Exclusive interview with French couturier Stephane Rolland

The first emotion that comes to mind when we meet French Couture designer Stephane Rolland is jealousy. Jealousy because he has the most luscious and incredible hair I’ve ever seen. This quickly turns to intrigue as I start to talk the man who has never made the modern, minimalist aesthetic look so good.

Here in Singapore ,having showcased his collection for the second time earlier this week at FIDé Fashion Weeks, Rolland happens to be one of the most celebrated French designers not only for his decade long work with Jean-Louis Scherrer Haute Couture, but also for his eponymous label which he launched in 2007.

Although he was admitted into the select twelve houses of “Haute Couture” by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and the Ministère de l’Economie, de l’Industrie et de l’Emploi and has dressed the likes of Beyoncè, Cheryl Cole, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, he believes his career triumph “hasn’t happened yet”.

Marie France Asia: Balenciaga at 20 years old – how did that come about?

Stephane Rolland: I can’t explain everything it just happened. I met Pierre Bergé one day – of course the president of Yves Saint Laurent – because my dream was to work with Yves Saint Laurent himself. He said ‘no way – you can’t work with Mr Saint Laurent’ and I couldn’t understand why he refused. I was shocked as I was just a young boy and I just wanted to have an internship. And I understood later that they didn’t want me to collaborate with him as I would only be a number in the company. When I say number I mean one between everybody else. He understood who I was immediately and said “you’re going to meet someone and that person will help you” and it was very strange.

Then I met the president of IFM (L’Institut Français de la Mode) who is now the president of Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, Didier Grumbach, and at that moment he told me “you’re made for Balenciaga”. The day after I met the General Manager of Balenciaga. Eight months after I signed my contract and I became artistic manager after one year. I was a kid with no experience! But when she saw my work she said “Oh my God, this is so Balenciaga”. These are the first words she said and I didn’t understand. I thought to myself, what is she talking about? I am just a student. Of course I was very proud, but very surprised at the same time because I had no experience!

MFA: You learnt less is more there…

S R: Yes I learnt this from Balenciaga mainly but also when I discovered more of the work of all the great designers. I understood that everything I was attracted to was very simple, but strong cuts. Minimalism is the most difficult thing to achieve because when you say less is more, it’s true of course, but less cannot accept any imperfections. It takes more time to do just a simple dress than to do something extravagant with ruffles and things.

MFA: You started your own Couture label in the throws of the economic crisis. Why do you think your business survived and thrived?

S R: There is something that is very logical. When you have an economic crisis, you have no middle range anymore. Rich people become more rich and poor become more poor which is cruel but it’s a fact. So if I had to start with the prêt-à-porter I would have had a lot of problems so that is why I decided to start with the Haute Couture. I knew from the beginning it would work. Of course there is always a risk but it was less risky than to start with the prêt-à-porter. And as I was already successful with my Haute Couture with Jean-Louis Scherrer I thought I have to start my own company with Haute Couture. When you want to launch a brand I think it’s good to come back to the essence of the DNA of the brand which for me is Haute Couture. After, you branch out with the prêt-à-porter, accessories, perfume etc. Unfortunately this crisis was terrible for the world but besides this it was not such bad timing.

MFA: When it comes to fashion, what is more important – the theatrics of a dress or is it about wearability?

SR: Both. First of all wearability. In Haute Couture women are sometimes accepting to suffer a lot to have the best look ever [laughs]. But I want women to feel good in the dress. It’s a matter of balance. I want them to be spectacular and talk of the town in a way, but also not to
look ridiculous in the dress. If you can’t walk correctly it’s not good. If you don’t look cool in the dress it’s not good.

MFA: You’ve had a long running relationship with the Cannes Film Festival. I loved your dresses Cheryl Cole wore…

S R: Very simply I think she loved what I’d done and my PR arranged a meeting. She saw the dresses… You know she is so sweet. She’s like an angel.

MFA: Well, Cheryl Cole was talk of the town in those gowns.

S R: Yes true.

MFA: On celebrities, you’ve also dressed Beyoncè, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian…

SR: Kim is a friend. She is so sweet. Sometimes the women I dress are also unexpected for my brand. But also it’s very interesting as I like to transform them a little bit. For example, when Kim came to me, I’m not going to create an over sexy, crazy dress for her. And if you see the dresses I’ve done for her, they are very soft and clean because Kim is not (because I know her) what we think she is. She’s a very sensitive person. She’s extremely well educated. The image of Kim in pictures is totally different to the private side of Kim. When I dress her it’s never too open, I use calm colours – of course it’s tight on the body but it’s not over sexy.

 

MFA: Is there someone you would like to dress?

S R: Cate Blanchett. I love Cate Blanchett. I think it will happen one day. I’m just waiting my time on my side. I don’t like to ask. Maybe one day she will see my work and understand me. It’s also a business. There are so many brands signing contracts with the stars and I don’t like that. I never pay for a star. I love artists in general and I love to collaborate with artists.

MFA: Do you have a muse?

S R: I don’t like to have a muse. I am crazy about some women but I can’t see them as my muse. I think it’s too restrictive because I am talking to all women. To have a muse, it’s as if I’m forgetting all the other women. In my mind, all my collections are a mix of women.

MFA: What should women never wear?

S R: You have to be comfortable in yourself. We are more attracted to someone who is sincere in themselves. You need time to find who you are. You need peace and serenity with your past, with the trauma you’ve had in your childhood – with everything. And this comes with age. You can’t find serenity in yourself at twenty years old – that’s ridiculous. Women at forty, fifty are beautiful. She has the experience of life.

MFA: Is that why you like Carmen Dell’Orefice?

SR: No. Carmen is something else. She is like the miracle of life. I wish all women to be like her at eighty years old.

MFA: Who is the most influential person in your life?

S R: Wow. When I have to choose one person it’s always very restrictive to me. For my aesthetic, my mother, my grandmother – they are very different but complementary. After that it’s more about design and art, sculptures, designers, painters, photographers, architects – it’s a group of artists who’ve influenced me and made me who I am.

MFA: You’ve enjoyed many triumphs throughout your career but what is a highlight for you?

S R: I don’t have this feeling. I’ve had a few successes but it didn’t happen yet. This highlight that I want. I really started to feel good at forty years old and started on my own. At that moment I found peace. It was the perfect age with all my background of the hundred person image of Stephane Rolland. I think that’s why the collection was very successful as people really saw the one hundred persons of Stephane Rolland. I was free to communicate the way I want to people and it really is paying return. But now my business or career highlight will be when I have boutiques with all the products I want in my style – sculpture, accessories, my perfume. When everything is achieved I will be happy.

MFA: How do you keep it fresh season after season?

S R: I don’t know [laughs]. I have no answer for that! I hope to keep this freshness for a long time! I know it’s difficult but I have no explanation. Maybe I just have a clear vision of the world. To be curious keeps you younger always. When you are like this you stay young and modern in your brain. Your creativity is maintained fresh.

MFA: When are you happiest?

S R: I’m very happy with all my team when we are in the process of the collection. I feel great and good because at this moment there are no issues. We are all together like a family and in a total creative mood. And that is the perfect time for me but alas it’s not so often.

 

MFA: What do you think of the fashion landscape in Asia – Singapore in particular?

S R: I think Singapore is one of the best places because there is a real social life. Women in Asia love to get dressed in a very sophisicated way. It’s very glamorous. Every woman is different no matter where she comes from. I want them to be attracted to my work. To be surprised by my work.

MFA: Do you have big plans for Asia?

S R: Yeah but it’s difficult to talk as nothing is signed yet. I’m a bit superstitious. [smiles].

Marie France Asia – watch this space!

Yvette King

Yvette King is a Singapore-based fashion and lifestyle TV presenter who has interviewed the who’s who in the fashion world. When she’s not reporting backstage at a catwalk show or at a red carpet, she’s working on her style blog tanjongbazaar.com.