MEETING WITH CLARISSE HIERAIX

Corseted waist like Marie-Antoinette, a Bjorkienne mythology, a certain coldness distinguished by Eva Green, Georgia May Jagger’s amazon modernity… Who is the Clarisse Hieraix woman ? The Clarisse Hieraix woman is feminine, bold, determined, alternative with a strong identity and a bit of malice.
What first catches your eye when you see an elegant woman ? Her aura.
What are your sources of inspiration ? Heroines, nature and the arts.
What are you passionate about and what feeds that passion ? I am as passionate about the route as the destination and it is the route that feeds my passion and allows me to grow.
Your creations are worn by stars such as Rihanna, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Shy’m, Beyoncé, Sonia Roland, Doutzen Kroes, Lady Gaga, Georgia May Jagger… celebrities… Is there a moment when you rub your eyes and ask if they are really wearing your dresses ?   It is extremely flattering to see such personalities or other clients enter into my universe. I am both very moved and honored when I see them wearing my creations.
You want to tell a story in your collections. The one unveiled on January 28 was Rebellious.
Can you tell us the story of Rebellious ? « Rebellious » is a heroine of a new world, domineering and passionate, free and absolute.
When you create a garment, you say you put yourself in the mind of a man, never a woman. Who is this man ? He is a man in absolute terms and who is about to be seduced.
It is quite a big feat to have your showroom in the golden triangle in Paris. To be sold all over the world. How do you succeed when initially you’re not from fashion’s inner circle ?
Personally, I think it is too soon to speak about success. Installing a luxury brand requires many years and much investment… I think that there is no single path to achieve success, but there are four basic points that have been essential to me: the passion and the love of my work, a talented and strong team, financial backers who allow me to work with magnificent fabrics while keeping a creative freedom…, the fusion that brings the passion and the love of the work, the team and the investors. Bringing all these elements together is the most difficult thing to achieve. And if you have a little the luck along the way, it helps.
One feels the precision of a goldsmith in your work. A rigorous, surgical precision and at the same time a tremendous generosity. Are you in love with precision ? I am above all in love with my work and the precision goes with it.
To “read” your fashion shows… ne clearly feels the desire to tell stories. Are you trying to create a Clarisse Hieraix mythology?  It is for you to say! As Marcel Duchamp said “It is the spectators who make the paintings”.
Finally we know little about you… Tell us a little of who is Clarisse ? Someone who is discreet.

INTERVIEW : ALEXANDRA HARNAIS