Marine Serre Left Home at 14 To Pursue the Arts
How the designer went from a small French town to the youngest ever winner of the LVMH prize.
French designer Marine Serre first began selling her namesake line out of a 15-square-meter Parisian apartment. Her cramped digs didn’t matter of course, as Serre’s distinct aesthetic was enough to win over buyers from The Broken Arm, Dover Street Market and SSENSE.
Fashion editor Jessica Michault recently published an interview with Serre for her podcast Fashion Your Seatbelt, in which the young designer discussed everything from her beginnings in fashion to how she incorporates sustainable practices in her label — and how she feels about Beyoncé wearing her garments.
In the interview, Serre reveals that she left her home in Corrèze, France to pursue studies in art and design at just 14 years old. She graduated from the prestigious La Cambre fashion and design academy in Belgium in 2016 and after stints with Alexander McQueen, Dior and Balenciaga, Serre won the LVMH prize in 2017 at just the age of 25.
Now 28, Serre also discussed the distillation of her brand into distinct lines: Green, White, Gold and Red. The white line forms the basis of her collection, red her take on couture gowns and gold is where she creates experimental garments with new fabrics, materials and cuts. Her green upcyling initiative has been absorbed into the line as a whole since the recording of the interview.
Listen to the full interview — which was recorded prior to the onset of coronavirus lockdown measures — below. For more designer interviews, read how Telfar Clemens put a twist on the resale game with his Bag Security Program.