Jallal Ben Arbia
BRANDS & MAKERS
Jallal is wearing his own clothing, and shoes from Loro Piana.
Photography by Patricia Buren
Styling and writing by James V. Thomas
I met Jallal last year in the lobby bar of the Hyatt near the Madeleine, a space that performs an odd early 2000's style with expensive conviction. He entered wearing a long black coat and a big smile. When he sat, he ordered a green ginger juice, an ascetic gesture that felt, somehow, intentional, and we began to talk.
Our conversation moved easily through brands that currently matter to us, through recent shows, through designers, through the idea of couture itself, not as nostalgia, but as craft. We spoke of artists Jallal admires, Donald Judd among them, and of minimalism after minimalism, that curious condition in which reduction is no longer radical but remains fascinating.
Jallal is a couture designer, which is to say he belongs to a category defined less by self description than by demonstrated fluency. He possesses the techniques, the patience, and the almost unfashionable devotion to process that couture still demands. At present he works at Alaïa, constructing dresses with the rigor of someone who understands that elegance is engineered. Outside of this, he continues to design independently, extending the conversation with form on his own terms.
This Charvet scarf had been given by Mr. Alaïa to his chauffeur’s daughter. She, knowing my passion for scarves, then gave it to me in turn for my birthday.
The books are my three favorite books, which inspire me through their artistic philosophy: In Praise of Shadows by Tanizaki, Cy Twombly by Roland Barthes, and the catalogue How to Disappear from the Collection Lambert. The two objects are a small vase by the Japanese artist Rei Naito and a ceramic piece I bought at the Noguchi Museum. I am very fond of their delicacy and fragility.
Could you please introduce yourself to us?
I am a couturier, French of Moroccan origin, born in Nîmes and trained in Avignon. At the age of ten, after seeing a film about Coco Chanel, I discovered the importance of clothing in the emancipation of women, something I had already observed among the women in my family. That is where my vocation was born. Shortly afterward, I was able to present my first fashion show at fourteen. I had fun creating ten silhouettes by draping fabrics on my own body and sewing them by hand, a formative experience. For the past four years, I have been honing my craft in the haute couture ateliers of the house of Alaïa, in preparation for presenting my first collection.
What is elegance for you?
Elegance, for me, is a certain minimalism, sobriety, and respect for others.
My favorite restaurant: La Halle aux Grains at the Bourse de Commerce
My favorite bar: Cova
My favorite café: Café de la Poste
My favorite musicians: John Cage and Steve Reich
My favorite song: Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic
A film that inspires me: Amore by Luca Guadagnino
My favorite color: white, because it is the color of light.
SKY BLUE
Est. 2019