Augustin Teboul is a name to remember. Odély Teboul and Annelie Augustin have only been around for as little as five years, but the chances that you've seen their clothes somewhere are high. Their latest Autumn/Winter 2014 collection “Equinoxe” - a feast of futuristic creations, beautifully decorated with handmade leaves, flowers and Swarovski sparkles – has already been featured in a number of magazines, including Sleek and Kaltblut Magazine.
Bayern-born Annelie and Parisian Odély started working together in 2009. They knew each other vaguely from their education at fashion school ESMOD in Paris, but it wasn’t until years later when Odély contacted Annelie asking for a place to crash during her trip to London that they bonded. Four nights and many conversations about creating a fashion line later, the women decided to collaborate- and so Augustin Teboul was founded! The result was an all-black collection named Cadavre Exquise, which combined Annelie’s love for minimalistic design and Odély’s nostalgic handcraft. It won the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize in Paris, as well as several awards abroad.
We caught up with the duo to talk about their latest collection, the ideal Augustin Teboul woman and what hopes they are harboring for their label's future.
You've been quoted saying that coincidences, daily life, feelings and music inspire you. What specific things inspired you while creating your latest collection "Equinoxe"?
Annelie: We were inspired by the album Equinoxe by the French singer Jean Michel Jarre. It was made in the late seventies and has an electro, ambiance vibe. It's not like we were listening to the album and thought "oh, let's make these exact clothes", but we were inspired by the deeper meaning of the album and the daily routine from day to night of that man.
How exactly does the album reflect on your clothes?
Odély: Like the album, our collection is retro-futuristic. We’ve used the electric sound of the seventies and the idea that people had about the year 2000. We’ve focused on strong shapes, the transformation of surfaces and plant and animal skins, we tried to recreate this 3D form by using embroidery on the clothes. There are light fabrics like tulle and neoprene that are almost like a second skin, in contrast to these heavy materials like leather and velvet. The combination of these contrasts give the outfits a futuristic, sculptural, yet feminine look.
Annelie: For the models' hair we worked together with Sebastian Professional to create this beehive/mohawk look with very strong shapes, using old pictures of women’s hairstyles in the seventies as inspiration.
Annelie: For the models' hair we worked together with Sebastian Professional to create this beehive/mohawk look with very strong shapes, using old pictures of women’s hairstyles in the seventies as inspiration.
And are all the pieces still signature black?
Annelie: No, we have ventured out, there is also some nude this time!
What's your favorite memory of creating this collection?
Annelie: (the two woman look at each other, laugh, then there’s a long silence, until finally) Every day is fun! I can’t really single out one moment, but I think the actual presentation at Berlin Fashion Week was definitely a highlight, to see it all come together.
Miranda Kerr has been wearing your clothes. Describe the ideal woman that you want wearing your clothes, what's her character like?
Annelie: It was great to see Miranda wearing our clothes, but I think that everyone who can buy our clothes can wear our clothes.
Annelie: It can be any age and any type of woman, we don’t have an ideal woman. We love to see our clothes on anyone, celebrity or not.
Odély: Yes, and our clothes fit all sorts of people. You can wear the pullover casually like Miranda, or wear one of our dresses to a gala, or go for a more punk look with a leather jacket. It’s exciting to see how people combine our pieces with their own clothes to adapt it to their style.
Odély: Yes, and our clothes fit all sorts of people. You can wear the pullover casually like Miranda, or wear one of our dresses to a gala, or go for a more punk look with a leather jacket. It’s exciting to see how people combine our pieces with their own clothes to adapt it to their style.
What do you think you would have been doing now if you hadn't met each other again in London?
Annelie: I would definitely be working for a company!
Odély: Me too! It’s good that we met in London and decided to start working on Cadavre Exquise together, because I would have never set up my own label if we hadn't met back then.
Odély: Me too! It’s good that we met in London and decided to start working on Cadavre Exquise together, because I would have never set up my own label if we hadn't met back then.
What was the first piece of art you've ever designed?
Annelie: (laughs) Ehm, I guess it was a drawing as a child?
Odély: Yeah, or maybe like a knitted Playmobil helmet or something for my Barbie dolls.
Odély: Yeah, or maybe like a knitted Playmobil helmet or something for my Barbie dolls.
What would be your ultimate dream when it comes to your career?
Odély: The ultimate dream is to have a sustainable label where we are still able to do what we want. To be free to design whatever inspires us in that moment. We’re growing every year, our clothes are sold in cities like New York and Hong Kong, but there’s still a long way to go.
