Jerome Pierre lives between Paris and Berlin. In 2014 he met Fashion Designer Agnes B. Working with her team he created a collection based on comfort and fluidity.
Why did you decide to become a fashion designer?
I got the bug when I was around 10 or 11. I was first drawn to the visual side of fashion: photography and sketches. I remember being quite taken by the sketches Thierry Perez made for the likes of Gaultier, Alaïa, and Versace.
Later into the process of becoming a designer, my focus shifted towards clothes as a structure, a moving architecture; and towards fabrics, for which I fell in love during my first internship.
Are your designs based on function?
Absolutely! Function is paramount when I think of a design. How it fits the body and enables or hinders movements will translate into how my clothes will make you feel in general and about yourself.
What is the key element to your looks?
Lightness. Wear ability. Balance.
I like my looks to be rooted by clothes that are easy to wear, easy to match, peppered with a few statement pieces. Balance to me is about knowing what works for you, as well as expressing something genuinely unique, but trying to do so in a most universal language.
Has Agnès b. influenced your output?
When Agnès invited me to design this collection, I very much wanted to create something that would find its place within her world, albeit a very personal interpretation of it.
For example, prints are not my first reflex, nor my second. But it is precisely what touches me within the world of Agnès, the liveliness, the buoyant side of her craft.
You know going to Agnès’s office isn’t unlike going to an art gallery, or a performance. There is always something happening, a ton of pictures, graffiti, collaborations with incredible artists. And all of this, punctuated by Agnès’s ‘sayings’, delivered here and there in her trademark handwriting.
It’s exhilarating! You can literally feel the heart of this house beating. And you are drawn to it, you want to join in the festivities.
Any future plans in mind?
Definitely! I very recently created a brand focused on accessories, and we’ve just started selling online at www.steilheit-paris.com.
The first items have started coming in, and you’ll find the aforementioned sense of balance, between the super-easy picks for the day-to-day, and some stronger, bolder statement items. You can feel the influence of both of the cities I live in: Paris and Berlin. The former being a place known for its elegance and a certain formality, the latter is a place of freedom and creativity. Keywords are minimal + architectural. And gender-neutral, which is both a nice message and quite an interesting challenge, in terms of design and communication.
Come visit!
For more on the collection go to :Steilheit-paris.com