Mal Aimée a brand by Léonie Hostettler and Marius Borgeaud who met at design university in Geneva had their first Paris presentation at the recent Paris Fashion Week, on October 4th. Hosted at the luxury palace hotel Le Crillon, the label occupied a chandelier ornamented room on the ground floor. I was glad to see Jean Paul Cauvin present, and visiting the smaller lesser known brands in his search for the 21st century’s silhouette.

Mal Aimée served up a spread of garments with an emphasis on texture and lines, with color as a side dish. Sheer rayons, raw-weaved or embroidered wools, thicker silk pieces with elaborate stitching,beading and a mixture of different materials in single pieces was the texture palette. The lines wear a combination of body-lengthening shapes, a twist on the holed knees, elaborate pant cuffs, broad shoulders and coat tails for starters. Sweet pastels and faded denim along with fitted waistlines bring out a lot of femininity in this already lady-like line.

I personally loved the elaborate folds on the shoulders, the tight overlay-stitching, the silk pants and the  leotard shirts. There’s a sophisticated 70’s-80’s feel to the line without pushing towards the obnoxious aspect of that era. It’s strong yet feminine.

The pair of designers worked for a couple years with Olivier Theyskens at the fashion house of Nina Ricci, before being left to fend for themselves after his departure from the label. Not without gumption the two launched their own label. This SS2011 line is the fruit of a year’s worth of constant work to create a name for themselves. They are doing it well with a sumptuous presentation at one of the most frequented spots in Paris during Fashion week. Best of luck to these two young designers and we can’t wait to see the fall-winter line!