An interview by Martin Rybak. Photography by Guillaume Garat. Mehdy Delannée is the young Paris-based designer with a Maghrebian background who is creating garments making references to his cultural roots and merging them with Breton authenticity. He took inspiration from the landscapes, the people and the cultures and turned the quintessence into a collection. Memories from his childhood also served as a source of inspiration such as the pattern of the porcelain dishes or the material of the sofa from his childhood to come up with his self-titled brand Delannée Paris. Mehdy is exploring rich cultures in a playful way through fashion.
How would you describe the main essence of your brand and what is your source of inspiration for your creations?
The main essence of my brand is the richness of my cultural backgrounds between the
Maghrebian folklore and Breton authenticity. My sources of inspiration for this collection are
memories of my grandparents, their home decor and their work.
What were the main challenges you were facing as a young designer while creating your own brand and your first collection?
The main challenges I faced were to manage school while creating my brand and my first collection and to create a small consistent, fashionable and meaningful collection with a small budget.
How do you want people to feel like when wearing your clothing and how can your clothing help people to express themselves?
When wearing my clothing, I want people to feel free to express who they are and I want them to interpret my creations their own way to send their own message.
Do you feel like the current crisis with all the isolation, lockdowns and restrictions is a difficult time for creative people like you or did you learn to deal with it and to adapt your creative work?
I do, it’s a difficult time but we all had to adapt. Some days the creativity is there, some days it’s not. I think we have to listen to ourselves. However, I think this period created new ways of creations linked with our new ways of living. We have to adapt our creations, our communication, even our sources of inspiration as we saw it during the latest fashion week.
If you could fill a billboard in the middle of Paris with a slogan of your choice, what would be the slogan?
If I could fill a billboard in the middle of Paris, the slogan would be: « Don’t be afraid to be your true self ». Even now, we need to remind people that nobody has the right to judge their personality, their religion, their gender, their sexual orientation, their style etc.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Yes, I just want to tell everyone who has projects to take the plunge, it will never be the « right moment ». The situation we’re living right now reminds us even more that life is short, so if your happiness comes with entrepreneurship or other kinds of projects, just go for it and trust yourself. Determination is the key.
Photography by Guillaume Garat / Instagram: @guillaumegarat
Models are Sylvain Sencier / Instagram: @sencier.ain / Morgan Jallu / Instagram: @momo_jallu / Clement Morland / Instagram: @clement.morland
Interview with designer Mehdy Delannée / Instagram: @iammehdyd
Text/Interview by Martin Rybak / Instagram: @martinmanuelry
All fashion by Delannée Paris @delannee.paris
