Stella Jean

How would you define Stella Jean’s DNA?
My cultural roots are the foundation of my work. The clothes are born from my personal story, they reflect the Haitian-Italian mix and the socio-cultural syncretism proper to Creole culture. It is essential to stay true to the basic concept, which, in my case, is to express oneself through the desire to reconcile worlds near and far. An inescapable starting point tied to the need to promote a new concept of multiculturalism through my work.
Where do you find your inspirations and how much does your life influence your collections?
My origins, tied to the two countries that define me as a person, have always guided me through my journey. Everything starts from the multicultural concept applied to fashion. I only recently stopped ‘fighting’ with the two completely opposite aspects of my personality. As a Haitian-Italian it has not been easy to find a balance and the full consciousness of two cultures so strongly rooted. Fashion has given me freedom of movement in a delicate and fragile universe, which in turn brought me a sense of belonging as well as the possibility of not having to choose one nature over another, by allowing each of them their own space to breathe in a proud and conscious way. The hardest phase was identifying the meeting point between the academic rigor of the Old Continent and the spontaneous and solar exuberance of Creole culture, whose roots are in Africa and aren't afraid to say “this is how who I am”.
Who are your style icons?
My take on style icons is pretty different from the usual meaning. My muses, the realities that have always touched my artistic and human sensibility, which have inspired me and continue to inspire, are linked to the fate of extraordinary women whose stories, full of dignity and hard labor compile a rich and atuthetic creative and cultural mosaic. I have always been more inspired by the oppressed, the slaves and the prisoners than the queens and princesses.
How does your style translate into the world of swimwear?
My swimwear collection reflect my two universes and their artistic and chromatic expressions, as do all my designs.
Which is for you the most important phase of the creative process? Do you have any favorite materials in terms of swimwear?
There is nothing planned in my creations, no virtual application or market research. What matters the most are the people. With their body language, their skilled hands, their discussions, the history books, literature, the day-to-day as well as the cultural differences. The starting point continues to be the needle and thread that sew around a story.
The bikini celebrates its 70th anniversary this year: which memory or image does this evoke you?
The femininity and elegance of Annette Funicello.
Which specific swimwear style are you most fond of?
The must-have style of the latest swimwear collection is the ruffled swimsuit in the radish print.
What do you consider being the ultimate bad taste?
Men in cropped pants.
As for a lingerie collection with the Stella Jean brand label?
Who can tell? I am very superstitious and I don’t like talking about things that have yet to happen.
What are the reasons for your success as a business woman and creator?
I don’t like to talk about “success” or boast about my qualities. At Stella Jean we pursue our path by measuring the efforts, the dedication and the work.
Speak to us about your choice of eco-friendly materials and your attachment to work ethics and local traditions.
Through my work, I try to demonstrate, through a fair dialogue and a mix of exploration and experimentation, that there are no limits to the cultural combinations and fusions, while looking for the point of balance between differing realities. More so than responsible, fashion has become aware. Public opinion, which I believe has a considerable influence, is requesting, more or less clearly, an evolution of the current system and I think fashion, through the strong impact it has on new generations, can play a key role in that.
Do you think that fashion should emerge as a driving force for change?
Fashion is a social barometer and a change in approach from the new generation, who is more open and ready than ever to adopt, respect and promote an ethical behavior, can give a new impulse to young ventures and more traditional companies alike. I believe that everyone is becoming increasingly more aware, each at their own pace, that a new approach to ethics and eco-sustainability is necessary and inevitable. Personally, it was on the field that I understood that fashion can become a hotbed of innovation by establishing itself as a bridge between cultures.
How does the cultural mix you defend find an echo in society today?
Today we live in a globalized world, which does not mean that cultural differences have vanished. We have simply stretched our horizons: people travel, they move, they change countries and take with them a cultural heritage that will contribute to the internationalization of their culture of origin. This is how I create my looks: clothes suitable for people who live in our modern times as true citizens of the world and who in turn transform fashion into a genuine dialogue between cultures.