Maison Genevieve
Maison Geneviève is a designer who has been active in the Parisian up-cycling scene since 2019, and has successfully defended the idea that a garment should reinvent itself. He chooses to salvage clothes and sheets from the army (dating back to the 80s), which he fuses with essential contemporary materials: jeans, leather... Drawing inspiration from his favourite rock bands from the 90’s, he transcribes certain codes such as a pleated skirt or tartan into a grunge aesthetic, asserting a rebellious side. It’s recreating the spirit of an era by using the ultimate rigor of a military uniform, which is historically associated with grunge.
Hardwear revolution and upcycling: let’s decipher the unique world of Maison Geneviève. Dive into the non-conformist brain of Maison Geneviève, where classicism and audacity combine to shake up the norms of contemporary fashion. “Maison”, donning the boots of the great luxury houses while rejecting their codes, “Geneviève”, eponymous of the women in the designer’s family, the brand blends a high-end vision and artisanal heritage. Heading the brand since 2019, designer François Laurendeau re-imagins men’s and women’s wardrobes as well as a range of leather accessories and bags, with an upcycling approach. Going against the grain of the usual seasonal collections, Maison Geneviève opts for time-independent releases of pieces driven by the inspiration of the moment. The brand is moving headlong against fast fashion, offering one-off pieces or small series, all handmade in Paris. “We’re putting craftsmanship back at the heart of the debate and trying to educate customers about clothing, not just fashion. Development, time, materials, the hands behind the product. Everything has a cost, and we’re trying to reestablish the savoir faire and raise awarness about the harmfulness of fast fashion.”
MG pieces, marked by a hardwear aesthetic and a military spirit, evoke a post-apocalyptic universe where rigor mingles with irregularity, celebrating the imperfection of time that leaves its mark on clothing. In an eclectic, ecopunk spirit, the house advocates upcycling as a form of reinventing clothing, pushing back the limits of creation. “We’re not interested in producing for the sake of producing. In the studio, we constantly strive to reinvent the object, so that its original use becomes something else once it has passed through our hands.”
In contrast to traditional methods, Maison Geneviève stands out for its innovative design process, which begins with the recovery of materials, clothing and vintage objects, then gives birth to one-of-a-kind models. Disassembling and remodeling is a long process, but one that embodies the audacity of these one-of-a-kind pieces.
At the heart of this approach, leather plays an important role in the pieces on offer, the latest embodying a passion for speed through motorcycle jackets metamorphosed into handbags. Through this unexpected mix, the label breathes new life into pieces imbued with history and character.
The brand recently unveiled its first jewelry collection, where silver and semi-precious stones merge to capture the spirit of urbex and nature, reviving an authentic aesthetic in the face of over-industrialization. Rings, necklaces, earrings... Strong pieces mixing brambles and worn mechanical parts, rough diamonds and spiritual monsters. The result is a subtle encounter between the post-apocalyptic universe of Mad Max and the inspiration of Yōkai spirits, fusing the rustic and the mystical in singular harmony.
