Marine Serre, a just-out-of-school designer captivates fashion’s toughest crowd
The cornerstone of Marine Serre’s 2016 graduation collection from La Cambre, the Belgian design school, was a print of a tiny crescent moon. Although the celestial symbol has links to a number of cultures and religions, it is most commonly associated with Islam, and it was in that context that Serre used it in her collection, which she named “Radical Call for Love.” Her collection, which included references to 19th-century dress and contemporary sportswear, is a response to the latest terroristic attacks in Europe.
Before she even had a business, Serre had created a brand
“Radical Call for Love” was only Serre’s second collection, yet she was now in the same store as big names like Balenciaga, Loewe, Céline, and Raf Simons. By last fall the designer had won the LVMH Prize for the same work, collecting roughly $357,000. The moon print was often spotted in the crowds at New York and Paris Fashion Weeks. “Radical Call for Love” demonstrated that, before she even had a business, Serre had created a brand. What’s more, the moon print could be read in the context of Islamic iconography or as a kind of Pop graphic, just as her wide headbands could be read as a take on an athletic band or a hijab.
