3 questions for . . .Carolina Ritzler, fashion designer
Carolina Ritzler, fashion designer
Dance, piano, theatre, an opera conservatory … Carolina Ritzler may not have studied fashion starting at a very young age, but she was absolutely convinced that the artistic milieu was the one for her. Still, after an associate degree in business management, art history studies, and another associate degree, this time in real estate management, she became a salesperson for ten years for the Petit Bateau and IKKS ready-to-wear brands. In 2014, the Parisian from Nantes took the leap – she quit her job to start her own line of clothing, or rather jumpsuits. Instant success.
Would you tell us about your brand, its concept, and its beginnings?
The jumpsuits are numbered by year (like collectors’ cars) and each one is inspired by my heroines, for example Emma Peel (who wears number 74) or Nikita (number 90). My monomaniac concept comes from the woman in the street who wears a jumpsuit and naturally commands a sort of respect. I like this idea of power clothing. It’s like a new haircut; when you slip into a jumpsuit, people look at you differently. It’s a kind of spell. This is especially due to coordinating the top and bottom, like a military uniform that communicates inner strength. All my designs have a clearly defined waist, a detail that adds dash to every body type. For fabrics, I have a passion for the cool wool used for men’s suits. It keeps its shape without being stiff and falls with just a touch of crispness; it’s simply perfect. Zippers also play an important role. By controlling how much décolleté is revealed, zippers set the mood and style. All my pieces are designed and manufactured in Paris. Over the past four years, I’ve always gone to the same tailor.
It’s very difficult to get started as a new designer. You have to carve out your own place. But you must never give up; each problem is a step forward. I started with €1,000 in my pocket and a small amount from fundraising with friends and family, and I never doubted myself [Ed. Ms. Ritzler is now assisted by experienced financial professionals and recently appointed Narjisse Temmim as CEO]. At my first meeting with a client, my determination must have shown through. It was in December 2014 at the Bon Marché in Paris. I showed up with my ten jumpsuits and they trusted me right away and gave me a sales space. Today a 40m2 corner has just opened in Galeries Lafayette, and, in addition to an e-shop, an apartment-boutique on rue Etienne Marcel in the 2nd arrondissement welcomes our clients.
You’re now committed to lowering your prices. Why?
Last season I introduced a 30 percent drop in prices. Next summer, customers can treat themselves to jumpsuits that start at €380 as opposed to last year’s over €700 price tag. I’ve always had connections to the artistic sphere and I was lucky to very quickly be followed by numerous actresses (mostly in France but also in the United States) who thought my designs were perfect for their stage or screen characters. But I also thought I was missing out on all the women who inspire me, the women who didn’t have glamorous jobs or big budgets. By placing bigger orders, both when ordering materials and manufacturing, I was easily able to lower costs.
How do you see fashion?
I think we all want to be excited about it again. Women have been worn out by 15 years of fast fashion and they’ve forgotten that buying clothing is, above all, an emotional act. Understanding this made me want to create sustainable clothing, meaning timeless pieces that women want to wear every season and that they enjoy pulling out of the closet and mixing them with new pieces year after year. So every collection is built around three colours: navy blue and all its nuances, blacks that soften until they’re white, and all the beige tones. These are the colours we like to wear all the time, that we never tire of, and that we all have in our closets. But, in fashion as in cooking, a spicy touch is a must, so each season I add a colour or print. Next summer, polka dots and lamé will be my special seasoning.