The Kooples x Amelia Gray designs the back-to-school bag
Balenciaga, Alaia, Chanel, Miu Miu and now The Kooples and its artistic director Pierre Kaczmarek, not a single brand can resist the fatal beauty of the American model who we saw growing up in the series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills , alongside her mother, the famous Lisa Rinna.
L'Officiel: Can we talk about a love story with fashion?
Amelia Gray: I think this love affair started with my mother when I was a child. She always had a very different style from everyone else. She had a clothing store called Belgrade at the time and when my sister and I were little, we spent a lot of time there, we loved playing there. I don't know if it's because I've always loved clothes, but one thing is for sure, I love fashion. I love that it makes us individual. And every day, no matter where you come from, you put on something that makes you feel good and makes you feel yourself. I remember my mother and her baggy jeans looks, comfortable shoes and cute little handbags. I've always been very curious about the self-expression behind fashion and the choices that each person makes. Fashion can be very experimental, expressive, but it can also isolate you if you don't understand who you are. As a kid, I would go to the men's section of Target, the little boys' section, and buy shorts, and then go to the girls' section and buy a T-shirt, and then mix and match. That's always been my style. I am who I am, and no one told me to be this person or that person. No one is supposed to dress any other way than how they feel best. That's why I love fashion.
L'O: What do you like most about being a model?
AG: It’s my art form. I’ve always been very creative and I’ve always wanted to be an artist. My grandfather was a painter, my father plays guitar, he’s an actor like my mother. Everyone around me has always been an artist.
L’O: It's your personal expression
AG: Exactly. And I was never good at anything. I tried drawing, I tried pottery, I tried pretty much everything until I realized that modeling was my art form, and that's why I love it so much. It's my way of expressing myself. It's great because it's almost like acting. Every show, I'm a different character. Every editorial, I become someone else. It's like escaping and it's my sweet escape.
L’O: What is your best collaboration with a photographer?
AG: The one with my friend Sebastian Faina. The first time I worked with him, we didn’t know each other. I always knew that the photographer and the model had to create a connection, a kind of alchemy to make a beautiful image. Every photographer is different and brings out different things but some of them, like Sebastian, can push you to go deeper with yourself. It’s almost like a therapy session, and you discover things you didn’t even know existed. And I think that to this day, it’s probably my favourite form of myself because it was very personal and raw.
L'O: Let's talk about your collaboration with The Kooples , tell us about the meeting with the brand and its artistic director.
AG: I've always been obsessed with French culture. There's no real reason for it, except that I watched Ratatouille as a kid and I was obsessed with the movie Midnight in Paris . At a young age, I was begging my mom to find a way to take me to Paris. And for a job, she took us all there to celebrate my 13th birthday. So we went shopping, and I wanted to buy a ton of French clothes and walk around LA looking like a French girl. That was my goal. And one of the stores that I absolutely wanted to go to was The Kooples. To me, it was the epitome of French style. So I bought a ton of stuff there, it was super fun. And so with this collaboration, it's come full circle. I think that's also why this collaboration is so special and why I think it's going to be successful.
L’O: Tell us about this pretty half-moon bag with its Y2K- inspired lines…
AG: This collaboration was very special in the sense that I was very involved. Every element of this bag is something that I am proud of and that defines me. Long story short, I took all the bags that are part of my wardrobe, all the ones that I love and I put them together to make the perfect bag. I think a lot of people, regardless of gender, like to have different bags every day and for every occasion. But I'll be honest, I'm not that person. I want a bag that stays with me. My mother has always been like that, too. I think with this bag, I managed to create a bag for every day and every occasion that suits me, so that I don't have to change bags. It's like the Swiss Army knife of handbags .
L’O: It comes in several colors, from black to red to pink.
AG: Black is probably the colour that suits me best. It’s my favorite bag colour because it goes with everything. But then there’s pink, which is also my second favorite bag colour. And each pocket has its own purpose with the AirPods pocket, the gum pocket, the lipstick pocket, the lip pencil pocket and also an extra pocket. Personally, I keep my Listerine spray in there. And it also has a mirror, very important. I also put several charms, that’s totally me.
L’O: Tell us about the campaign.
AG: It's very stripped down, raw, 90s.
L’O: Tell us about the materials used to make this bag?
AG: The leather is made in Italy
L'O: What made you want to take on this challenge?
AG: I love bags and I love The Kooples so I thought, “Come on, go for it!”
L'O: Did your mother help you in its realization?
AG: Unconsciously, certainly, she is the one who introduced me to fashion. But in fact, no one else helped me but me, and I am very proud of that. The funny thing is that she called me yesterday asking me to bring her one, and my sister asked me the same thing. It is really very gratifying when the people who inspire you the most, like what you have created. It is super nice.
