Your collection was born from a dialogue between mountains and cities. Where do you personally feel most at home, in the stillness of nature or the energy of the city?

That’s an interesting question. Honestly, both. I live mostly in the city and I really enjoy that lifestyle, but when I go back to my parents’ hometown in the mountains, it’s incredibly grounding. Even a weekend there gives me so much energy. So yes, the city feels like home, but returning to the mountains is essential for me. At the moment I’m still based in Brussels, though I’m looking for a new atelier, so things are quite open.

Do you want to stay where you are now, or are you considering moving?

I’d like to move, probably to Paris or Milan, depending on job opportunities. At the same time, I’m still working on several projects in Brussels, so I’ll always go back and forth between Paris and Brussels.

You often talk about balance: between utility and elegance, structure and comfort. How does that idea of balance show up in your daily life?

Functionality is essential for me. Every garment I have created purposefully placed pocket, sometimes a creative one, sometimes multiple. I work like that because functionality is very important also in my personal way to dress, I know exactly where I keep each object. That system gives me comfort and structure.
 Life as a designer is intense: long days, late nights. So moments for myself are crucial: running in the park, reading, simply being outside. Even the daily walk to school used to be a moment to breathe. When I no longer had that routine, I realized how important those ten minutes of fresh air actually were.

What connection do you see between Gamper’s exploration of variation within a fixed object and your own approach, generating multiple outdoor-inspired garments from a single pattern piece?

I spent a long time studying not only his work, but also his way of thinking. His project “100 Chairs in 100 Days” particularly inspired me – the idea of hybridation, of combining two typologies to create something new.
 That became the starting point for this collection. I asked myself: “what happens when different kinds of typology meet?”. The first reflexion was: “could a down jacket meet a trench?”. And so, to go further I asking myself: “how the technical winter sport garment can meet (or encounters) a classic contemporary menswear wardrobe?”. That question guided me toward the parka, anorak, down jacket, and so on – all translated through one shared component.

Why did you choose Gamper as an inspiration?
I’ve been fascinated by furniture design for years. When I was younger, I discovered the Bauhaus movement, which had a big impact on me. Since then I’ve kept exploring designers furniture, architect, interior design, object… all kind, and Gamper was someone whose work I saved long ago. For this collection, it simply felt like the right moment to transcribe his universe more deeply.

I can imagine that clothing first felt functional to you. What was the moment you realised fashion could be poetic as well?

It happened when I was young. I was very shy. One day I went shopping with my father and chose something that felt bold for me. The next day at school, people came up to me, talked to me, complimented me. It was the first time I noticed how clothing can open conversations, how it can change how people approach you and the real impact of the clothes on the society. That moment showed me the emotional power of clothes, and it stayed with me.

How did you then actually enter the fashion world as a designer?
It took time. I only started fashion and design studies around 23. Before that, I studied business management in France, but after graduating I knew immediately: this is not my path. I worked for a while at Smets Store, a luxury boutique in Luxembourg. Being surrounded by fashion confirmed that this was where I wanted to be — but not as a salesperson. I wanted to create. So I moved to Brussels to study fashion design, and I’ve been here ever since. It was absolutely the right decision.

At that point, did you already dream of starting your own brand, or working for a house?

I had no idea. My only motivation was to learn how to make a garment. My grandmother was a seamstress and taught me the basics before I moved to Brussels. That really sparked everything. Whether I will start my own brand or join a house, I’ll see where life takes me. The important thing is to create.

The title ‘Outdoor Encounters’ suggests discovery. What did you discover about yourself through this project?

It was my first time working outside the structure of school. I had to create my own work environment, rely on myself. That was challenging. It was also the first time I worked with people from different fields and different countries at the same times. I had to learn to communicate clearly, to trust others, to delegate. That was a major learning experience.

Winning Le 19M Métiers d’Art Prize comes with significant support. How do you see it impacting your creative process or professional journey?

First, I really hope to work again with Atelier de Verneuil. The team was incredibly kind, talented, and inspiring. I even spent two days in the atelier to help create one of the bags myself, an amazing experience.
 I might focus more on accessories for a while, though that could change. What matters most is discovering new métiers d’art, new techniques, new people. The budget goes fast in such ateliers, but I want to explore as much as I can.

With your collections, do you always search for new fabrics, techniques, or innovations?

Always. Early in the process I think about materials, fabric manipulations, construction details, colours… Sometimes a design completely changes because I discover a new technique or textile. That evolution is part of my process.

Isn’t that difficult, considering how fast the fashion industry moves?

It can be. Especially when I work alone. This year one of my friends work with me (S/o to him), which made it easier to think from different angles. But innovation takes time, and time is limited. Still, research moments are where I learn the most, even if I can’t explore everything at once.

We worked together on the cap, metal endings, the shoe bag and smaller details that reflect your world of utility and refinement. What made you choose these specific elements?

The trench strap became a key element of the collection — almost a red thread. It appears everywhere, so I wanted the metal hardware to feel personal and unique. We didn’t have time to finish the buckle, but we developed the metal endings, which gave the strap a new identity. Designing the cap with you felt natural too. I knew you had the technical expertise, and I wanted to learn. I couldn’t produce a high-quality cap on my own, so collaborating made perfect sense.

How do collaborations like ours push a designer’s boundaries?
Because they expose you to new knowledge. You and Vania introduced techniques from the factory that I had never seen before. Without the collaboration, I wouldn’t have discovered them.
Working with others forces you to think differently, to learn more, to welcome advice. It expands your world.

If our collaboration were a material or texture, what would it be?

Metal, without hesitation. We spent so much time developing the metal pieces. They really represent our collaboration.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Right now, I dream of being a fashion designer — and maybe I already am one. But in this world you have to fight every day, keep learning, keep creating. Maybe one day I’ll design furniture like Gamper or something different from Fashion. But a part of me will always belong to fashion.