Postcard

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

I know people who are totally unaffected by the weather. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. This year has been particularly tough as Copenhagen has been grey and wet for more than a month. The picture above is from March last year, and I put it there as a reminder to us all of what is ahead. And to be honest, I need that reminder. I have been turning down invitations and have divided my time between the Studio and my home. I have lit candles at work and the fireplace at home and have stayed in my own world and worked through my mood. I have thought a lot about what I need and desire and the result is a string of new pieces coming in the next month. I am particularly proud of the Sysser Vest and the fact that with it La Bagatelle is slowly positioning itself truly as a rare thing such as a petite high end fashion brand coming out of Scandinavia.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

Dear friend of La Bagatelle,

Late last year something very exciting happened. We moved our showroom into a new space on Værnedamsvej 3B where we plan to stay for many years to come. It will not be a regular shop, but we will open up the space to clients on chosen dates every month and we will look forward to your visits. It is a special place with a wonderful atmosphere and I can honestly say that there is nowhere quite like it in Copenhagen. A hundred years ago it was a cheese shop, it has also been a tobacco store and now it holds our offices and showroom. Maybe it is because of this magical place that I can stand the weather in Copenhagen where Januar seems to be even more grey and wet than usually. Værnedamsvej is a very international street,  yet it feels local at the same time. Men hang outside the cafés in the morning for a coffee, there are three wonderful flowershops in the street and pretty much all the little shops there are precious. And then, of course, we are here now. Other than Værnedamsvej I have compiled a list of things that are getting me through January.

I hope you will feel inspired.

Lots of love,
Malene Malling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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