A slice of happiness, found in the sunlight
“You sponge up everything you see in layers,
whether consciously or not. You assimilate it
gradually and then your foundational culture is
formed. Will one of these elements inspire you later
on? You never know,” says Ines de la Fressange for
whom memories of Marrakech recently resurfaced.
"Traditional Arabic tiles, bougainvillea in bloom,
treasure-hunting in the souks…I can picture all of
these scenes from my very first trip to Marrakech
with my grandmother. I was 13 years old.” From
there, it became her favorite destination.
“Over the years, I found myself more sensitive to
colors than anywhere else and realized one thing. It
is the wonderful effect of sunlight! The light changes
everything. It illuminates and spotlights things, a bit
like fluorescent highlighter. The nuances of a fixed
color shift under different qualities of light”, she says,
referring to the benefit of dazzling daylight. “A beam
of sunlight symbolizes a slice of beautiful life,
happiness in a word. This is what I wanted to
interpret in the clothes.”
When asked for an example of something that
recently enchanted her, Ines passionately recalls
seeing a rose field in Palmeraie, a short drive from
Marrakech. “This landscape was the inspiration for
flowery motif of the latest collection. I can’t wait to
throw on one of the jackets in this print over a T-shirt
and a V-neck jumper with a pair of jeans. The jackets
are unlined and therefore easy, very practical for the
summer,” says she imaging herself in one of the
cleverly updated designs.
"It is important for us to propose something new, a subtle twist. A shirt with a single box pleat at the back for comfort puts you in a good mood." Ines also revisits essential items such as the navy jacket. "Plain or double-breasted, fitted or boxy, gold or natural buttons...there are so many possibilities! Perhaps I'm forever looking for the perfect navy jacket."