The designer Serge Ruffieux, known for his work at Dior and Carven, has recently branched out on his own with a collection of accessories.&nbsp;

Serge Ruffieux has spent the better part of two decades working under legends like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/sonia-rykiel-most-iconic-fashion-moments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonia Rykiel</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/john-galliano-dior-y2k-runway-trends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Galliano</a>, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/raf-simons-fred-perry-collection-spring-summer-2021-photos">Raf&nbsp;Simons</a>&mdash;even taking over as interim artistic director for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/the-new-look-christian-dior-coco-chanel-rivalry-apple-tv-plus-tv-show">Dior</a> alongside fellow Swiss designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/jil-sander-fall-winter-2021-lucie-luke-meier">Lucie Meier</a>&mdash;before being appointed creative director of Carven. Now, the accomplished designer has founded his own brand of accessories: 13 09 SR.
Growing up in the Vall&eacute;e de Joux in Switzerland, the young Ruffieux developed an interest in fashion alongside a stylish mother and grandmother, a father who was a watchmaker at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/watches/jaeger-lecoultre-polaris-2019">Jaeger-LeCoultre</a>, and an aunt who worked in the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/history-of-maison-schiaparelli-elsa-schiaparelli-shocking-pink-daniel-roseberry">Schiaparelli</a> workshops. Like all style-obsessed youth, he began to dream of Paris&mdash;not of its glitter and nightclubs, but of its ateliers and&nbsp;fashion shows. Ruffieux left school at the age of 15 and trained in sewing before attending the Haute &Eacute;cole d&rsquo;Art et de Design in Geneva, from which he graduated in 1997. From there, he interned with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/desigual-christian-lacroix-10-year-anniversary">Christian Lacroix</a>, Martine Sitbon, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/sonia-rykiel-eric-and-michael-dayan-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sonia Rykiel</a> in Paris, before leaving for Italy, where he joined <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/every-look-moschino-spring-summer-2022-nyfw-runway">Moschino</a> as a designer. While Ruffieux enjoyed his work, he missed Paris, and eventually returned to the City of Lights.

Photo: Valentin Abad

"I find it more interesting to start upsidedown; I have always done it that way.&rdquo;

Ruffieux&rsquo;s own brand, 13 09 SR, was born during a conversation with former Le Figaro&nbsp;journalist &Eacute;milie Faure. She suggested that they work together on a brand of his own as a sort of creative exercise for both of them. Not 24 hours later, Ruffieux took her up on the offer, but wanted to skip the trial run: &ldquo;I think I know what I want, and so do you, so let's&nbsp;do it,&rdquo; he told her.
13 09 SR, named after Ruffieux&rsquo;s birthdate and initials, draws inspiration from sports and the Arts and Crafts aesthetic.&nbsp;Made from deadstock and recycled materials, the collection features&nbsp;playful slingbacks, sandals, and statement-making sunglasses&nbsp;with embellished neoprene straps.

&ldquo;It took a long time to put things in place,&rdquo; says the designer. &ldquo;Being a young entrepreneur is a lot of pressure, but it is also an extremely rich and creative experience. I&rsquo;m very excited to be doing this with &Eacute;milie, and I&rsquo;m glad that she pushed me. I found that there were already too many clothes and that if I had something to say, it wouldn&rsquo;t start with garments. I&rsquo;m going to get there, but I have to start imposing my codes from the ends&mdash;so the accessories&mdash;to define a silhouette. I find it more interesting to start upsidedown; I have always done it that way.&rdquo;
Ruffieux deviates from many of his peers by doing away with the idea of the muse. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t have a muse; I find it boring and reductive. I never wanted to put people in a box; it drives me crazy,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never had a fantasy of women. From the beginning, I have always worked a lot with women and never needed&nbsp;to idealize them. Look at my shoes&mdash;they have no heels; nothing is exaggerated I try to express meaning while still considering reality."&nbsp;

Photographs by Zachary Handley

Designer Serge Ruffieux Launches Accessory Collection

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Designer Serge Ruffieux Launches Accessory Collection

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