Paris Sous La Pluie
Introducing Our New Transitional Collection
Paris is a constant source of inspiration for us here at Hope & Ivy. The old-world elegance of its wide boulevards, iconic architecture and haute couture has us dreaming of mornings spent meandering through art galleries or whiling away afternoons at a bustling bistro before strolling along the Seine. And just a train ride away from our little London office, it’s no surprise that the city of light and love keeps calling to us!
This season we wanted to pay tribute to the French capital with an elegant transitional collection that’s perfect for those autumnal days when the sun is still bright, but the air is beginning to cool, and the leaves are starting to turn. There’s no city more beautiful in the autumn than Paris, so we wanted to create a collection that matched its stylish spirit.
In terms of silhouettes, we were drawn to the bustling café culture and the effortlessly chic style of brasserie patrons, as well as the romantic dressing of the bohemian Montparnasse neighbourhood. Think timeless tea dresses, sheer long sleeves and fluttering hems, alongside our signature wrap styles. Look out for neat detailing such as buttoned cuffs, velvet ribbon trims and lace trims laid out in lines that echo the structure of the Eiffel tower.
As long-time lovers of floral prints, we paid tribute to the abstract florals found in the Impressionist works on display at Musée de l'Orangerie, as well as the blooming bouquets spilling onto the street at Île de la Cité floristry market. Finally, we added a playful element with polka dots – a pattern that has represented fun, freedom and femininity for many icons of French fashion, including Gabrielle Coco Chanel and Christian Dior.
In order to shoot this gorgeous collection we headed right to the source of our inspiration, meeting at the Hôtel Dame des Arts in Paris’s beating artistic heart of the Latin Quarter to gather our thoughts and enjoy a petit déjeuner. As we met with our lensman John Lander, a supremely skilled British fashion photographer based in Aix-en-Provence, the heavens opened and it became apparent that today we would be capturing the romance of Paris in the rain!
Firstly, John took some stunning shots of our gorgeous model Emeline on the hotel balcony, which had the kind of view of the Eiffel tower that would make Carrie Bradshaw squeal with delight! We then headed out onto the winding cobblestone streets of the Latin Quarter, an area that still today embodies the spirit of freedom, culture and creativity of the Left Bank. At this time, Paris was very quiet as it held its breath in anticipation of the Olympics, so we were lucky to have plenty of space to capture some incredible pictures.
We ducked into the cosy Brasserie des Arts where the owners kindly let us grab a few shots of Emeline enjoying a café.
Our talented makeup artist Camille Arnaud was on hand to create that effortless Parisienne beauty look, with glowing skin and tousled hair. Finally, the sun began to shine again to round out our day with some sunny shots. It was so wonderful to spend the day in the French capital with our new collection, and we hope you’ll have as much fun wearing it as we did shooting it!
Be the first to explore our latest Parisian-inspired dresses now. And, wherever you wear the pieces from this new transitional collection, we're sure you'll channel a certain 'je ne sais quoi' from across the channel!