THE INTERVIEW: STEPHANIE BRISSAY

When the style is born from art and seventies spirit.

by TEAM PARIS SOCIAL DIARY, photography by COURTESY | 18 April, 2017

 

After her studies at the Ecole du Louvre, Stephanie Brissay started her career in the fashion industry as an assistant for French Vogue. She spent six years working for Condé Nast to improve her unique style of creating, influenced by the stars of the silver screen, and become one of the most outstanding and recognizable parisian stylist. Nowadays she works as a freelancer, collaborating with the best of the best. You can feel her personal touch in editorials for Grazia, Marie Claire, Vogue and campaigns for Cartier, Issey Miyake, Sephora, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bourjois, Éric Bompard, Yves Rocher, L’Oreal and many many more…

About taste and style …

PARIS SOCIAL DIARY: Stephanie, you are running an amazing instagram account, does it come by a chance or you think a lot about it?

STEPHANIE BRISSAY: It is all based on my life, all the things comes from what I love in my life. There is everything about my job, my favourite art, exhibitions, fashion and India…, so it comes by achance, nothing is previously planned.

PSD: Are you searching for a new trends or inspiration through the social media?

SB: Sometimes yes, but I love books and I have a huge collection of art books and magazines. Really love printed materials.

PSD: Your personal style is very unique, colourful and retro, I would say. How would you describe it in your own words?

SB: I am just being myself, I don’t need to look like the others! I love colors (its a question of karma to me).

PSD: What would be your personal signature, when it comes to styling?

SB: Mix and match and jewels.

PSD: I know you like to be inspired by the style of the Hollywood icons. Which one inspires you the most?

SB: Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Cyd Charisse … I also love the work of Adrian (the chief costume designer of the MGM).

PSD: Whats your favourite film when it comes to a fashion?

SB: Shangai Express, The Philadelphia story, The bride wore red, Singin’in the rain, Polly Maggoo, Memoirs of a Geisha. To have a good styling is so important when it comes to a movie, I love the styling in Captain Fantastic, in the Grand Hotel Budapest or in Fantastic Beasts.

PSD: If you could only wear one designer the rest of your life who would it be and why?

SB: Comme des Garçons

 

 

About work…

PSD: How old you were, when you joined the party?

SB: I started at French Vogue as an assistant, I was 25, just after I have finished l’Ecole du Louvre and the Beaux Arts. I still go to L’Ecole du Louvre to learn more about costumes and fashion history.

PSD: What was one of the biggest challenges you had to overcome as a stylist?

SB: To have ideas! To work a lot and to be inspired by art.

PSD: Have you made some errors towards the beginning of your career?

SB: I follow my way, my instinct, I try to do my best and to be focused on things I like.

PSD: You are French, based in Paris. Could you imagine doing your work at the same level, but in a different country?

SB: No!

PSD: What makes for a great styled story, in your opinion?

SB: To find the real inspiration (music, movies, photography… to me it is about Irving Penn, Brasaî, Richard Avedon). I also find a lot of inspiration through paintings and during my travels. I love to travel, I go every year to India.

PSD: What is your favourite shot or collaboration you have done so far?

SB: Van Cleef & Arpels and a jeans story I did a few years ago.

PSD: Is there any advice you would like to give to a young women, who dreams about being

a stylist?

SB: To be hard working and never stop believing in her dreams!

PSD: What are your future working plans?

SB: I will do editorial next week, then some campaign for cosmetic brand and I am looking forward to the trip for a jewels campaign!