DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT - CLARISSE HIERAIX

Introducing couture’s new star: Clarisse Hieraix. Along with brands like Madame Grès, Carven designer launched her own collection after graduating from the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture in Paris, in 1999. Today Clarisse Hieraix designs and manufactures, under her own brand, couture, cocktail and wedding dresses in her atelier in Paris and sells to private clients and multi-brand stores in New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Moscow, St Petersburg, Almaty, Baku, Dubaï, Arabie Saoudite, Kowait, Katar...
Clarisse Hieraix woman asserts the elegant femininity and has the audacity to refuse fashion diktats. Each collection has a unique style. They give a new characteristic to this rebellious woman who metamorphoses to better reinvent herself.
After several fashion shows in Paris during the Haute Couture Fashion Week and extensive coverage of her creations in the fashion press (Vogue, L’officel, Elle, Harper bazar, CitizenK...), and has dressed celebrities such as Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Doutzen Kroes, Georgia May Jagger, Nicky Minaj.
I visited Clarisse in her studio in Paris during Paris fashion week to learn more about her design and behind the scenes process.

Giulia: What sparked your interest in fashion ? 

Clarisse: Creative madness, being able to "Dream" and transcribe it through the collections. Isn't it magical to have the chance to make your dream come true ?

 Giulia: Can you describe your creative process ?

Clarisse: My creative process revolves around the stories I tell myself through a man's gaze on a woman. This man is the Man in the absolute, who is about to be seduced.....  In each story I revisit period costumes and crinolines...  The theme, the common thread of each collection, is the DNA of my creative process. I draw my collections three years in advance, I then separate them by season and work around my four codes: wide hips, vertugadins, pleats and volumes on a controlled scale. Subsequently, I refine the details according to the theme with materials and textile embellishments. In the end, I draw more for the made-to-measure (couture dresses, wedding dresses and cocktail dresses).

 Giulia: What kind of women does your clothing speak to ? 

Clarisse: Over time I have realized that there are similarities between all my clients whether they are 25 or 65: they are women who know exactly what they want, and where they are going.  They are feminine, bold, passionate, determined, anti-conventional, with a strong identity and a touch of malice. They are my heroines....  

 
Giulia: What other designers do you relate to or love ?

Clarisse: My favorite designer is Claude Montana for his subtlety, sobriety and the architecture of his creations, and secondly Alexander McQueen for his creative genius.  

Giulia: You dressed a few celebrities, Is there one you are particularly proud of ? 

Clarisse: I am extremely flattered and honoured that these celebrities have entered my world and am so proud to have been fortunate enough to be able to dress all of them.

Giulia: If you could pick a celebrity to wear your upcoming collection who would it be ?

Clarisse: Eva Green for her dark side or Madonna for her outrageousness.  

 Giulia: What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work ? 

Clarisse: I am fascinated by everything but my favorite subjects are Art, Nature and Heroines. This trinity constantly enriches my creativity and allows me to dream. 

Giulia: Where can we order your pieces from today ? 

Clarisse: You can order my pieces through my Salon Couture in Paris. I make tailor-made pieces for an international clientele of Couture, Semi-Couture, Cocktail and Wedding Dresses that are all made in my atelier in Paris. I am currently working on my e-boutique where I will present a capsule of my new ready-to-wear fashion collection.  

Giulia: What is next for Clarisse Hieraix ?

Clarisse: The international expansion of the brand through the opening of two Couture Salons in London and New York. 

by Giulia Juliet Belkin