01MARINE SERRE WON THE LVMH PRIZE IN 2017, THE YOUNGEST DESIGNER EVER
TO TAKE FASHION'S RICHEST YOUNG-TALENT AWARD. HER PITCH WAS RADICAL:
LUXURY BUILT LARGELY FROM WHAT ALREADY EXISTS, OLD SCARVES,
TABLECLOTHS AND TOWELS, REBORN AS SLEEK FUTUREWEAR.
02THE CRESCENT MOON IS HER SIGNATURE. SERRE STAMPED A TINY REPEATING
MOON ACROSS EVERYTHING UNTIL IT BECAME ONE OF FASHION'S INSTANTLY
RECOGNISABLE MARKS, DRAWN FROM ARABIC AND GREEK SYMBOLISM, AT ONCE
POLITICAL, FEMININE AND A LITTLE STRANGE.
03BUT THE REAL RADICALISM IS THE METHOD. A BIG SHARE OF EACH SERRE
COLLECTION, TYPICALLY AROUND HALF, IS UPCYCLED FROM EXISTING
TEXTILES. SHE TREATS DEADSTOCK AND SECONDHAND CLOTH AS RAW MATERIAL,
AND MAKES IT LOOK LIKE THE FUTURE, NOT A COMPROMISE.
04SHE CALLS IT ECO-FUTURISM. WHERE PLENTY OF BRANDS BOLT SUSTAINABILITY
ON AS MARKETING, SERRE BUILT HER WHOLE AESTHETIC AROUND IT:
POST-APOCALYPTIC, SECOND-SKIN, PART COUTURE AND PART SURVIVAL GEAR.
THE MESSAGE AND THE METHOD ARE THE SAME THING.
05AND IT IS A REAL BUSINESS, NOT A GESTURE. THE PRIZE LET HER GROW FROM
A TINY STUDIO INTO A PROPER HOUSE WITH A CULT FOLLOWING, DRESSING
POP STARS AND SELLING OUT DROPS, ALL WHILE KEEPING UPCYCLING AT THE
CORE INSTEAD OF QUIETLY DROPPING IT AS SHE SCALED.
06THAT IS WHY SHE MATTERS. SERRE PROVED THAT THE BOLDEST FUTURE IN
FASHION MIGHT BE REUSING WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, AND THAT A DESIGNER
CAN BUILD DESIRE, NOT GUILT, OUT OF SUSTAINABILITY. OLD CLOTH,
GENUINELY NEW MYTH.