Backstage interview with Monique Lhuillier – Spring 2011
Monique Lhuillier was born Diane Monique Llamas Lhuillier in Cebu, Philippines grew up on Cebu, one of the islands of the Philippines archipelago, in a home with two brothers and a sister. Their father was of French heritage, but had been born in Vietnam when that Southeast Asian country was still a French colony, and had a varied career as a diplomat, jeweler, and real estate investor. Lhuillier’s mother was from the Philippines and had once worked as a model. The Lhuilliers’ cosmopolitan household was the setting for extravagant soirees, which the future designer recalled as an inadvertent influence on her choice of career. Monique is now based in Los Angeles.
Monique Lhuillier’s understated but luxurious bridal designs have earned her a devoted clientele since she launched her business in 1996. Her second line of eveningwear has also garnered accolades and an impressive roster of clients, including Angelina Jolie, Jessica Simpson, and Tyra Banks, but Lhuillier’s best-known celebrity commission may be the dress she designed for pop star Britney Spears for her 2004 wedding to Kevin Federline.
If Monique Lhuillier’s Spring 2011 collection was born from a dream, one would never want to wake up. Known for her signature embellished evening gowns that dominate the red carpet every award season, next Spring exudes even more Old Hollywood glamour, channeling silver screen legends like Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly. Many of her pieces seemed to be interpretations of the original couture houses from the 1950s like Balenciaga or Vionnet and her hourglass and column silhouettes to her fuller bustled and tufted gowns. For her daywear, she used shimmery antique gold raffia to create fitted jackets with longer skirts and her evening wear palette ranged from jewel tones like red apple and toffee, to soft mint chiffons as well as pink floral and reptile chiffons. Every piece was masterfully executed whether it was embroidered with bugle beads or pleated and draped to transform any woman into a goddess.
My moment with Monique Lhuillier backstage at NYC Fashion Week Spring 2011
ASIANCE: How did you develop the collection?
Lhuillier: This all came about from a dream I had about a girl running through this luscious garden. There are a lot of floral prints and how do I mix it up? I thought of the Garden of Eden with a beautiful red apple and a snake that runs through and then a lot of glistening fabrics to make it more sultry for the evening. During the day there are a lot of dry fabrics like raffia. These clothes make a woman feel special that’s why they come to me. We do a lot of red carpet and we stay true to our customer.
ASIANCE: Where does your glamorous aesthetic originate?
Lhuillier: I grew up with a very glamorous mother so at a very young age that’s what I aspired to be. That’s what beauty was and it just stayed with me. When I was in design school I always designed evening gowns and bridal gowns. It was always about being special and how to standout in a special way. Now 14 years later, I can say something is working.
ASIANCE: How do styles differ between LA & NY?
Lhuillier: I think the day dressing is the biggest difference. Women in NY have to function. They stay in these dresses all day long. They have to walk, go to work. And in LA, it’s more casual in the day and at night they pull out all the stops. They dress up more at night but are really casual in the day. A woman wants to feel beautiful and special, and my customer wears cocktail dresses throughout the day and at night it’s just for the evening attire.
ASIANCE: What do you do to relax?
Lhuillier: I get a massage once a week and I do yoga and spend time with my loved ones.
ASIANCE: Which celebrities do you want to dress that you haven’t already?
Lhuillier: Gwyneth Paltrow and Marion Cotillard. Just because they have such a great sense of style on their own and they would be beautiful in my dresses and together it will be magical.