Interview with Roland Mouret

Interview with Roland Mouret

Updated July 20, 2014 12:55:00

One of the world's most in-demand fashion designers Roland Mouret was in Sydney this week to judge the Woolmark designer awards; he caught up with Landline's Sean Murphy.

Source: Landline | Duration: 5min 43sec

Topics: wool, fashion, sydney-2000


PIP COURTNEY, PRESENTER: One of the world's most in-demand fashion designers was in Australia this week to help judge a national wool design award.

Frenchman Roland Mouret is famous for the Galaxy dress, a celebration of the classic hourglass figure, accessible to women of all sizes. He was in Sydney casting a critical eye over the latest crop of emerging designers competing in the Woolmark Prize.

Roland Mouret caught up with Landline's Sean Murphy.

SEAN MURPHY, REPORTER: Roland Mouret, welcome to Landline.


SEAN MURPHY: You're in Australia as a guest of Australian Wool Innovation. Where does wool sit today in the fickle world of fashion?

ROLAND MOURET: Wool sits really well in the fashion world. It's quite a unique fibre that I think exists in every designer, because I think we're all born with wool, you know? There is the story of wool - the moment you're born and you're wrapped in a blanket and I think every designer remembers that feeling of wool in their life.

And - but the beauty of wool, there is such a strong future of wool, because it adapt itself to the reality of our time and you try to push it a little further for technology. Yes, it's something close to our skin.

SEAN MURPHY: As a designer, what is it about working with wool that appeals to you?

ROLAND MOURET: I love the way wool heat up and cool down my skin. I love the way - because I drape around the body form - I love the way wool all the time add a quality to my work.

SEAN MURPHY: You've been judging the Woolmark Prize for emerging Australian designers. How did you find the work that you judged today?

ROLAND MOURET: I found the work really interesting because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what was going to be the reality of Australian designer. But the interest was: can I - can we find some people who'll stand in the next five years? Can they still be there first and to stand on a quite international platform and we saw a lot of talent. Some of them were not ready and that's why we chose which was the winners, expecting them to face events.

SEAN MURPHY: What was it about Strateas.Carlucci that stood out?

ROLAND MOURET: I think their sense of identity and commerceability. I think the guys knows - they know where they want to stand, they know how to cut an outfit, they know how to treat wool in a way which is quite personal to them. But their sense of identity was quite surprising.

SEAN MURPHY: So while you're in Australia, you're also launching an Australian Merino wool collection.


SEAN MURPHY: The thing that stands out at first glance are the vivid colours.


SEAN MURPHY: What was your inspiration behind the collection?

ROLAND MOURET: I'm a big believer of colour therapy and my love of wool at the moment is because something that was not right 10 years ago, I think the strength of colour in that fibre is so existing now and I can push the colour to a level where I can play the contradiction of the fibre and the strength of the colour and that's really my research in my work at the moment.

SEAN MURPHY: So who did you have in mind for this collection? What sort of woman were you designing for?

ROLAND MOURET: I never have a muse in my head, but the woman I really love is - I love the concept of a woman who enjoy to be a woman, a woman who will wake up in the morning and will put an outfit and just knows that she get it, you know? And that's the kind of woman I'm working for.

SEAN MURPHY: So like your Galaxy design, will this collection work for women of all sizes, from six to 16?

ROLAND MOURET: Yes. I'm - I'm not judgmental on the body form. I'm not - that concept - I'm not a fat-ist, you know. Body shape - for me, every body shape are amazing and I really embrace every kind of size.

SEAN MURPHY: I'm told your attitude to designing was first formed in your late father's butcher shop in France?

ROLAND MOURET: It's really funny because my uncle was a farmer too and cutting the wool off the sheep with the big scissors; it was not electric. I've seen that as a child. My work with my father - my dad wanted me to be a butcher and I understood rapidly the power of clothing through the butcher apron and how much I hated that job. I loved the apron and the love-hate situation became really significant in my life. And the day he passed away, I realise how much I learned from him.

SEAN MURPHY: And is it true that the key to designing a dress for you is to know how a person wants to undress?

ROLAND MOURET: Yes. That's my French side. Yes, it's really important to understand an outfit is a tool in a relationship and I think I do clothes for people to work their relationship and the way you dress, you undress it.

SEAN MURPHY: On that note, thank you for joining Landline.

ROLAND MOURET: It was a pleasure. Thank you.