It's the story of two athletes who decide to take on the world of fashion. Hearing that tends to make you grind your teeth. Except that Olivia Borlée and Elodie Ouedraogo turned their dream into a success. Read all about it!
42|54, their brand name, refers to their national record set at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. And the items themselves show a totally justified passion for fashion and trends. Olivia Borlée and her team-mate, Elodie Ouedraogo, explain the genesis of their project, quite simply, as talking "fashion" between training sessions which led to the discovery of a shared enthusiasm for clothes. Olivia Borlée: "we both were trendy dressers during and after training without really finding what suited us. And even if we couldn't afford designer clothes, we were already well aware of the question of ethics in fashion. For example, I had been able to visit the Delvaux workshops in Brussels. The best way of understanding what justifies the price of a bag."
New business
Olivia Borlée dreamt about being a designer as a child, but it was actually through interior design that she ultimately landed up in clothing: "I studied interior design at La Cambre for three years before having to stop everything because of sport. When I was looking for a means of expressing my creativity, I decided to start studying fashion design. A return to my dream as a little girl. I therefore already knew the basics of the profession." When they launched into the design of their first collection, without the help of an outside designer, Olivia and Elodie did not take long to define their style: "as soon as we created our first moodboard, we opted for a minimalist and resolutely pure approach. Hence the choice of a very simple chromatic palette around black and white". And to find their place in an ultra-competitive sector, the pair have opted straightaway to push their work on materials and cuts to the limit.
100% Belgian
Olivia and Elodie have naturally tested all the prototypes before launching the collection: "we mulled over the idea for four years before starting out. Many designers are inspired by the world of sport, but their clothes do not suit running or any other high-level discipline. The idea was to create stylish activewear which is supremely comfortable and genuinely supportive. We have worked with a Belgian team to obtain the quality level we sought - excellent modellers in Antwerp and a production site selected with this same concern for responsible manufacture. We have met some wonderful people, including a Belgian who owns a factory in Tunisia. As a specialist in lingerie, she has offered us the guarantees we were expecting for both quality and ethics. Our fabrics are also Belgian. We are supplied by Liebaert, a company which has also matched our requirements." For their image, Olivia and Elodie have surrounded themselves with partners in line with their universe, including the Brussels agency Codefrisko and the Belgian photographer Thomas Switn Sweertvaegher.
Premium mood
Straightaway, the brand positioned itself as a high-end range. "We sought to create beautiful products that are both trendy and ethical. The price of items relates to this concern for quality. We opted to focus on stores in line with our concept. We wished to attract a high-end clientèle seeking to buy its activewear as the same time as other designer clothes. In the United States, women have already been mixing active- and town-wear for several years. We don't have this habit yet in Belgium, but we're getting there slowly." In October, Olivia and Elodie came face-to-face with American buyers when participating in their first fair in New York, the cradle of urban activewear: "it was important for us to make the most of this direct feedback". Less than a month before the launch of their next collection, a capsule of two swimsuits and stretch velour items developed in conjunction with the Antwerp lab Pelican Avenue, the positive feedback from the market and excellent press fallout in both Belgium and abroad bodes well for the future of 42|54.
Marie Honnay
