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[title]Inès de la Fressange, for years the face of Chanel and author of 'Parisian Chic' - a style bible that has sold a million copies - knows a thing or two about snappy dressing. But she met her match when it came to designing for utility clothing giant Uniqlo. The brand's director Naoki Takizawa applied his knack for practical, durable design to her dream wardrobe - meaning an everywoman's collection of easy blazers, skinny trousers and chic active wear.
What did you learn from each other when designing the collection?
Naoki Takizawa After my conversations with Inès, I learned you have to mix clothes together, not think of design as art. She said, 'Why no, you have to mix it! Oh, this is boring! Why don't you use that one or that one?' It totally destroyed my ideas!
Inès de la Fressange Sometimes there are prejudices about elegance and style, and I think if you put a sweatshirt under the jacket it can totally transform the look. You make the shirt a little longer than the jacket, like Phoebe Philo, and then suddenly you have Parisian style, the sense of freedom of French people. It's a very good wedding, actually. I give a little bit of French revolution and he gives me the serious zen, deep attitude.
What did you set out to design together?
IF What I wanted was these Bridget Joneses during lunchtime, with very little money, suddenly finding something they will wear that's not boring. Not that schizophrenic thing, the funny thing that's crazy that we'll never wear - we all have them. Not the boring buy. I wanted a mix of happiness and practicality.
Did you have a checklist of pieces?
NT There was a conversation about what she wanted but I was mainly inspired by her closet. Her jackets on the bed...
IF There are more than 70 pieces because I get annoyed by these other collaborations, which you hear so much about, then when you arrive in the shop 24 hours later all that's left is XX large and the worst thing - you know, the orange plastic shorts in size 65. We wanted a big collection that people could actually buy.
The range is very classic and chic. Did you pay any attention to catwalk trends at all? Or just what you wanted to wear?
IF We're not nuns. You have to pay attention to the catwalk. But it was something more wearable, something good quality and cheap - you can't find that everywhere. The idea of a raincoat, for instance; you can cry just thinking about a raincoat. It's so sad. No one wants to buy a raincoat. But you have this one, in a great colour, very cheap, and suddenly rain becomes better!
Naoki, you've designed tenniswear with Novak Djokovic. How did that experience compare with this one?
NT It's completely different, Novak Djokovic is thinking about how to win. Questions about movement are very important, and about the fabric; we have high-technology fabric in Japan. He'd swing his arms and look in the mirror and adjust the lines of the garments to the twists of his body. With Inès, she was thinking about her silhouette. She wanted men's trousers, but slimmed for her. And jeans that weren't too skinny.
IF When you're 75 like me [she's 56] you can't wear these things!
Should your age affect your style?
IF The older I get, the less I think so. When you're young you think the old shouldn't do this and this and this... Now that I'm old I still want to wear it all.
The range includes sportswear but we're all led to believe that French women never exercise...
NT Well, I try to use high-tech fabric, heat tech. Everything at Uniqlo comes from the sports field but we translate it into something more street.
IF It was all Naoki's idea. I didn't like to say, 'I don't know what you're talking about, Naoki.' But then I said, 'Why not! I've been skiing in my life, and when I go shopping I walk.' If you have to do sport, it's a punishment, it's terrible! And then you have to dress up with awful things. That's really too much for me. For people who I imagine want to do a little bit of exercise, why not look great, with slim, nice things of a good quality? I love florals and colour but sometimes for sportswear you see violet mixed up with green - it's too much.
The collection is very affordable. Is there any point in buying expensive clothes these days
IF That's a very good question because when you see the quality we can have, you have to rethink luxury. Why do chino jeans or T-shirts and make them very, very expensive? Shoes and perfume need a lot of luxury, but I wouldn't buy expensive white jeans. I'd buy them at Uniqlo for a lot less.
The Uniqlo X Inès de la Fressange collection is available at Uniqlo Fahrenheit88, with selected lines also available at Uniqlo KLCC. Two of the four lines in the collection - Note Parisienne stylish basics and Souffle de Parisienne active wear - are available starting this month.