Léa Elui: "Etam gave me great freedom"

THE OFFICIAL: What is your first memory with Etam?
Léa Elui: About a year ago, I was invited to the Etam Live Show fashion show, as a spectator. Following this first contact, the brand came back to me to offer me a collaboration. I had carte blanche on the collection, was able to create everything from my imagination. From the beginning, Etam trusted me completely, allowing me to enjoy great freedom. It was amazing and I feel very lucky to have been able to participate.

LO: It's not for nothing that Etam's mantra is "French Liberté"... Precisely, faced with this infinite field of possibilities, what were your inspirations to bring this collection to life?
LE: I have a big collection of swimwear at home! (Laughs) I wanted to create models, but also use materials that I really like to wear. I used my experiences for all the little details that make the difference, such as ties on the sides that can be undone and readjusted, bikini bottoms that sufficiently cover the buttocks...These little things that make a piece practical to appropriate and with which to live on a daily basis! For the trendy part, I created a Pinterest board to see more clearly the direction of my desires.

LO: Are you more of a bikini or a one-piece swimsuit?
LE: I wear more bikinis. Originally, I had focused on a capsule that only consisted of two-piece swimsuits.

LO: What is your favourite part of the capsule?
LE: Surprisingly, it's the one-piece! More daring with its cutout, its sexy side without seeming to be so, its ring that makes the difference... You can imagine it worn as a bodysuit, with pants, under a blazer. It mixes a modern and vintage aspect with its design à la Jane Birkin in "La Piscine" and its iridescent material, wet effect, which I feel is a big trend this year. As for the brown colour, it's quite simply a personal choice to change from black, but also because I wear neutral shades - from beige to chocolate - on a daily basis.

LO: In your opinion, is the swimsuit exclusively reserved for the beach these days?
LE: As I mentioned earlier, absolutely not. A swimsuit can easily be appropriated at festivals and on warm summer evenings. Once again, the one-piece model is ideal for trying out without much fear.

LO: Your capsule is an invitation to the festival season and the arrival of summer… We recently saw the best beachwear looks inseparable from Coachella , and we can't wait to discover what the next festivals have in store for us here and elsewhere. For you, what would be the ideal outfit for a festival?
LE: A bikini — I'm thinking in particular of the crochet top from my collaboration with Etam, or my one-piece model for the more cautious — to pair with very wide trousers. If it's very hot or you feel more comfortable, opt for effective denim shorts , an essential leather jacket and wedge trainers for comfort.

LO: The Léa Elui style for Etam in 3 words?
LE: Powerful, it works better in English, powerful . Costs. Modern-vintage.

The limited edition collection is available in stores and on etam.com