Wall Street Journal/byDan Thawley
There are times when the universe of children’s clothing brand Bonpoint seems to have emerged directly from a storybook. A romantic charm filters through everything from the crowns of flowers the young girls wear in the label’s fashion shows to the company’s whitewashed headquarters on Paris’s Left Bank, where creative director Christine Innamorato has presided since 2005.
Still, Ms. Innamorato, 48, is adamant that her designs—though often quite precious, and pricey—are grounded in reality. “Luxury is a word that you can’t use for children,” she said. “It is really too much. I love the wild side of children; they are alive, always on the move.” True enough, her wares have a bohemian edge: colorful smocked tunics and jacquard shift dresses for girls; artfully rolled chinos and Liberty print shirts for boys.
The designer, who lives in Paris with her husband and daughter, succeeded Marie-France Cohen, who founded the label in 1975. The women met in the 1990s when Ms. Innamorato’s daughter, Litchis, now 26 and a designer for her mother’s eponymous women’s label, modeled in Bonpoint shows. Under Ms. Innamorato’s watch, the company has expanded its global reach, especially in Asia and the U.S.
The next outpost opens on May 6 in New York’s SoHo. The 1,900-plus-square-foot store is decorated with vintage furniture, sourced by Ms. Innamorato and her team, some of which comes from Parisian flea markets. The new location will also sell a limited-edition collection of girls’ clothing based on pieces in company archives, including a dress that actress Charlotte Gainsbourg wore as a child; a portion of the collection’s sales will go to the charity New Yorkers for Children.
Between sips of a Coke Zero at Bonpoint’s in-store cafe, Ms. Innamorato chatted about her admiration for Rei Kawakubo, her favorite fictitious muse and the best places to shop for antiques in Paris.
Children should never be dressed in: rigid clothes. We aren’t in the 1930s anymore, we are not dressing mini-adults. I like to see children in well-cut, comfortable clothes of good quality, and from time to time, to give them a touch of couture fantasy, like our “fairy” dresses.
My design process always involves: sketching. I am the type of artistic director who actually draws. I carry a Moleskine MSK.MI -1.17% or a Muji notebook whenever I travel.
One of my muses is: the character Eloise from the 1950s books by Kay Thompson. Eloise was an eccentric little girl who lived in the Plaza Hotel in New York and got up to all sorts of mischief.
My design hero is: [Rei Kawakubo of] Comme des Garçons. And I really respect the team at Maison Martin Margiela. I like to add that touch of deconstruction they have to our dresses. I am also a fan of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino.
If money were no object, I would: buy an island, an Aeolian island, to escape.
On weekends I like to: take trips, generally in Italy with my Italian husband. We often head to Siena, Tuscany or the Amalfi coast.
My holiday dress code is: a white Maison Martin Margiela shirt dress with a hat from Bates, Vhernier bracelets and a pair of nude sandals from my Innamorato collection.
The latest novel I read was: Christophe Ono-dit-Biot’s “Plonger,” a very touching French story of passion pushed to the extreme. I also loved “The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy” by Laurent Gounelle. It’s full of simple advice regarding our quest for happiness.
My favorite flowers are: those huge white and cream anemones with the powdery black hearts.
My go-to perfume is: Jo Malone’s Velvet Rose & Oud. I always keep it in my bag.
My beauty regimen includes: Françoise Morice’s serum, from the spa in the Eighth Arrondissement of Paris. And for makeup, only Chanel.
My favorite cuisine to cook is: Thai food—beef salad or spicy coconut prawn soup. Otherwise I like to cook fresh pasta or head to La Stresa in Paris’s Eighth Arrondissement. I like light, fresh food.
My most recent discovery is: green tea. I never used to like it, but I found a Japanese tea house around the corner from the studio, called Jugetsudo, and their green tea is delicious. In spring, I throw myself into detoxing. I shouldn’t be drinking Coke today, but I really felt like it.
My home’s décor is: not overflowing with exotic carpets and artifacts, despite my taste for India. It is decorated in soft, light colors, and I am a big fan of Danish furniture in blond wood from the ’40s and ’50s.
On a day off in Paris, I like to: head to the flea markets to hunt for interesting pieces. It’s often the case that the best find isn’t necessarily the most expensive piece. I also like to visit the art and antiques galleries around the Sixth Arrondissement. My favorite is François Laffanour’s [fine furniture gallery] Galerie Downtown.
I find inspiration by: traveling a lot. I enjoy going to India, but my last two inspiration trips have been to New York. It’s equally interesting for business as it is artistically. There is so much energy. I like the Bowery Hotel in winter, with its beautiful big fireplace. I find a lot of interesting new shopping in Brooklyn too.
My favorite design period is: the ’30s and ’40s. I find that time so rich and inspiring for furniture and design. I also find the return to the ’80s very interesting.
My go-to websites are: Vogue [Paris], L’Officiel, Crash and Wallpaper, rather than blogs—except for Garance Doré’s.
The last fashion item I bought was: the satin Marni sandals with the jewels on the front I am wearing now. They are going to be perfect for my next weekend away.
(The views expressed above are the personal views of writer)
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Children Clothing Brand Bonpoint Director Says She is Inspired by India
