Postcard

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Growing up in England it was inevitable that I became a big tea drinker. But with age I have come to appreciate a good café noisette too – one shot of espresso with a touch of full fat milk. I think a cup with a saucer is so much more elegant than a mug, and I never go to a flea market or an antique shop without looking for old cups.

One of the very wonderful things about La Bagatelle is that it is a universe that allows me to dream while playing. And it was that line of thinking that had me starting a conversation with ceramist Franca Christophersen early Autumn. I really wanted to do a La Bagatelle cup: one for tea and one for a noisette. Fairly early on we decided on the shape of the cup that Franca wheel throws, which mean that every single one is made by Franca’s hands. The cup had to be a pleasure to hold and to drink from, and it had to be elegant and scalable so it would work equally well for both cups. However, it was much more difficult to find the right glaze, it took months and quite a few tests to find the final ones. They are poetic, special and unlike any other, the kind of cup you want to keep and drink from forever. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Ida Jacket, vintage striped Chinese cotton, Small
Sweatshirt and pants, Franca's own.

Beate Jacket, vintage striped Chinese cotton, Medium
Rampling Pants, black silk velvet

Beate Jacket, vintage striped Chinese cotton, Small
Bendix Shirt, cotton lawn grey
Lilli Pants, Ashes black French linen

Ali Jacket, black cotton corduroy
Bendix Shirt, double black cotton muslin
Rampling Pants, black silk velvet

Didion Jacket, vintage Japanese cotton
Rampling Pants, black silk velvet

Bendix Shirt, double creme cotton muslin
Sysser Vest, Vintage Japanese silk
Annie Pants, needlecord in Napoli blue

La Colombe d’Or Jacket, vanilla white wool and linen
Sysser Vest, Vintage Uzbek silk
Lilli Pants, heavy black crepe satin

Q&A WITH FRANCA CHRISTOPHERSEN:
The ceramist.

Franca Christophersen is a beauty of a 28 year old woman born and raised in New Zealand. She moved to Copenhagen in 2018 when she got a ceramist internship and stayed as she married Frama owner Niels Christophersen. We photographed Franca in her studio.

     MM: Why did you become a ceramist?
     FC: I had been working in fashion but started taking ceramic classes in the evening as I was stuck in front of the computer all day and missed working with my hands. That is where it started. In order to learn more about the many different approaches and techniques I ended up with an apprenticeship in Denmark for Eric Landon.

     MM: Tea or coffee?
     FC: I drink coffee in the morning, but keep it at two a day and I prefer my coffee weak and milky as I am pregnant. Tea is for my evenings and like tea from IO Tea or Sing tea house. I prefer something herbal and special.

     MM: What was your process for the making of the cups?
     FC: I started off by looking at classical visual references. The mindset was about creating something special and timeless. La Bagatelle has such a focus on craftsmanship and an appreciation of it and I wanted to honour that. So I decided to use a high grade coarse stoneware to make the cups with a porcelain coating which is unusual. However, I used it as it would give a refined look yet reveal the texture.
     I am into making things complicated at first and then trying to simplify them. These pieces for instance has been fired three times to give the right kind of effect of stoneware and porcelain. I tested different glazes again and again before it was right. The tea and the espresso cup have their own language but they go well together without being too much the same. Each cup is wheel thrown and it takes an absolute minimum of a week and a half to finish one cup.

     MM: What do you look forward to in Spring?
     FC: The Sun the most. And to drive my Volvo P1800ES in California White from 1972. I only drive it in the Summer.

Photographer Frederikke-Agnete Svarre
Stylist Caroline Harbro

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

When The New York Times asked if they could cover one of my dinners, and in particular a La Bagatelle dinner, I was quite humbled. Not only is it one of my favourite newspapers and the journalist Ellie Pithers who would conduct the interview is someone I respect, but it also seemed the perfect way of honouring La Bagatelle’s universe. Why? Because La Bagatelle is about life. The good life, a life enjoyed and a life well spent. And a dinner is a beautiful way of celebrating life. I love the dressing up part, the planning of the menu, the setting of the table, making a careful seating plan and inviting an interesting group of friends. It is always an advantage if some guests know each other well, but new faces are a treat too. 

The dinner became a very special celebration of La Bagatelle. The clothes and the feeling of them never really leave my mind, but I am also passionate about the textiles we use. They are all handpicked by me and quite magical which means that the essence of every piece of La Bagatelle is exceptional. It is also quite essential to the spirit of La Bagatelle that every single piece of La Bagatelle is tailor made in Copenhagen. The city where we live and where the dinner was hosted.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I am not necessarily a big fan of winter, but January feels different this year. The beautiful days with blue skies, snow and an almost magical light is having an affect on my mood. Skinny dipping in the icy cold sea, long walks with my dog Eddie in the morning and creative days in the Studio certainly help too. I really want to share this positive energy so today’s drop is meant to be soothing for the soul, full of dreams and with an air of new beginnings. These pieces are all held in blue tones which feels like a soft breeze for the soul. They are pieces for long days on the go and very short ones as well intended to be spent home in front of the fireplace going absolutely nowhere. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

It is the most festive time of year and I am thoroughly enjoying December this year. I am notoriously not very good with the lack of light in winter. However, something is different this year. I am seeing the beauty in the dark days. The lights that sparkle on the facades on Værnedamsvej help, as well as the people sitting outside drinking glögg chatting and laughing, and my Studio with all the beautiful clothes (if I have to say so myself) and candles lit in my antique Swedish chandelier and candlesticks that I have collected for years.

We’ve had the Studio for a year now and I have fallen in love with the neighbourhood. It really is the most charming and well edited area. So I am buying all presents online or in and around Værnedamsvej this year. To inspire I’ve made a little Værnedamsvej guide of favourite places to shop, eat and have a glass of glögg. We’re here in the Studio until the 22nd so pop by for a look and a glass of Port if you’re around.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Creams, soaps and lotion at Aesop, shoes at the newly opened A.P.C., tea at Sing Tehus – I buy the Sencha. For food look no further than Helges Ost where I buy lunch on a weekly basis and delicacies to bring home for an easy dinner. The gigantic mistletoe in the Studio is from Blomster Hjørnet where I buy flowers all the time. Get your port and champagne at Juul's Vin og Spiritus. It is impossible to leave Dora empty handed. I have bought vintage Christmas decorations and candles there recently. As well as beautiful tea towels for the Studio kitchen. Have breakfast at Granola, sandwiches and ris a la mande at Italo Café, wine and something hot to eat at Le Gourmand and coffee and everything else at Les Trois Cochons where the service is great, but I don’t come often as Eddie (my dog) isn’t allowed.

Le Gourmand, Værnedamsvej 3a
Sing Tehus, Værnedamsvej 4
Granola, Værnedamsvej 5
Dora, Værnedamsvej 6
Aesop, Værnedamsvej 7
A.P.C., Værnedamsvej 8
Blomster Hjørnet, Værnedamsvej 8
Helges Ost, Værnedamsvej 9
Italo Caffé, Værnedamsvej 10
Les Trois Cochons, Værnedamsvej 10
Juul’s Vin og Spiritus, Værnedamsvej 15

Sophia Roe wears Harbro Dress, black silk velvet

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I am intrigued by people who can turn pain into something beautiful that we can all learn from. The Danish writer Vita Andersen was such a person. She suffered throughout her childhood but grew to become a remarkable writer because she could transform her thoughts into words that would widen the world of many. She was also a style icon, a true original spirit. 

A little over a decade ago I met her daughter Tatiana Andersen Camre, a poetic designer who does the loveliest prints. And to me everything came together when Tatiana allowed us to take the very last pictures in her mother’s Copenhagen apartment only weeks before the keys were handed over to the new owner.

The photos are something of an homage to the extraordinary writer who lived there for decades. Another close friend of mine the photographer Philip Messmann took the pictures of his girlfriend the tastemaker Sophia Roe dressed only in La Bagatelle with a nod of respect to Vita Andersen’s style. Also how can you not love and respect a woman who lived in an all pink apartment for decades…? 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Many years ago I became friends with the photographer Philip Messmann. At the time he wasn’t a photographer but a good looking young man with an exceptional eye for details. We once spent a week in LA on a job and what I in particular remember from this shoot was the conversations we had about colour, textures and light. It turns out we are both aesthetic nerds. He also has a kind soul so it is no surprise the he has lost his heart to Sophia Roe who is stunning, hard working and wise way beyond her years. She has become a trusted friend too and I greatly appreciate the two of them collaborating on this shoot with Sophia wearing La Bagatelle. Thank you, I love it.

Vita Shirt, Cotton Pique Poplin
Sysser Vest, silver fox Italian wool
Rampling Pants, Twilight grey silk velvet

Jean Shirt, Cotton Pique Poplin

Vita Shirt, Cotton Pique Poplin
Sysser Vest, silver fox Italian wool
Rampling Pants, Twilight grey silk velvet

Didion Jacket, vintage Japanese silk
Lilli Pants, heavy black crepe satin

Lauren Shirt, Cotton Pique Poplin
Loulou Pencil Skirt, black grossrain silk

Andrea Top, white wavy pearl satin
Amanda Jacket, Oxford Grey wool khadi
Rampling Pants, Port silk velvet

Jean Shirt, Cotton Pique Poplin
Sysser Vest, silver fox Italian wool
Betty Skirt, silver fox Italian wool

Sophia Jacket, amethyst silk velvet
Marianne Skirt, amethyst silk velvet

Lee Shirt, white wavy pearl satin
Lilli Pants, Milan grey French linen

Jean Shirt, Cotton Pique Poplin
Betty Skirt, silver fox Italian wool

Vivianna Blouse, black wavy pearl satin
Kate Skirt, black heavy crepe satin

Lee Shirt, white wavy pearl satin
Benedikte Jacket, thick weave wool
Lilli Pants, Milan grey French linen

Thank you to Sophia Roe and Philip Messmann, stylist Caroline Harbro and hair and make-up Mads Stig.

Private pictures of Vita Andersen at home in the apartment shared with us by her daughter Tatiana Andersen Camre.

VITA FAVOURITES:
The first edition of Vita Andersen’s debut collection of poems “Tryghedsnarkomaner” from 1977 sold out in 10 minutes and ended up selling more than 100.000 copies which is a lot for a small country like Denmark. It depicted the life and mind of a woman in a way that had never been seen before. And as with all great litterature it is still relevant reading today. She was a productive writer but here are some of the favourites:

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Winter calls for a grown up sophistication. As much as I love bare, tanned feet and flip flops in the Summer, this time of year tailored pieces look wonderful, sharp and right for now. So I am adding a few new favourites to the La Bagatelle wardrobe. Items that go with existing pieces and some that will add a touch of, for lack of a better word, a sassy sexiness. Here is everything I need to get me through the fun of Winter. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling