what this collection is about. Black Swan had enough glamour and style, I guess, but it wasn't very romantic, was it? This collection is very romantic, and although it also uses Swan Lake as a reference, it doesn't have that evil part to it. It has its own version of dark and lightand it has more graphic elements, discount oakley discount oakley sunglasses sunglasses and more bright pink.ELLE: We saw the shoes backstage. Are discount oakley sunglasses they a modern take on toe shoes?MS: They have a boxed toe and leather straps that wrap all the way up the leg, the same way ribbons on pointe shoes do. But they have a very high heel, and I would recommend you use that to make yourself taller and not actually stand on your toes in these shoes.ELLE: Everyone is talking about your LVMH deal. What does it mean for you as a designer?MS: For me, right now, it's a great show of confidence in my work and my business. It makes me feel that I am making the right choices and going in the right direction. And for the future, it obviously gives me more options and helps me build a visual world that is my own. It's a bit karen millen dresses basic to say it's exciting, but it really isit is http://sunglassesfactory.net/ so exciting.ELLE: It seems like a lot of pressure. Are you nervous?MS: Probably, but it's so busy here [backstage] that I don't have time to think about it. And the clothes are already done, so what is there to do? Photo: Olivier BuhagiarPhoto: Olivier Buhagiar Read the latest breaking fashion news.See the Fall 2013 Maxime Simoëns Ready-to-Wear collection.See all the Fall 2013 Ready-to-Wear collections.