Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

This week our three months stint at Valkendorfsgade 13 will come to an end. So pop by on Thursday the 24th of November we’re here till 6pm. It will be your last change to see our current location and check our our latest beauties from the tailors and enjoy a glass of bubbles and little cakes. We will be moving to Værnedamsvej which we are very excited about. Much more information will follow about our new lovely place in future Postcards. 

For now we are slowly getting into the festive spirit of late November. On Sunday I will begin the Christmas decorating of my home “Bagatel” which La Bagatelle is named after. I enjoy it quite a bit – especially when it’s done! I have collected vintage Christmas decorations for decades. It will come as no surprise to anyone that I love the soft pink and pale blue tones that are often found in vintage Christmas decorations. A huge mistletoe is also a must, and I have already ordered the one that will hang at Værnedamsvej to ensure a whole lot of love.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

I have been getting a lot of credit lately for my book recommendations, which I am actually really proud of. However, I just started Tolstoy´s “War and peace” which is a good 2000 pages, so it will be a while, before I will be on to the next book. Wish me luck. 

He is my favourite DJ. Whether it would be at some fashion party in Copenhagen, an art do or a summer party in Tisvilde where I have a house, he would be playing. I am of course talking about Christian d’Or who also happens to be a nice guy. So when I called him up a couple of months ago asking if he would do the perfect party playlist for La Bagatelle, he agreed. And here it is an eclectic mix of music from all over the world that is sure to get you in the festive spirit. We have it on repeat. Download it for free with Spotify.

Emmanuel Martini is something as exotic as a “Nose” – a parfumeur. He is also my good friend and we have a very special project under way. In the meantime, before I can reveal what we are up to. I can highly recommend his room perfume called Aestas Liguria by En Doft @endoftav

I love mistletoes – the bigger the better. The picture is from the livingroom of my old home. It is from 1916 and it shows because Inès is a lot smaller than she is today.

Watch out for the new brand of poetic tableware Akua by Annika Agerled and Josefine Arthur. Their glasses remind me of a mix of travels to far away places as well as tables set by my mother and grandmothers all through my childhood. Annika Agerled is wearing an Ali Jacket as well as a pair of Lilli Pants in the launch image of Akua.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Can you go between being an introvert and an extrovert? I don’t know that you can, but it certainly feesl like it at the moment. Whereas Summers go by with lots of sociable activities, and the month of December seems like one long, cosy month of parties and gettogethers, November feels decidedly different. It is now that I collect myself. I work, I read, I cook and I spend time in the garden and in the forest walking Eddie. The new styles that are dropping today reflect this spirit. They are feelgood pieces that can all be dressed up for the upcoming festivities, but as for now they are for you to wear and enjoy. Like the month of November, they seem personal.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Annie Ernaux’s “Simple Passion” is small in size but raw in its impact. Easily read in a day or two, however, I have never had a book in my hands that explained what passion is and what passion does in such an unsentimental way. This one I love.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I’m not a New Yorker, I’ve never lived in New York, and many people know it way better than I do. However, it is one of my favourite cities, and I have been coming regularly for over 25 years. For a decade when I had no children to take care of I went to New York for Fashion Week twice a year, I have been coming for work with campaign shoots and I have been coming for holidays. I have been there on a very sparse budget as well as a more comfortable one. So what I am sharing now is not the best guide you’ll ever find to New York, but it is my list of go-to-places when I am there. Places I would be sorry to miss. And remember that the best thing about guides is not neccessarily following them, it is that they inspirere you to dream.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

I am tempted to say that Café Gitane on 242 Mott St. has been my favourite always. I first came more than twenty years ago and daydreamed that I was a regular, a part of the cool crowd hanging out. I would go there and write up my articles and people watch. The food is still good and it was the first place I ever tasted mint tea made on fresh mint. I couldn’t resist that it was served in tiny Japanese iron teapots. I felt ever so chic. 

Desert Vintage on 34 Orchard St. on Lower East is one of the very best vintage stores with a very sophisticated selection. I find it odd to buy Eupean brands in the States, but they really pick out nice styles. And whatever they have from American designers is excellent. The store itself is also worth a visit, the vintage furniture is to die for. Once you leave you should pop round to The Corner Bar at the hotel Nine Orchard to either celebrate your purchase or possibly your restraint from buying anything. Either way, it’s a good place for at drink. Ignacio Mattos has the place and he is New York’s hippest chef right now and also runs the Lodi in Midtown that feels like a busy café in Paris, Altro Paradiso that serves excellent easy food, and Estela that is more cosy and special. Dream place for a date.

Not far from Desert Vintage you’ll find Bode on 58 Hester Street with a cute mending store next to it. Close by on 123 Norfolk St. is Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s store. It is a bit run down, but her mix of classic as well as sporty cool stuff really is the epitomy of the well travelled, easy going New York look that will take you where ever you want to go.

In order to enter Ted Muehling`s totally wonderful store on 104 Franklin Street, you have to book a time slot in advance. But it really is worth it. His space is like nowhere else. He is a master of jewellery that is totally timeless yet seems forever relevant and his candlesticks are sublime. The smart “master of anything to do with food” Laila Cooks wears his rings on her pretty fingers.

Balthazar opened up in the Spring of 1997 but immediately looked like it had been there always. Keith McNally was the mastermind behind it and it became an instant favourite. The designer Jane Mayle introduced me to it when I interviewed her for Vogue in the late nineties. Her epic shop was just around the corner. I still love Balthazar. We have celebrate my daughter Barbara’s birthday there a number of times and you just can’t beat breakfast at Balthazar (Unless of course you have a bagel to go wrapped in tin foil from a corner joint. They are pretty good too). Prior to Balthazar Keith McNally ran the legendary place Odeon in Tribeca with his then wife Lynn Wagenknect. Go for lunch, have the omelet and thank me later. She also runs the Café Luxembourg on the Upper West. Brilliant and local atmosphere. Book a table well in advance if you want to be sure to sit inside.

Roman and Williams Guild NY on 53 Howard Street houses an amazing interior store. I particular like their small celection of books and the pancakes they serve in the restaurant.

The farmer’s marker Union Square Greenmarket is well worth a visit. It makes you dream of living in New York and going grocery shopping for the entertaining of friends in the weekend.

I know that there are many fun and interesting galleries popping up all the time. But if you don’t have a lot of time nothing beats Moma on 11 West 53 St. and I love the Guggenheim on 1071 5th Ave and the Met close by on 1000 5th Ave. Don’t even try to see the whole thing. Cellect an area such as the Eqyptians and be blown away by the splendor. 

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I used to wear black all the time. Everyone in the fashion Industry did, and it seemed the only relevant option for me. It was sophisticated and it signaled competence. However, something has changed, and the days where I feel like wearing black only are far fewer. Don´t get me wrong, I still think it looks trés chic, however, I no longer feel the monotone colour palette fully reflects who I am. I have changed. Recently I found myself on a plane to London where I was heading over for meetings. I was wearing a lot of black, perhaps because black is trustworthy. However, I felt all wrong and longed for my Rampling Pants in Claret, my mustard coloured La Colombe d’Or jacket and my grey Bendix Shirt. 

With La Bagatelle the beautiful colours and structures of the fabrics are so wonderful and somehow reflect the world that I love of litterature, gardening, cooking and quite frankly working, writing, picking fabrics and making new beautiful pieces for La Bagatelle. I am still the same girl that once wore all shades of black, and yet I have evolved and so has my taste. La Bagatelle is the summary of my journey.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Tarragon vinegar: It is so easy to make your own, and it adds sophistication to any kind of dressing or sauce all through autumn. I grow my own tarragon in the garden, but if you don’t, just buy some fresh and add it to a nice bottle of white wine vinegar. Voilà. 

I must be the only Scandinavian who hasn’t read Karl Ove Knausgård. I didn’t think he was for me, but I was wrong. “Ulvene fra Evighedens Skov” is such a beautiful story that I will highly recommend it although I haven’t quite finished it yet. If you need a good read for your Autumn break, bring it along. 

If Knausgård is too massive a book, I would opt for Yoko Tawada who writes slender accounts of alienation. It fits into your Anemone Bag, and she had me at “hello.” The first line goes like this: “According to my grandmother travelling meant drinking unknown water. Different places, different water.” Love it. 

In Spring I will be going back to the garden of Sissinghurst, one of the most famous gardens in England - and the world. I want to see Vita Sackville-West’s garden when all the bulbs are in full bloom. In the meantime I am digging small holes in my lawn laying as many bulbs as I can. When Spring comes it will hopefully look devine, and maybe just at little bit like Sissinghurst.

Bendix Shirt, cotton lawn grey
La Colombe d’Or Jacket, mustard wool and linen
Rampling Pants, claret silk velvet

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I read Deborah Levy’s trilogy this summer like so many others. If you haven’t read it already, give yourself a treat and do so. Levy writes about the phenomena “main characters” as she is writing about pitching a film script in one of the books. It leads her to think of who the main character is in her own life.

Outfits are a little like films in that respect – for them to work, there needs to be one main character only. Often the main character is a little tiresome and creates drama to get all the attention. More often than not it is the supporting roles that are the most interesting. Perhaps it is true to say that La Bagatelle is the supporting actress helping everyone else with their shine. It is the discreet luxury. It is about style and not neccessarily about fashion. That said, this “Postcard” is about a string of “main characters,” items with so much charm that they just can’t help but shine. They quite simply make an outfit, and we love them for it. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

I walk as much as I can at the moment, and I particularly love my late afternoon walks in the forrest. Picking mushrooms when out is one of the great pleasures right now. As is picking apples and grapes.

I have collected glass for decades, a bug I probably got from my mother. I especially collect a lot of vintage glass. But I also love coming to C. E. Fritsche and water at home is served in this kind of glass from them. Kompagnistræde 12, 1208 Copenhagen K.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

When I started La Bagatelle, I named it after the house I live in called “Bagatel” which means “a little thing” in Danish. The house is quite small, much smaller than the neighbouring houses. However, life I find, is in so many ways about the little things. If you get them right, you will end up getting a lot of it right. Life in this little house by the sea inspires me. And at this time of year it is especially the colours of the garden that is reflected in the fabrics at the moment. Autumn is a special time of year and all the colours of the trees and fading flowers are jewellike and make for a really sumptuous feeling. 

In this “Postcard” Rasmus Skousen has photographed me at home at Bagatel wearing some of the items I wear on repeat these days. There was no hair- or makeup artist at hand. We were just two friends who have known each other always, hanging out drinking Earl Grey tea in between the shots one beautiful late afternoon. So there is no cheating, just beautiful clothes. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Lo Coat, brown wool hounds tooth
Rampling Pants, amethyst silk velvet

La Colombe d’Or Jacket, cotton velvet in Moleskin
Bendix Shirt, double creme cotton muslim
Annie Pants, Hari needlecord in chestnut

Ali Jacket, navy cotton corduroy
Elise Skirt, blue petroleum brushed linen

Jaipur Jacket, crushed, washed corduroy
Lilli Pants, Alpine green French linen

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I am in England buying textiles for La Bagatelle. I am in such awe of the people I work with here who are immensely knowledgeable and take such pride in what they do. It is incredibly inspiring.

At some point during Spring I was considering moving a small part of La Bagatelle’s production to Southern Europe because it would be more cost effective. However, I decided against it as I don’t want to compromise. I don’t want to buy cheaper textiles and less interesting ones because that is what a bigger production would demand. I love that I can find just one roll of fabric and make something out of it. It means that we can work with small cloth merchants with special, time consuming techniques creating unbeliable fabrics. Furthermore, I love that La Bagatelle is made by the most dedicated and wonderful tailors in Copenhagen. When the weather permits it our pieces are delivered or picked up by bike. That is how local it is. So much love goes into La Bagatelle, there isn’t room for compromises. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Birthdays don’t matter to me except for that one day of the year where it actually is my birthday. That day I care. The hypocracy is of course alarming, but it is what it is. I had my birthday this week and as La Bagatelle is moving our studio next week, there was no time for big celebrations but it suited me just fine. I have thrown so many parties over the years that a small dinner party almost seemed more special. Actually I have noticed that the more people I invite, the fewer people I end up talking to and having real conversations with. Big dinners are grand, beautiful and fun. But the smaller and more intimate parties are what I am aiming at as it goes from Summer to Autumn. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

A special person in my life, Rasmus Skousen, friend and colleague since forever, gave me a wonderful gift for my birthday. A playlist with the world of La Bagatelle in mind. You’ll find an Ethiopian nun playing the piano, a Seminole Tribe counting song, the avantgarde artist and composer Laurie Anderson’s performance from 1982 but also cool cat Swedish Yung Lean, favourite John Carrol Kirby and Nick Cave’s interpretation of Marc Bolan’s “Cosmic Dancer”. The list goes on and every song is special.  It is an eclectic world of sound that I love and I will have it on repeat whereever I go for a long time. Follow this link for the playlist La Bagatelle Vol. 00.
Thank you Rasmus.

Andrea Top, ice blue wavy pearl satin
Bendix Shirt, striped Indian cotton
Elise Skirt, English rose structured linen

Bacall Top, rose wavy pearl satin
Ali Jacket, deep wine red cotton corduroy
Loulou Pencil Skirt, darkest of blue grosgrain silk

Andrea Top, ice blue wavy pearl satin
Rampling Pants, ice sky silk velvet

Bacall Top, black wavy pearl satin
Lilli Pants, black pre washed parachute silk

Jaipur Jacket, vintage Chinese indigo
Rampling Pants, emerald silk velvet

Bendix Shirt, double creme cotton muslim
La Colombe d’Or Jacket, cotton velvet in Moleskin
Lilli Pants, pepper rosé French linen

Andrea Top, ice blue wavy pearl satin
Bendix Shirt, double creme cotton muslim
Rampling Pants, black silk velvet

Andrea Top, ice blue wavy pearl satin
Bendix Shirt, double creme cotton muslim
Rampling Pants, black silk velvet

The English master of Interiors Robert Kime passed away a week ago. He believed that creating a room starts with a good rug, that flowers should look like they come straight from the garden, and he was magical at making personal rooms that mix items chosen for their beauty and history rather than the price – although the two tend to go together. For incredible inspiration follow his store on Instagram. I for one would like a fireplace like this one that he put together in a private home.

Watch "The Hours" and read "Mrs Dalloway" at the same time. By coincidence I did that last week and it was a brilliant experience. I had read the book in my teens and seen the film when it came out. But it gave an extra dimension enjoying the two simultaneously. 

I had the pleasure of hosting a talk between two smart women Mette Hay and Laila Gohar early this summer. Laila has made a beautiful and fun collection of tablewear for Hay that is coming out in September. She has also started a brand called Gohar World with her sister doing exquite items for the perfect dinner party. An apron for bottles is one of my favouries. It can hardly be called an neccesity, yet I tend to believe it is.

Heaven is a rainy day spent in an English bookstore. I was late to reading Edmund de Waal’s amazing “The hare with amber eyes” but I will be quick to reading his third book “Letters to Comodo” that has recently been published. Here are a few of the titles that I have picked up in Waterstones.

I just love Fortnum&Mason. Whenever possible I always stock up on their Earl Grey tea, my favourite. And it doesn’t hurt that the turquoise colour is devine.

This summer I stubled across Deborah Levy’s books in my favourite Blackwell’s Bookshop in Oxford. Since then I have read all her books, but I particularly loved her autobiography trilogy: “Things I don’t want to know”, “The cost of living” and “Real estate.” They made such a difference to me when I read them, and they come with my highest recommendation. She is a brilliant author.

I have a beautiful and smart friend, Emma Rosenzweig,  who knows films like I’d like to think I know books. This summer she made a personalised film guide for me to watch and so far they are the best company during my late summer evenings. So I thought I would share some of them: Enjoy watching Maggie Gyllenhaals “The lost daughter” and “Liqorice Pizza” by Paul Thomas Anderson. Both are beautiful, totally wonderful and nothing like each other.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

June is my favourite month. The light, the nights that never get truly dark, the sound of birds that wake me up with their excitement very early in the morning, when their day begins. The celebration of youth after the finishing of exams all culminating in Midsummer Night that is quite magical. Where I live there are so many ships at sea, and the fireworks in the nearby harbour are in all my favourite pastels. And then comes the holidays. I am off to England to stay at my parent’s place by Oxford. My bags are packed with this tiny drop of Indian and Japanese stripes that I have collected over the past months. They are just perfect for the heat the follows in July.  On my journey I plan to pick up more textiles and beauties for La Bagatelle. I will keep you posted.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Bendix Shirt, striped Indian cotton
Lilli Pants, pepper rosé French linen

Camille Dress, double striped Indian cotton

Andrea Top, rose wavy pearl satin
Elise Skirt, striped Indian cotton

Bendix Shirt, striped Indian cotton
Lilli Pants, hydra green French linen

Sophia Jacket, emerald silk velvet
Lilli Pants, black heavy crepe satin

Bendix Shirt, cotton lawn white
Birgitte Jacket, vintage striped Chinese cotton
Rampling Pants, deep ocean blue silk velvet

Andrea Top, rose wavy pearl satin
Selma Jacket, vintage Japanese silk
Rampling Pants, lavender silk velvet

Bendix Shirt, striped Indian cotton
Bisset Vest, vintage fabrics
Lilli Pants, petroleum blue French linen

I love insence sticks and often burn one after dinner. However, this one from @noell_crystals that I just received as a present is next level and made of dry sage. Burn a little of it in the morning and it will apparently cleanse your energy. I will try it out this Summer.

I am reading “Fresh water for flowers” by Valérie Perrin right now, and if you don’t know what to bring on your holidays, then this is the one. It is wonderful.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Selfies are incrediblily embarrassing, there is no way about it. It might be fine for young girls, but as soon as you are past 15 it is actually not. Once when we did magazines a top model requested that she took her own picture for the cover. We found it to be an utterly absurd suggestion. However a decade later it is now the most ordinary thing that people stand in front of mirrors and take pictures of themselves. I would have sworn I’d never do it. However, a very good friend of mine encouraged me to do it for La Bagatelle “so people can see how you style and mix and match your clothes…” And so I did it. Felt totally embarrassed about it at first, but I got over that feeling quite quickly as so many of you were kind enough to write words of encouragement. And I told myself it is about the clothes, not about my obvious lack of looks. So for this Postcard, it is all about clothes. Books, restaurants, places to go and people to see will have to wait till the next Postcard. Enjoy. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Andrea Top, rose wavy pearl satin
Ida Jacket, vintage striped Chinese cotton
Jane Skirt, canary coloured Kodo corduroy

Andrea Top, white wavy pearl satin
Ali Jacket, white cotton corduroy
Loulou Pencil Skirt, darkest of blue grossrain silk

La Colombe d’Or Jacket, Japanese sashiko parquet

Marseille Shirt, white seersucker cotton
Rampling Pants, deep ocean blue silk velvet

La Colombe d’Or Jacket, Japanese sashiko parquet
Lilli Pants, Roman yellow French linen

Barbara Shirt, handwoven cotton khadi
Loulou Pencil Skirt, red grossrain silk

Barbara Shirt, handwoven cotton khadi
Rampling Pants, black silk velvet

Marseille Shirt, handloomed cotton khadi
Lilli Pants, Chinese blue French linen

Marseille Shirt, handwoven grid
Jane Skirt, red striped denim

La Colombe d’Or Jacket, Japanese sashiko parquet
Jane Skirt, red striped denim

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I grew up in Oxford and lived in London too and although I left for Denmark many years ago, the years I spent in the country define who I am. It’s not only the little things, such as the fact that I prefer tea to coffee, love navy cashmere, preferably the worn in kind, that my sense of humour has a bite to it, that I always have a book on me and that I really dislike things that are overtly flashy. Moreover, they were years where my family grew extraordinarily close and it means that family does come first, always. And not out of a sense of duty but because it is where I belong. As I am writing this Postcard, I am sitting in my parent’s beautiful garden just outside of Oxford and have just spent a day in London, my first in years. I am sending you a few of my essential go-to-places in the hope that they might inspire just a little. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Magazines are struggling for a reason. Not only are the social medias making it difficult for them to hold on to a form of relevance, however, they are often editorials shadows of their former selves. The Luncheon is an exception. It is exceptionally well done.

The Royal Academy of Arts is such a special place to me, as I came there a lot when I was at University in London. I wish I had seen Whistler and the “Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan”, but I never miss an exhibition when in town.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

One of the very first styles we did was the Ida Jacket. The name came from a cool, young woman whose energy is a healthy mix of feminine grace and cool cat masculinity. She knows what she wants and how to get it. The jacket is the same. Inspired by French workwear jackets it is very wearable whether you are quickly popping out the door to run errands or going somewhere special. The choice of fabric makes it next level. We have made a tiny drop of pastel coloured Ida Jackets that we are in love with. We hope you will like them too.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Krogs Fiskerestaurant is our neighbour at our offices. They serve excellent fish and have the best neon sign and most beautiful façade in Copenhagen. I had a wonderful lunch there on a warm spring day and I am hoping to be back soon.  

I will spend a lot of time gardening and reading the next couple of weeks. I should have read this one book at a time a long time ago, but now they are all three gathered into one book: I will start tonight.   

My messy desk at home with all the pink Lustre cups I just found in an antique store in Copenhagen. We have some amazing antique stores left in Copenhagen. Shopping at them is exciting and the thrill of making a find makes the time spent searching worth it. So go hunt and find something that adds soul to your home and makes your heart skip a beat.  

Recently I was at a lovely house party at Tina Seidenfaden’s, the owner of @theapartment. She served a delicious Pavlova desert made by master of all things sweet @khantonbruusgaard. I definetely need to learn how to make it this summer. Otherwise I will have to call Anton for help.  

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I love this time of year. The light, the flowers and the blooming trees everywhere. I love that the living gets easier. That the layers I wear become fewer and that socks are gone for the next many months. It is also a fun and festive time of year. I just hosted my youngest daughter’s Confirmation Party and it was such a special day with a lot of love and laughter – exactly how I dreamed it would be. It took a lot of planning from the location, the flowers, the food, the place cards and the very important task of seating everyone.
        And then there was the question of what to wear? I never buy anything that I can wear only once or for a certain kind of arrangements. For the church during the day I wore my favourite soft pink Andrea top, that I have worn so many times already, with a pair of silk velvet Rampling Pants in the new Ice Sky colour. That colour is magic. To go with it I wore a La Bagatelle jacket in vintage Japanese Silk. I felt comfortable and put together. The pants I will wear all summer for special occasions, and it will be good with one of our white shirts too. The jacket I will treasure forever. I wore it last summer for a wedding, and I can see myself wearing it again in the summer when going on a date with my man.

For the party in the evening I wore my Caroline Dress. It is so easy to wear and it feels and looks great. I wore it with a Bisset Vest in the same colour of Ice Sky silk velvet to tie the two looks together. I loved the colours and the textures and shine and it was all so beautiful that I could forget about myself and enjoy everyone else instead.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I have always enjoyed the melancholy that comes with winter, however, this year I have struggled with the darkness. I am surprised by how much the light, or lack of it, affects me. There is little I feel I cannot do, when the sun shines, but once it is dimmed, it is a whole different story. On top of that the constant stream of devastating news that come at such a high pitch has influenced my work, daily life and my line of thinking. So for the past months I have been uncharacteristically introvert and have spent my time on the things that are personal to me: the journey with La Bagatelle, my family and books. 

The pondering made me question my place in the Fashion Industry. Is it superficial of me to work in fashion? However, truth be told, I truly love what I do, creating clothes that, to me, are special in every way. It fills me with pride and purpose. It matters to me that the fabrics come from Italy, France, Japan and India as well as carefully curated vintage fabrics from Japan and China. As well as the fact that our items are tailor made in Copenhagen. It makes me feel better knowing that I am part of a brand where everything is made by hand and where nothing goes to waste. 

I am ever so grateful for the return of the light. My home is filled with spring flowers, my favourite kind, and I get excited every time I get dressed in the morning, (naturally always wearing something from La Bagatelle,) because – regardless of the weather - beautiful clothes do matter! 

Kind Regards,
Malene Malling

I read a lot, but I was late to start reading “Where the crawdads sing”, (“Hvor flodkrebsene synger”) however, if you haven’t read it yet then do yourself a favour and find the time. It is the best book I have read this year. For the Easter Holidays I am packing winner of the Nobel Price in literature Abdulrazak’s “Paradise” and Tove Jansson’s “Rejse med let bagage”. 

I have known Souad owner of the wonderful Larusi in London so long that I no longer remember where I snapped up her name. Since then her beautiful vintage rugs have been on the floors of my homes. Nights are spent sleeping in her bed linen. If I were to set the Easter Sunday table of my dreams, I would use her napkins from Swedish Himla in the colour Sunshine.
Larusi.com

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I have spent the dark and gloomy month of January in the studio with gorgeous fabrics preparing a few new styles that go naturally with the rest of the La Bagatelle world. Items that I believe to be beautiful, poetic and with an inborn sensibility that allow to me dream. So as January is coming to an end, I am excited to share with you what is new, because don’t we all need something special right now?

Kind Regards,
Malene Malling

LOOK 1:
The new Birgitte Jacket in wool is a firm favourite right now. It feels warm and comforting and like a great cardigan really. Yet it looks sophisticated enough for lunch in Paris… although I might have to change the boots to chic shoes instead. The black silk velvet Rampling Pants would fit right in in Paris too.

Shop the look here:
Birgitte Jacket, thick weave wool
Rampling Pants, black silk velvet

LOOK 2:
The Lilli Pants in checkered wool in black and white are back in a very limited stock. They are just beautiful with a Bendix shirt and our signature Bisset vest. Eddie likes the look too.

Shop the look here:
Bendix Shirt, cotton lawn white
Bisset Vest, vintage fabrics
Lilli Pants, English hounds tooth

The best way to combat winter blues that I know of is to jump in the sea. I have been doing it for more than a decade and although it might not be for everyone I really encourage you to try it. In my experience it is important not to overcomplicate it. There is much talk of equipment and breathing at the moment, but in my opinion all you need is a towel and a warm cup of tea.
I prefer getting in at dawn or dusk, the bright light of noon is much too invasive. A sauna is nice but not a necessity, and really you do not need it to get warm again afterwards, your blood will flush and give you the rush you need. So find a bridge (shallow water is no good), strip your clothes off, get in and get high.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Welcome to my first Postcard, from me to you. Right from the very beginning I wanted La Bagatelle to be a platform for sharing inspiration. The La Bagatelle Postcard should be a hybrid of all the things that fascinate me. I am ever so interested in textiles, the “right” shades of colours and proportions in clothes but I also have a big love of interiors, books, restaurants, travels and all things beautiful that I would like to share with you in the future.

I love this time of year, where the lights and festivities encourages us to make even more of an effort than we do already. It is the one month of the year where I wear red nail varnish on weekdays (Chanel Pirate no 08, the perfect red). The only time of year where my pale skin is acceptable, I really prefer a tan, and where everyday dressing can be more party-like. So enjoy it while it lasts.

Kind Regards,
Malene Malling

I love that it is a mind game that young and older can play alike. Naturally it is wonderful to play it at a beautiful board, but within the last two years I have become very fond of the Chess app Chess.com It allows me to have a game going for days where I play with my boyfriend. But mostly I play with strangers whenever I have a minute or two. It’s a really great gift. Chess board from The Apartment.

Annie Ernaux: Årene, Les années, The Years. It is a modern masterpiece of a book.

I use mine all the time. It is perfect for making our Rampling Pants in velvet look brand new after days of wear or even rain. I pretty much steam everything that I don’t have ironed.

Fashion photographer turned musician Sebastián Faena is just now launching some beautiful songs. “Save your life” is particularly good. Get it on Spotify. 

How to spend it. Growing up in England has given me a great love of English newspapers and especially the weekend supplements. Financial Time’s “How to Spend it” the European edition, is very good indeed and a subscription is on my Christmas wish list.