A conversation with...Alexandre Blanc

A conversation with...

Alexandre Blanc

Alexandre Blanc (IFM MA Fashion Design 2007) is, above all, an aesthete, a lover of forms and colours. A passion he explored during his studies at École Duperré and later at Institut Français de la Mode. The artist and designer founded his eponymous brand in 2018 and is now the head designer (dressmaking, tailoring and leather) of women’s ready-to-wear at Hermès. Alexandre takes part in our new series of interviews and accepts to look back on his early years in fashion

Do you remember your first encounter with fashion?

As a teenager, I would sometimes stay up very late to watch fashion shows on television, hosted by Viviane Blassel. In the 1990s, there wasn’t the same abundance of images as there is today. Fashion shows couldn’t be watched with a simple click, and the rarity of images fuelled my imagination and the growing fascination I had with fashion.

Was there a moment in your career that changed everything for you?

I did one of my first internships with Anne-Valérie Hash. Her approach, that was very couture, seemed like the norm, but I quickly realised that it was actually something rare and unique. To this day, I maintain a friendly bond with Anne-Valérie, who has been a great help in my career.

Can you recall a moment that particularly marked you during your studies at IFM?

I remember a class where we had to create a self-portrait in colour, and then assign a colour to each of our classmates. There was a fascinating synchronicity between the shades of our self-portraits and the sum of the colours assigned in parallel by each of our peers.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to become head designer of a major fashion house?

You have to be able to adapt to the style of the house while bringing something personal and relevant. My advice is to always do a little more than what is asked of you.

Interview by Sophie Dajez (IFM MS 2023)

After studying social sciences and communications and gaining professional experience in the art world, Sophie Dajez completed the Fashion and Luxury Management Masters at the Institut Français de la Mode in 2022. Sophie now writes for brands, fashion houses and magazines and is co-founder and moderator of the Backstage Fashion Talks association.