Toying with the idea of boys misbehaving, French designer Olivier Borde releases a collection replete with attitude and a stronger approach to tailoring. Drawing inspiration from his years spent in London, Borde has produced a salute to Shoreditch and Hackney, the ongoing presence of New Wave music and the implied freedom and madness of British boyhood; light denims mix with tailored corduroys, slim-fitting shirting and reconfigured military fabrics are turned into a form-fitting suit that seems designer for Ian Curtis, and all whilst maintaining this idea of recording moods, places and people witnessed by Borde himself. Arriving at his presentation in the Marais, Dazed Digital spoke to the designer briefly about references, his time spent in London and the Olivier Borde man.

Dazed Digital: Before you even started working on the collection, was there a particular feeling you had in mind?
Olivier Borde: Someone showed me the images of Auguste Sander, a German photographer. I like that idea of bad boys stretching themselves to behave and to put on clothing and look their best. So I came from that to something more British, a mix between a Scally boy and a type of rocker – but with a tailoring touch, you know.

DD: How did this feeling of Scally boys and rockers reflect in the fabrics? There’s a lot of denim, I see.
Olivier Borde: Denim, corduroy, treated wool and check. There’s also some sportswear in fleece. Some of the denims were over-dyed because they started off as blue. Everything has some degree of military detailing and fits well.

DD: What do you think is the link with your last collection? There’s a much stronger link to an archetype. What was it that changed for you?
Olivier Borde: The last collection had a much more urban African, modern mood – and this British mood... I used to live in London, and so this is a collection about what I saw there and the people I used to see around the east end; Shoreditch and Hackney and these kinds of places. There was always so much attitude: people talking loudly everywhere and guys on the street together. It gave me the idea to try and find a chic British boy like that.

DD: This idea of recording a personality and a place – is it something you think you’d like to continue with?
Olivier Borde: If I can keep on mixing it with oppositions. But I think I’m going to keep working like this as it’s me.

DD: And so if that is Olivier Borde, who is the Olivier Borde man?
Olivier Borde: Not someone who pays attention to fashion trends. Someone who is strong and elegant and romantic – who likes contrasts and an attention to detail. This season it’s a bad-ass.