It’s well known that Sézane’s founder, Morgane Sézalory, never set out to create a “brand”–in the traditional sense, anyway. The business grew organically: Sézalory’s first project was Les Composantes, a curated eBay store specializing in vintage, which eventually evolved into designing clothing inspired by her favorite pre-loved pieces. From there, Sézane’s now-recognizable visual identity was born.
“I just wanted to find a way to work and create a job that made sense for me,” she tells Vogue. “I think if I’d had more awareness and more maturity, I would have thought that it was impossible. It was very instinctive and organic, without a strategy.”
Whether intended or not, Sézalory has now built a profitable global brand, which she has recently pivoted in a “new direction”, having watched it evolve over 13 years. For several (mainly personal) reasons–the details of which she outlined in an article for Vogue Business—Sézalory spent a period of reflection to decide how she wanted Sézane to continue.
“I didn’t have time to make it the brand of my dreams–because I never thought I would create a brand–then it just happened,” she explains. “It made me slow down a bit … and ask, ‘would this brand make me excited if I wasn’t [the founder]?’”.
Voluminous shoulders, dramatic, funnel-neck collars – seen on a selection of short jackets in faux-fur, wool and leather, and on trench coats – all reflect the new direction. Tactility was another key aspect of the final designs, and there’s a variety of textures across the ready-to-wear and accessories. A generous, slouchy tote is surely destined for the same cult status as the label’s sellout basket bag.
Additionally, to pay homage to Sézane’s vintage roots, the brand will release a pre-loved offshoot–for which 10% of the global net sales will be donated to Demain, a philanthropic social impact program created by the brand, on the 21st of every month–aptly named Les Composantes. Launches of one-of-a-kind pieces, curated by Morgane or an invited guest, will be available to purchase from September.
Scroll down to see and shop highlights from Sézane’s new era.
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