Colville—a new collaboration from Marni alumnae Molly Molloy and Kristin Forss (they designed the women’s and men’s collections, respectively) and Lucinda Chambers (she styled, sprinkling the fairy dust)—has just made its debut with a capsule collection now available at MatchesFashion.com. Announced in March, it is the perfect combination of coolness (off-kilter pleated print dresses begging to be layered with sweaters), classicism (roomy coats, tailored pants, babouche slippers), and quirky (asymmetric sculptural jewelry or a black hat that’s part Renaissance portraiture, part The Handmaid’s Tale—the former done in collaboration with Vicki Sarge, the latter with Stephen Jones).
The label’s name comes from a West London street that was very much part of the city’s David Hockney 1970s, yet it is resolutely of today in its internationalist spirit—Chambers and Molloy are British, Forss is Swedish, and they operate between London and Milan—and outlook. Colville was founded on principles of respect and equality of expression, and while it comprises three distinct voices, the designers quite clearly speak in unison:
Kristin Forss
“We didn’t want what we do to be seasonal—‘Ugh, that’s so last season.’ It’s not about trends. We wanted to bring fashion back to the joy of creating. You have a sportier tee with a plissé skirt and a parka. Each of us dresses very eclectically—it’s made for a woman who takes from different worlds. My favorite piece is a twisted draped top that is very chic but would look just as good with a pair of combat pants.”
Lucinda Chambers
“The impetus for Colville was that we all liked working together. Partnerships, be they emotional or business, are the hardest things to get right. I love color and decoration; Kristin is a demon about tailoring; Molly is more left of field—and yet out of all our quirks, we have somehow made what we do have a 360-degree point of view. What we all enjoyed doing at Marni was addressing quite a lot of women’s desires—from jewelry and tailoring to print and texture. It didn’t necessarily belong together under one roof, but boy, I really enjoyed putting it under one. I think there are women out there who are looking for all those things.”
Molly Molloy
“I’m the seesaw; I am in Lucinda’s camp and Kristin’s camp. I love print and texture and embellishment—and I love a masculine coat and sharp tailoring. I couldn’t think of doing something that didn’t have print and color—and is fun, no? That’s what we all learned at Marni: Fashion shouldn’t be so serious. After finishing there, I asked myself, did I want to work for another machine? I don’t love fashion enough to work like a dog. There is so much product out there. When we started Colville, the buzzwords were honesty, integrity, and thoughtfulness. And we ask one another all the time: Would you wear this?”
Source: Vogue
