Belgian designer Léa Peckre's debut collection is a vision in sheer, layered structures. When I first laid eyes on it, I had a pang of nostalgia. I once enrolled in an art class where we had an assignment to create a pattern with various levels of transparency using pencil shading, and my project turned out not unlike the skirt on Léa's Astero dress. Just over a week ago, the designer's collection for lingerie brand Maison Lejaby was presented at Paris fashion week, and it was another stunning look at her ability to take see-through fabrics and turn them into something so ladylike and intricate you barely realize it's revealing. Although my own wardrobe stands firmly on the opaque side of the spectrum, I couldn't help wanting to learn more about Léa and her designs.
Shop all Léa Peckre here.
Dana Melanz: Hi Léa! I read that you were influenced by the town of Étretat in France. What significance does this town hold for you?
Léa Peckre: I went to Étretat once as a child and since then I have been haunted by the violent and immense landscape there. I also used to go to Brittany for holidays, so I grew up surrounded by these stunning and fascinating cliffs. This memory of Étretat remains scary and beautiful at the same time; I remember this strong dizziness and the powerful energy coming from the sea. The title of my collection is "Restless souls make stone shapes," inspired by the souls that are haunting these deserted landscapes where stones are sculpted by time and the sea.
I love the unique shapes and cuts in your collection, like the layering on the Asteroide dress and the shape of the Anastase dress. What inspired you for those designs?
For this collection, I played with fabrics from the lingerie universe, and I created both of those dresses using lace and 3D mesh. The lace, merged with mesh in a crystallized union, evokes the appearance of water passing over rocks: wet and textured. The peplums and gores of the dresses seem to be set in stone. The organic curves remind me of terrestrial stratums.
The names of your garments are very interesting as well: Asteroide, Grenat, Zircon...
They are all the French names of minerals and semi-precious stones. They relate to the inspiration of my collection: the cliffs of France.
Can you tell me how you craft the garments? Where are they made?
It is definitely important to note that my garments are handcrafted. We use techniques of layering and fusion with different materials, and for this season it was lace and mesh. We sculpt and drape the creations around the body, although we start on a dressform. My collection is exclusively produced in France and Belgium.
This collection and your newest collection for Maison Lejaby both play with transparency. How did you decide to incorporate sheer fabrics into your collections?
I like the properties of the sheer fabrics. They let the body play a role and be part of the garment construction, letting through the natural skin tone and the body's curves. I like to create confusion and play with fabric layering. I dare to reveal the skin with a radical transparency and then I hide it and cover it using graphic shapes. Women are free to play with my clothes, to combine them with a different top and underwear for casual or sophisticated looks.
So you want to inspire c
Shop all Léa Peckre here.
Dana Melanz: Hi Léa! I read that you were influenced by the town of Étretat in France. What significance does this town hold for you?
Léa Peckre: I went to Étretat once as a child and since then I have been haunted by the violent and immense landscape there. I also used to go to Brittany for holidays, so I grew up surrounded by these stunning and fascinating cliffs. This memory of Étretat remains scary and beautiful at the same time; I remember this strong dizziness and the powerful energy coming from the sea. The title of my collection is "Restless souls make stone shapes," inspired by the souls that are haunting these deserted landscapes where stones are sculpted by time and the sea.
I love the unique shapes and cuts in your collection, like the layering on the Asteroide dress and the shape of the Anastase dress. What inspired you for those designs?
For this collection, I played with fabrics from the lingerie universe, and I created both of those dresses using lace and 3D mesh. The lace, merged with mesh in a crystallized union, evokes the appearance of water passing over rocks: wet and textured. The peplums and gores of the dresses seem to be set in stone. The organic curves remind me of terrestrial stratums.
The names of your garments are very interesting as well: Asteroide, Grenat, Zircon...
They are all the French names of minerals and semi-precious stones. They relate to the inspiration of my collection: the cliffs of France.
Can you tell me how you craft the garments? Where are they made?
It is definitely important to note that my garments are handcrafted. We use techniques of layering and fusion with different materials, and for this season it was lace and mesh. We sculpt and drape the creations around the body, although we start on a dressform. My collection is exclusively produced in France and Belgium.
This collection and your newest collection for Maison Lejaby both play with transparency. How did you decide to incorporate sheer fabrics into your collections?
I like the properties of the sheer fabrics. They let the body play a role and be part of the garment construction, letting through the natural skin tone and the body's curves. I like to create confusion and play with fabric layering. I dare to reveal the skin with a radical transparency and then I hide it and cover it using graphic shapes. Women are free to play with my clothes, to combine them with a different top and underwear for casual or sophisticated looks.
So you want to inspire c