Lindsay Elick

Excerpts from an Interview with the Designer

Recorded on: March 22 2023

Tell me about your collection!

Initially inspired by French Château Architecture and wallpapers within the estates, I was further drawn to the surrounding fields and landscapes. I also loved the idea of a collection inspired by aroma. After learning that Grasse, France was known for its flower fields in being the perfume capital of the world, I started to study the region and its native species. With further research, I felt like I should combine flowers and bees in my collection.  Suits are my favorite silhouette, so I chose to reimagine beekeeper suits with the incorporation of tailoring to remove traditional bagginess. My theme oscillates between protection and exposed skin that illustrates “space for pollination.”

As I have created my collection, it has been with thoughts of my grandma Marcelette.  She worked in a flower shop for so many years. Her eyes were a beautiful blue and the native French Bee Colony I studied for this collection were Blue Bees, so the symbolism has felt strong. I looked into the anatomy of these bees and subtly incorporated eyes, wings, and antennas into my garments. I wanted things to be clean and technical, so I chose neutral colors to really showcase that in addition to imitating the traditionally white beekeeper suits.

What’s your design process?

I very much do not start with blueprint sketches or mood boards; they develop later for me. I let my hands manipulate fabric and really immerse into the material for inspiration.  There are so many things in motion within different atmospheres and conversations. The creativity never ends and neither do thought provoking environments. At times it can be sensory overload, but I enjoy the artistic headspace and constant curiosity. I’ll have ideas tomorrow that don’t come to me today. I’ll get ideas for a collar in a dream. I will be changing silhouettes until its show time because I never stop dreaming honestly. It doesn’t stress me out. Ideas flow with an open mind and I’ve discovered this is who I am as a designer not only in a fashion realm. I love the pressure and intensity, that’s when I create best.

Fragrance

I created a fragrance to emulate

citrus and floral aromas native to Grasse, France. Found in the French flower fields are jasmine, tuberose, and lavender, so it was important that the fragrance reflected that. I wanted the smell of floral elegance to echo my intricate collection through perfume sample invites to the show. I named the fragrance Abeille Charpentière, which became the title of my collection.  

What challenges have you faced?

I have only worked with female forms prior to this collection. I love suits and wanted to incorporate men including my brother. Working with broad shoulder blades that flow into smaller waists and muscular biceps in sleeve construction is new territory for me. I like the challenge but did find frustration while spending nearly 50 hours getting a jacket properly fitted to one of my models. I’m finding there are a lot of technicalities in tailoring that I constantly run into fitting issues and spend hours altering patterns. I feel like I keep failing. Failing. And failing. It is a lot of trial and error alongside patience. I have to swallow the challenge, take a step back and cry some, then take a new approach. So, I am learning how to grow in the same environment that I have failed in very quickly