Melanie Viallon
Occupation: Co-Founder and Creative Director of Les Lunes
Instagram: @leslunes


Where were you born?
I was born in the south of France, in the historic city of Albi. Built from red brick with a touch of wood, each street resonates with the artistry and strength of the world changers that came before me. Ancestors, such as late 19th century Toulouse-Lautrec, the famous painter who was immersed in the colourful and theatrical life of Paris, or the Comte de Laperouse who was a French naval officer and explorer whose expedition vanished in Oceania. I grew up surrounded by this strong energy of building beauty and discovering the world.


Why do you do what you do?
When I cannot find what I want, I create it. But I know exactly what I want, so creating for myself isn’t a big challenge. Creating for others is more interesting. When I was little I learned how to use tools to create, and my favorite was a sewing machine. I was 5 years old when I pushed the pedal of one for the first time. I moved to Paris at 18, and discovered the fashion world. It wasn’t what I expected. Fashion designers forget that between a garments draw on a piece of white paper, and a magazine advertising on glossy paper, there is an alive body wearing the clothes. I kept looking for it, a brand that would remember that the first priority of clothes is to be worn, not sold. I didn’t find it, so this is the focus of the product development at Les Lunes.


What is unique about your work?
The more I have constraints, the better my creativity is. This is why my first direction was in designing lingerie. Playing on the fine line that balances sexy, feminine and versatility while never falling to vulgarity. You have to respect constraints of the body, sizing, fabrics and shapes that expect a high-end lingerie product. It is such a challenge, I love it! Check out our George V line, the nightdress is the perfect example of this accomplishment.
Creating lingerie isn’t the only challenge. Bamboo as a raw material is a very complicated fabric to work with. It’s like the fabric is alive. But it’s the best fabric that you can find on the market, environmentally speaking as well as for the skin that is wearing it. The softness and properties cannot be compared to anything.
Designing a full wardrobe, from active wear to ready-to-wear using exclusively this jersey is a huge creative challenge. Add to it that we want each piece to perfectly fit every body shape in the world. Here is a very interesting challenge. And we are rocking it, following a unique artistic direction of geometric lines balancing the curves of the body, in an elegant style that is equal in comfort to the wearer.

What inspires you?
My customers. Who else? I spend as much time as I can with them in the store, studying their body shape, and their lifestyle. I imagine what they could wear to feel and look better in their clothes. I imagine the shapes, the colors, and the details that will elevate their natural beauty. I create what will reveal their personality with perfect functionality. I challenge all the constraints. And the garment becomes an extension of their personality supporting their lifestyle. Bamboo acts like a chameleon, it fits the body, the mind, and the mood of the wearer.
It’s those kind of pieces in our wardrobe that the more we wear them, the more we love them. They are the ones that we choose on the morning of an important busy day. A day that we need to have the upper hand with every opportunity to succeed.

Personal style:
Everyday starts with good lingerie. It’s the lining of how you look, and the bridge to who you are on the inside. I choose my Les Lunes George V Tanga or Thong depending on my mood, with always the George V Camisole to match them.
For week days, I will add our ruched pencil skirt. A pencil skirt, in jersey. How cool it is to have this strong feminine look of a woman banker and be able to run from meeting to meeting, and still enjoy lunch without feeling 2 sizes larger and be in pain from a non stretch waist.I wear it with the Gambetta Top, the lace balances the strictness of the bottom. And then, depending on the day, I play with colors. Navy blue and white when I miss France, Chocolate and Wine for gourmet days in a playful mood, black and emerald when I need to be confident and strong.

Ultimate must-have:
My knitted shawl. As a scarf, it dresses up a look. But in 2 seconds I can fall it around my shoulders, and have it wrap me like a cardigan.

What superpower would you have and why?
The ability to time travel. It would allow me to speak with my customers and design the piece in my mind. Then I would travel directly to Paris where I could work with our pattern makers to develop the styles. Then a hop to Shanghai to work out all the details at the facility, and adjust the patterns. I always adjust each line by hand and I like to sew the first sample. This way I can see what difficulties the workers will have and work with them to secure each step. And then I travel back in time to test the piece the second that I started to design it in my mind on the body that inspired it.

What is next for you?
Have more customer meetings. Fit more bodies shapes with LL mood.