Salomon recently met with womenswear designer Pauline De Blonay at her home in Paris, where she draws and designs all of the pieces she makes. She welcomed us to discuss the process and inspiration behind her work.
'I’m from Switzerland, more precisely Geneva. I studied Fashion Womenswear Design in London at Central Saint Martins. I interned for a year for several fashion houses and graduated in 2019 winning second place at the L’Oreal Pro Young Talent Award. I’m moving to Italy in September to work for another label, which is exciting. I create for my own portfolio too - drawings, illustrations, clothing.
After I interned here in Paris, I returned and am now based here. London also inspired my work and style, there’s a feeling of freedom in the city, there is no judgement or limitation. The city is very creative, everyone seems so open minded. At Central Saint Martins, I was surrounded by a group of creative people which was stimulating and motivation for the future.'
'I draw inspiration from painters, artists and fashion of course. A painter I really love is Amedeo Modigliani who does a lot of portraits, I’m also passionate about color, it inspires me. At the moment, I’m trying to create something around my friends, I take pictures, then draw them wearing my clothing designs. I also create characters with myself as the canvas - with make-up and such… some kind of image development, like a transference.
I know and love Salomon. I did a lot of skiing when I was growing up, and in Switzerland it was common to have a pair of Salomon skis. Now, it’s cool to see the evolution of the brand and how it is adaptable with a lot of different styles. I’ve previously styled my own pieces with Salomon, but I like the fact the shoes are unisex also.'
Pauline wears Salomon XT-6 Advanced in Quail.
