Claudia Schiffer Brings Retro Style to Celebratory Être Cécile Capsule
German supermodel Claudia Schiffer doesn't just display great fashion in front of the camera. The fashion icon has been busy celebrating her 50th birthday with a number of special projects that show off her design capabilities, including her newly released capsule collection with French-inspired British label Être Cécile. With pieces inspired by the '60s and '70s, Schiffer's timeless style is translated through Breton sweaters and witty T-shirts with retro typography and graphics.
Here, Schiffer speaks with L'OFFICIEL about desiging the new capsule what French fashion lessons she learned from the late Karl Lagerfeld.
L’OFFICIEL: Do you like how your career has progressed from modeling to designing?
CLAUDIA SCHIFFER: I’m very lucky to love what I do and to be able to pick and choose my projects with partners who I admire. I’m also enjoying the different paths my career has taken, including roles where I am designing or curating collections, which felt like a natural next step for me.
L’O: How would you describe your personal style?
CS: I’d describe my personal style as quite instinctive. My everyday uniform tends to be denim, coupled with cashmere jumpers and blouses and great accessories. I love outfits that feel effortless.
L’O: Where did your inspiration for the Être Cécile collaboration come from?
CS: The collaboration is inspired by the effortless feel of the '60s and '70s style icons like Sylvie Vartan and Jane Birkin. Like Être Cécile, I love that everyday cool, French-girl aesthetic. I love the design process, such as the mood-board stage, when I’m looking at inspirations from art and fashion, and how literal or abstract I want it to be.
L’O: What’s the best advice you received from a designer yourself–for example from Karl Lagerfeld?
CS: Karl was my magic dust; he transformed me from a shy German girl into a supermodel. He taught me about fashion, style, and how to survive in the fashion business. What Warhol was to art, he was to fashion. He is the only person who could make black and white colorful, and I will be eternally grateful to him.
L’O: I understand you collaborated with several brands in celebration of your birthday?
CS: Yes, I’m incredibly excited that brands including Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana, Isabel Marant, and Versace, as well as Bamford, Barbie, Frame Denim, and Lucie Kaas have decided to release limited editions and one-off pieces in celebration of my birthday which will be launched this September and October. Select items and sales will go towards a number of charities from Unicef, for whom I’m a UK Ambassador, to Heads Together and Humanitas Ricerca.
L’O: Do you have any other projects for next year?
CS: I’m curating an exhibition of ‘90s fashion photography at the Kunstpalast Museum in Düsseldorf, Germany in March 2021, including incredible photographers from Helmut Newton to Herb Ritts.
