Le Divan

Fashion in China is a long way from excellency, but it is running toward it fast. Alice McInerney from Time Out did pick a selection of Chinese designers which are “pushing Chinese fashion forward”. It was in the last September issue of Time Out Beijing.

Those of you who are familiar with our studio did probably recognize it in the photos. We have been more than happy to host this selection of talented designers, at Le Divan, where the photo shoot of this dossier has been realized.

Backstage photos of a day with Feng Huan, Jen Qin, Li Huawen, Nie Yurong, Vega Wang, Xander Zhou, Zhang Chi and Zheng Ran :

Over the last 2 centuries, the female outfit has been enriched by a lot of new items. It is now very common for women to wear pants or blazers for example. Fashion would not be what it is today without the apparition of those types of garment in the women’s wardrobe. On the other hand, for men, the last 2 centuries have witnessed the slow disappearance of some very interesting items. I found very sad for example the almost total annihilation of the cape. I think I sometimes saw a cape on a catwalk but as far as I remember, I never passed the way of a man wearing such piece of clothe.

I decided last winter to try something. I made myself a long, big cape, that I would wear in many different occasion, cocktail party, art opening, streets, cafes,… The reaction of peoples was quite interesting. Most peoples loved it but could not help trying to find something to refer it to. They would usually refer to Dracula (I shall maybee sun tan a bit more) or to XIXth century European nobility. I was a bit surprised that nobody referred to super-heroes, which are the most typical XXth century cape wearer. It was probably due to the black color and very tailored cut of the cape.

While installing new mirrors at the studio, we, by chance, took a look at the other personality of Le Divan, upside-downed.

Isn’t personality reflection something to talk about with your shrink ?

As some of you might have notice, we are recently adding more and more touches of colors in our designs, to brighten up the sobriety of our usual silhouette. Accessories appeared to be the perfect spot for a hint of color.

So, while testing bag designs, we introduced more red, more blue, more green,…

Wanderer Above The Sea of Mist

Collection automne-hiver 2009

Caspar David Friedrich -Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (1818) 94.8 × 74.8 cm - Kunsthalle Hamburg

For our automne-hiver 2009 collection, we found inspiration on the painting “Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer” (Wanderer above the sea of Mist) by Caspar David Friedrich. The picture shows a man from behind, standing on a rocky promontory, observing a tortured landscape, drowned in an intense and tumultuous mist.

More than just a person looking at a landscape, we see in that man a person of full self-confidence, which observes the beauty of nature, and it’s violence without being intimidated nor pretending to dominate it. He contemplates, admires and is probably experiencing a deep introspection. With poise, and humility, he faces a world full of grandiose, but which also is disturbing, even violent.

Thank you all for coming yesterday evening at Punk Club for the UNIFORM X PUNK party. We had all the fun we could expect.

Thanks to Anina and her magic camera, there are plenty of videos.

Here is an interview of us by Nels Frye :

Remember, tonight is the night for UNIFORM X PUNK.

*”Announcing the launch of a new set of collaborations with the best of independent fashion labels and PUNK. Blending fashion, music, and nightlife, UNIFORM is the place to sample whats happening under the radar of fashion and style in this exclusive once a month feature. Mixed with the freshest beats of Saul D and PUNK’s special drink list, makes this event the essential stop for your fashion fix.

This month featuring the DOWDY FOUR HUNDRED (Sweden) : timeless, modern classic designed accessories. Every piece is limited to only four hundred worldwide. Available only in selected boutiques in Europe, Beijing, and Tokyo. + LE DIVAN creates heavily architecture-influenced concepts for clients who love original detail and dressing with a sense of drama. Every piece is custom made and never the same for the next.”*

The party will be the occasion to launch www.ledivanstudio.com

From 9 till 3, tonight, at Punk Club, in the basement of The Opposite House hotel, in Sanlitun

Beijing offers plenty of very various work spaces. But when comes the time to pick one to use, it is always such a pain to find the perfect one. Too small, too big, not enough light, bad location, too much renovations, unfriendly landlord, too expensive, unfit to settle a business, promised to be destroyed… The process of locating for sure is not an easy quest.

Though, on that subject, we’ve always been very lucky. In conversations, we are often asked how we always manage to find, and get places that fits our needs so well, and offers such a nice atmosphere. I think we just been very lucky, and with a little bit of determination and intuition, one can find a little pearl and turn it into the loveliest place.

The First Studio

We’ve spent our first 2 years at Baihua Shenchu (one of the hutongs surrounding Houhai Lake area), in a very enjoyable studio. The Baihua Shenchu (a place hidden under hundreds of flowers in Chinese) studio is the place that witnesses the birth of Le Divan, and were we have establish the foundations of our work. Some of you know that it has also been the theater of many parties and get together.

The First Studio, at Baihua Shenchu

The Caochangdi Studio

If one wants to grow and evolve, one have to leave it’s cradle. And has Baihua Shenchu was getting too small, we started looking for somewhere else. Being central was not a need anymore for us and it seemed relevant to move to a place where we would be surrounded by creative activities. Caochangdi then appeared to be the perfect spot. This little district of Beijing’s outskirts has already been chosen by many artists and designers as their working and living place. Totally by chance, and in a stroke of luck, we found an extraordinary compound, the Iowa Plantation, a complex of dome-like greenhouses, which host artist studios, a restaurant, a plantation, an now, our headquarter.

It took a few months to adapt this place to our special needs, and it now offers us the best environment for our activity. We long ago took the choice to live and work in the same place, and the building we found in Caochangdi offers the perfect balance for that.

Half of the building is a big loft-style room, under a tall dome, full of light. Which is a perfect design room, and show-room. It also promise to be a great place for parties and show-case.

The main room at the Caochangdi Studio - Photo by Anne Li - www.anneliphotography.com

The other half consist in a series of rooms of different sizes, in which we’ve installed the cutting room, machine room, archives, fabric collection, and living areas.

What is offered by this space is not just a great working studio, it actually is a full lifestyle. A lifestyle we designed for ourself. A lifestyle that is a full dedication to our creative activity, a fusion between our personal life and our work.

Everybody needs every now and then, to take a trip in the depth of it’s own mind. Taking a look at unsolved issues, cleaning up the mess, finding inspiration in one’s own experience, and finding one’s right place and relation with oneself, and the world. In short, having a face to face and cards on the table conversation with oneself. It is an essential process, but it is not a natural, or an easy one. It can be done through many ways. A series of visit to the divan of a psychologist is one of them.

For creative minds, putting words on feelings and emotions is not always the best way to earn consciousness about them, nor to express them.

As many creative peoples did before us, we realized that the practice of a totally liberated creative practice, was worth the best possible psychotherapy. The introspection, and the creative works, forms a beneficial ring. Creating liberates the mind, and is an invitation to more thinking. More thinking, in a liberated mind, creates opportunity for creation, provides inspiration and brings us to discover more potential in the depth of our minds.

More than just the name of our fashion house, “Le Divan” describes the process of our creation. We mentally lay down on that, and plunge the depth of our emotions and ideas, in order to extract and express our artistic vision.