Swiss designer Virginie Jemmely on shifting sartorial codes

Her graduate collection went through many changes because of lockdown, but the outcome has been positive for her. “The situation reinforced my desire to make the best with what I already had,” she said. “It forced me to think differently and it was more ethical than what I’ve ever done before.”

While Jemmely usually develops her inspiration with a moodboard, she worked differently on the inception of her graduate collection. “I used some of my paintings to define what I wanted to design and to develop my creative process,” she explained. Inspiration sources are ubiquitous for the designer, who continuously hones new ideas, mostly thanks to movies and music. “The feelings I have when I see or listen to something are key,” she said.

“Sometimes, there is a detail or a mistake that ends up being a starting point.”

“I like to surprise myself,” Jemmely said. “Sometimes, there is a detail or a mistake that ends up being a starting point.” Dubbed ‘Elle était texte par l’intelligence du regard’, Jemmely’s graduate collection started with her muse displaying three facets of her personality: the contemporary archetypal figures of the businessman, the woman and the baby.

The designer worked on these clichés to develop a sartorial wardrobe made of traditional garments, while trying to blur the lines between womenswear and menswear. The garments are deconstructed or in progress to reflect our constant search of identity. She analysed the cliché of the businessman in details to introduce it in the collection: what he wears, how he wears it, his attitude, his habits. Anthropological research meets fashion design in Jemmely’s graduate collection.

“I played with codes,” explained Jemmely. “They are highlighted, expanded, deconstructed or turned over. I like to deconstruct clothes in order to highlight the idea of unfixed identity.” All these clichés were represented in a painting Jemmely worked on beforehand, making it an extension of her work as an artist. “The inspiration came from one painting in particular,” she said. “It’s about the constant war between someone’s facets.”

Jemmely  sums up her collection as “a manifesto in favour of the possibility to be multiple.” This final collection was particularly important to the designer, who considers it her most personal yet, far from commercial purposes. “It was the last time I could design a collection in my own way, without the pressure of earning money,” she explained.

Those five years studying fashion design have taught Jemmely that keeping an eye open on the cultural scene is the best way to grow as a designer. “I realise now that the best ideas come when my brain is refreshed by ideas coming from outside my comfort zone,” she explains.

Now working as an independent designer, Jemmely has to cope with the constant demand to be one-of-a-kind. “Especially for the graduates this year, there is this pressure to be different and to find a way to stand-out.” She believes being genuine is what will pack a punch in a crowded fashion industry. “It’s by staying true to ourselves and being authentic that we can connect with the world and have interesting interactions,” she said.

Although Jemmely admits she will never be completely ready for what is ahead of her: the growing issues of transparency and over-production are her biggest concerns. “The current crisis is maybe one more sign telling us that it’s time to produce differently,” she explained. “It’s also time to stop the excessive rhythm of the fashion calendar.”

“I don’t like the idea of fashion being elitist because fashion is a reflection of society.”

Jemmely is now working on developing her own brand. Her goal is to contribute to a more democratic fashion industry. “I don’t like the idea of fashion being elitist because fashion is a reflection of society,” she explained. The second lockdown will keep her bustling as Jemmely will unveil four exhibitions come spring 2021. Mixing performances, paintings, garments and accessories, the installations will take place in Paris as well as in her hometown in Switzerland.