Aurélien Lecour was born in the South of France, in 1983. Moving from a tranquil village to the coastal city of Marseille, for a seven year old it was an entirely new universe to discover.
From an early age he was drawn to the numerous construction sites of the growing city. It would seem that the process of construction and architecture, seeing the inner workings, stimulated his imagination. And for a while there were dreams of becoming an architect himself.
Of course, while these dreams were running around in his head Lecour was preoccupied with the task close to many a teenager’s heart — the art of looking good. Second-hand stores became a favorite haunt, picking up pieces and transforming them on his mother’s sewing machine.
Even at that early age Lecour found many similarities between fashion and architecture. The same mission underscored both disciplines: the creation of a shell and identity, for an individual or a society. However, fashion offered him greater opportunity of instant experimentation, with the possibility to be physically in contact with the material at all stages of the process.
So with fashion as his focus, he enrolled at Institut International de Creation et de Couture (IICC) in Marseille.
Even before the commencement of his studies, Lecour began work at a small fashion house where he was exposed to many various aspects of the industry. From the practical tasks of cutting, the nature of fabrics and sewing, to clientele, their appearance and relationship they have with their clothing.
In the final year of his studies Lecour shared his time between school and a local street wear brand. There he not only designed the collections but also gained first-hand knowledge of the world of mass retailing industry as well as the concept of short cycles, and marketing strategies.
On the conclusion of his studies he was hired to create a sports inspired fashion label, where he launched their first collection. As satisfying as it was Lecour wished to expand his horizons and see the world. His adventures began in Europe, pausing in Russia, then Mongolia and finally China.
He was struck by the dynamism, stimulated by the cultural gap, the novelty and the prospect of opportunity that continuously presented itself in this ever-changing society. His decision made, he settled in Beijing. There he also settled into a position as a designer for a Danish brand, leading fashion retail brand within the Chinese market.
Over the following two years Lecour used all the means that industry can provide him, taking the opportunity to create thousands of garments, testing thousands of ideas, fabrics, and shapes. He diversified his skills, learning how to create for leather, fur, denim, knits, and accessories. In that time he was also deeply involved in marketing strategies and market studies; he studied feedback from retailers, spending much of his time on the field. He learned how to understand customers and how to best predict their expectations. This education was extremely beneficial however its price was a shackle on his creative freedom.
It was 2007 when Lecour met Tony Saint Hua. In terms of creativity their collaboration was extremely productive and their experiences complementary. The idea of creating a fashion house between the two quickly emerged. A few months after this meeting, Aurélien resigned from his job and dedicate himself completely to their shared venture Le Divan.
Construction lines and structure obsess Lecour. His passion for architecture underlies his creative work. Very comfortable with pattern making, he uses all the resources of technique to bring his concepts to life. “If the aspect of a pattern does not please my eyes, I know that I will not like the garment that will be created from it. The construction map must be perfect; it must be beautiful in the eye of the technician. All the rest is just a question of style.”
Although he is a technician in a sense, Lecour must not be misunderstood for an austere construction theoretician: “Technique is a strict tool that must serve fantasy and must open creative doors. It is a medium to express singularity.”
According to Lecour garments always reflect a part of one’s personality: “Whether it is, the actual personality or a fantasized personality, the way one dress up always reveals something of themselves. One can accentuate some of his qualities, or even hint at others. One must have a good sense of humour to really have pleasure dressing up.”
His inspirations are very eclectic, whether drawing from the intellectual rigour and architecture of Kahn, from the dramatic scale of the expressionist cinema, in the imagery of Japanese anime or of the rock scene.
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An impressive technical setup for the photos.
Hair and make-up between the machines of the atelier.
Zhang Chi, menswear designer, in the pattern room.
Jen Qin, womenswear designer, in Le Divan’s show-room.
Fashion talk.
