Postcard

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

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

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

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

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