The Studio.

Who is behind the studio?

My name is Salomé Thauvin

How long has the studio been in existence?

I created Le Crayon Studio in 2019

What is your background?

I studied in Fashion Design with the aim of becoming a stylist. After that, I did Bachelor of Art in Fashion and Pattern Design in sandwich courses where I had the chance to discover the job of Textile Designer by creating kid's prints for La Redoute. It was this experience that made me fall in love with the job I chose.I then worked for 2 years in the children's and little girl's ready-to-wear sector and 3 years in the lingerie sector creating patterns for women's pajamas and embroideries for lingerie. Between two experiences, I worked several months in London at Amanda Kelly Studio for womenswear prints. After 5 years of salaried experience, I wanted to create Le Crayon Studio to open up to new horizons of creation and develop my own range of patterns.

Describe your style.

Several words emerge from my creations: optimism, femininity, freshness and audacity.

What are your main inspirations / influences ?

As a fashion lover, I like to keep up to date with the prints on the runway. In terms of fun and bold, Matisse, pop art and Pucci's colors have always inspired me a lot. What influences me the most is what surrounds me: nature, animals, architecture, travel and photographs of different cultures. I also have a lot of ideas that come and go from my imagination, I have taken to scribbling them down quickly and then bringing them to life.

Which place inspires you the most?

Italy for its colors, its architecture, its art, its joy of living and its great diversity of landscapes.

What sets off your passion for prints?

I am passionate about the strong relationship I have with drawing in my job. At first, I create by hand and thanks to Adobe tools, I can infinitely manipulate the colors, the connection and make the style of my print evolve. It's this freedom to take the design wherever I want that fascinates me.

Your first print memories.

Curtains with very primitive (and a bit weird) patterns from my childhood.

What is your favorite medium to work with and why?

Gouache for its variations in intensity, Indian ink for its unpredictability and large felt pens for their clear presence on the paper.

While working, what do you listen?

Electronic music, sets and podcasts from my favorite Dutch artists. It gives me the energy and joy I need everyday

What is your job's favorite part ?

Choosing the colors.

What type of product / sector do you mainly work for ?

Women's and children's clothing, lingerie, swimwear and home decor.

What are you working on at the moment?

I'm currently working on designs for a lingerie brand and on my Fall/Winter 22/23 collections.

The biggest challenge you had to handle as a designer?

When I worked in London at Amanda Kelly Studio, I had the chance to participate and win the 2016 Première Vision competition on the theme of Extravagance. My challenge was to create my first panoramic and adapt to the many technical constraints while adding an original touch on London as a nod to the experience I was having. This contest was very rewarding and I had the great surprise to see my creation exhibited at the Cameleon Bar and on its furniture.

What advice would you like to give to new designers who are just starting out?

Trust yourself and listen to your intuition.For the more practical side, don't hesitate to train yourself to manage your accounting or to write your terms and conditions because it is essential and complex when you start.