Postcard
RECOMMENDATIONS:
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.
READ:
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.
POSTCARD, 10 June 2022:
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
POSTCARD, 3 June 2022:
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
READ:
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.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
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.
POSTCARD, 25 May 2022:
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
EAT OUT:
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.
READ:
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.
ANTIQUE SHOPPING:
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.
ALL THINGS SWEET:
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.
POSTCARD, 20 May 2022:
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
POSTCARD, 1 April 2022
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
READ:
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”.
RECOMMENDATION:
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
POSTCARD, 26 January 2022:
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
MY FAVOURITE LOOKS:
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
SKINNY DIPPING:
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.
