OK, now remember when I gushed about the new Rose La Biche collection?

Well, the fantastic Lucy, the genius behind the gorgeous tees, is here to answer some questions. As a bonus, I’ll sprinkle in some pictures of the collection again. Just in case you forgot how freakin’ talented this woman is.

Tell us a little bit about you. How old are you and where do you live?

I turned 33 last month (ouch!) and I’ve been living in San Francisco for the last 2,5 years, right in front of a charming park full of century-old trees. I lived in a lot of different places before that – Paris, London, Lisbon, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles – but SF is a city with one of the best urban-nature mix to me : you’re right in the middle of downtown and still, you’re surrounded by a breathtaking nature. I cherish this ‘duality’ a lot.

What do you love about indie style?

What I value the most in indie style is that you know who makes the apparel you’re buying and in what conditions it has been crafted (contrarily to trendy mass-market brands that usually outsource their production in some Third World countries). I love that ‘intimacy’ with the indie designer, its work, its vision, its philosophy. That’s what inspires me when I design my collection: very modestly, I wish to create apparel that brings authenticity, confidence and joie de vivre. Indie style goes beyond fashion to me, it has to do with values you identify with. I love to wear clothes that mean something to me and I truly hope this is what my customers feel when they wear a Rose La Biche tee.

Why t-shirts? What is about them that inspires you?

Because a t-shirt is a quintessential wardrobe staple – the most simple, versatile go-anywhere piece of clothing ever. And whereas screenprinted t-shirts are everywhere now, I find the offer pretty small for chic feminine tshirts that are truly different. As a designer, it inspires me to think about how to transform a basic tee into a chic, refreshing and unique piece. I’m thrilled to constantly challenge myself to reinvent the “perfect elegant yet atypical tee”. I deliberately choose to work on a sober urban color palette (white, black, grey, charcoal) that pushes me to be even more creative, more innovative, more precise. Artistically-wise, it is very fulfilling. That’s what makes me happy!

Give us your favorite undiscovered designer/shop.

Marie Labarelle is a Parisian designer whose work I admire a lot. Her website is unfortunately in French only but you can still see her marvelous creations http://marielab.canalblog.com. She has a very artistic and poetic approach towards fashion and towards creation in general. Her work is very nature-inspired, just like mine, and I like that very much. Her dresses and coats are delicate and airy, like flowers or leaves. Just beautiful. Her small Parisian boutique is a true gem.

What is the story you are telling with the latest collection?

I shot my latest collection in two different moments, in two separate parts of the World: in April in Madrid, Spain and in June in NYC. Because this collection tells the story of a cosmopolitan woman, a woman who travels, a woman who speaks different languages, who likes to discover other people’s cultures. She is sophisticated yet cool, confident yet sensible, atypical yet uncomplicated. She is Spanish, American, French, Australian, Mexican or maybe Italian or Argentine or Japanese. She’s a citizen of the World. She is a urban-nature woman and her style fuses ‘wow factor’ & ‘everyday wearable’ in a clean yet creative way.

Are you a cake or pie person?

Oh my, that’s a difficult choice! I think I’m both actually! As a good French woman, I love to cook and I’m known for my small chocolate fondants cakes and my super creamy lemon custard pie. These are my two specialties and I love them both SO much that I wouldn’t be able to choose! So I guess I am a cake-pie person (does it even exist?)

(Kim says: indeed in does. I love cake and I would kill for a lemon custard pie right about now)

After reading about why Lucy makes these great tees and how she works, you’ll want to go shopping.

So go shopping at Rose La Biche.

While you’re at it, read more from Lucy at her blog.

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take five: rose la biche

When I asked her to do a Take Five interview with me, I figured she was too busy being fantastic. But she happily agreed, so I ended up with 6 questions instead of five. I couldn’t help it.

Read her answers below.

Tell us a little bit about you. How old are you and where do you live?

I am 34 years old and I live in Portland, Oregon. I recently sold a retail clothing store that I owned for 8 years and now plan to concentrate on designing my clothing line. After the sale I moved into a studio/storefront where I can design my line and meet with clients.

What do you love about indie style? What is it that inspires you?

I love how immediate it can be. I can design something new and sell it the same day. I am also inspired to make limited edition or one of kind pieces out of the antique fabrics- something that can’t be done in the mass market.

Who do you imagine you are designing for?

Myself, although I hardly ever wear my own designs for some reason. I always design things I imagine either myself or my close friends wearing.

How did you get started designing? What is your process from idea to product?

I started 8 years ago when I opened up the store. From there I started making one of kind dresses out of
reconstructed vintage clothing. Now, I make “fancy” clothing, mostly dresses and dressy separates. A lot of my design process starts with fabric shopping, with either second hand or new fabrics. On saturdays I go to estate sales looking for fabric and lace and I end up hand dying a lot of the what I find. I don’t sketch out what I am making beforehand. I usually work by draping and or making samples from flat patterns and then I sketch it or take pictures to have a record of it. Every once and
awhile I will reconstruct a vintage piece that I find just for fun.

Give us your favorite undiscovered designer/shop.

I would have to say estate sales- that is where I shop the most and find really great vintage pieces.

What book is on your nightstand right now?

Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen and a bunch of fashion magazines.

Holly’s etsy shop

Holly’s bio and full collections here.

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take five: holly stalder