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

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

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

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

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I’ve often said that if I hadn’t ended up doing what I do today, I would have become a ceramicist or a glassblower. For half a year I have had the great pleasure of pretending, I had actually become one, because I got to play with my friend Annika Agerled and her partner Josefine Arthur of Akua Objects. They specialize in glass of the highest quality and it has been such a joy to create a glass in collaboration with them. 

It goes without saying that I wanted to do something special and beautiful, but it has been equally important to me to do a glass you would choose to use every day as a treat. So it has become my little La Bagatelle glass meant for water, but wine and champagne look great in it too. It’s a set of six ribbed glasses with a pink tone as a rim on each. Not the same pink tone, but variations of the colour. I didn’t invent this glass, I grew up with a glass like it. However, I’ve neither seen these proportions on it, nor the play on tones of one colour before. And I have tested all pink tones possible, so I truly hope you will like the ones I picked out. In my mind they are perfect together. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I don’t do Collections. I do pieces I love and need in my life. Actually, I find the whole idea of designers doing entirely new collections many times a year totally out of date. The items I have introduced this week are no exception. There might be new jackets, shirts and blouses but they are to be added to the existing La Bagatelle wardrobe. They speak the same language and I am forever inspired by a feeling of effortless elegance, of portraying an emotion that is strong and yet allows for fragility. And always with a touch of the Philosophy Professor look. A very well dressed Professor that is. I so hope you will like it.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I have created a little Autumn collection that is dropping today. Pieces that feel feminine and with an intentional warmth and comfort. I hope they feel poetic even. The soft touch is so needed right now, and I for one am greatful for kindness when I meet it. I need days of solitude, and days with my nearest. Just like everyone around me, I am deeply  concerned about current world news. I find myself listening to podcasts when driving, walking Eddie and whenever else I get the chance. I am trying to educate myself because it is easy to be swayed by emotions, but a historical background of events is necessary. I go to the park and for walks in the forest, I jump in the sea for a daily shock and I try to enjoy this beautiful season despite everything.

Take care and lots of love,

Malene.

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I’m off on an Autumn break with my daughters. I’m looking forward to the ritual of a small morning coffee in the nearby square, hours spent in the kitchen cooking with my best friend, little trips to local shops, reading the newspaper thoroughly, and especially to hours and hours spent with my daughters – such a treat. I don’t love packing though, as I’m always worried I’ll forget something. However, in this Postcard I’m sharing, what I really want to bring.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

La Bagatelle has been nominated by Elle Magazine in the category “New Name of the Year” for the Elle Awards that takes place next week. We are both grateful, honoured and quite surprised by the nomination. I am in particular. Both because La Bagatelle is a very “new name,” but also because I don’t really see La Bagatelle as a fashion brand. La Bagatelle is a universe, a world, a way of life and in particualar a conscious choice of how to lead life. In my view the Award should go to Nicklas Skovgaard who is indeed a “new, young and might I say refreshing name”. He is talented and he does fashion. What I do is something else. If I were to be lofty, I would be tempted to say that La Bagatelle becomes a part of who you are. It is other and a part from fashion. 

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

COCO is wearing Marseille Shirt, Stockholm grey cotton Khadi, Ida Jacket, vintage striped Chinese cotton, Small, Lilli Pants, Paloma red French linen

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Sometimes dressing in black and white gives you the courage you need to proceed in life. Sometimes it’s a relief that the monocrome look directs the attention away from one’s self. But then again ofter days call for a celebration of life, and to me that is done with colour. I have personally become much more courageous while doing La Bagatelle, largely because the fabrics we work with are so very special. I combine colours I never used to put together, and mix and match prints as well, when I am in the mood for it. So my best advice it to go out of your comfort zone and dare a little. I believe it is good for the soul.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling