The CultureMap Interview

Famed designer spills his holiday secrets: Animal prints — and red lips — are grr-eat

French designer Roland Mouret has been a busy man since he visited Houston about this time last year. In addition to his namesake collection, he has developed new bridal and cocktail lines, launched handbag and sunglass collections, and is the midst of researching plans to open his first New York store. It's no wonder he's looking forward to the holidays, where he plans to spend a week with his family in the French Pyrenees and do practically nothing.

"I still believe in color therapy. I think color brings really something happy in our life."

"It's quite amazing to have the brand growing," said Moret, who was in town to present his collection at the Child Advocates luncheon. "There is so much stuff out there that you think, 'What is the purpose?'

"But if you realize what you can bring that they don't have and the service you bring with it, it's really exciting to still understand why you are doing this job. And that is what's really exciting to me."

During a break in preparations at Neiman Marcus, Mouret sat down with CultureMap to talk holiday fashion and travel plans, along with trends he really likes and those he can do without.

CultureMap: How should a woman dress for the holidays?

Roland Mouret: For me this year, it's animal print. I am a big fan of how to mix them and to wear them. And I'm quite for red lips. Not too much makeup, but red lips is quite fantastic.

CM: So animal prints at a Christmas party is good?

RM: Quite. I like when animal prints are colorful. In my winter show, I showed a mix of green, red, and black and white animal print. It's got this kind of Catherine Deneuve attitude which I love.

CM: People don't think of wearing animal prints to a big holiday party.

RM: If not, go for the brightest color you can find. I still believe in color therapy. I think color brings really something happy in our life. We fall in love with colors like we fall in love with people.

CM: Women love color in Texas.

RM: I learn so much from the customer. I know no matter what fashion dictates, there are still so many colors that are amazing. I think that colors are the black of our time. We had the same period with black in the '80s. I think color now is something where when you try one color in your life and you love it, you have no problem to try any kind of color.

CM: Is there a particular color you like right now?

RM: I'm really well recognized for greens. I'm a big fan of blues and red at the moment. And pink is the next thing I like.

CM: How are you going to celebrate the holidays?

RM: I am really excited because I am going back to my family in the Pyrenees; seven days with my mom. And we're going to stay at home in our cottage on New Year's Eve with no plan except friends coming to have long sessions of drinks and parties and nibbling, something more relaxed, with fire log and a walk on the beach, 20 minutes away. It's going to be really relaxed because January is going to be so busy, with the pre-collection in New York and preparing for the (fall 2014) runway show in February (in Paris). You have to really pamper yourself during the holidays.

CM: What is biggest trend that you like right now?

RM: There is an amazing move of color for next spring and summer. If you look at Celine and Prada, the clash of colors was amazing. I am excited about the new prints, which are less computerized and more textural and handmade, like painted. And I like that little subtle touch of the '80s in fashion, because I think it gives you a sense of humor. The kids love the '80s and if you were 20 in the '80s, it's a still a period you can play with, in accessories, and it's fun.

CM: What trend don't you like?

RM: I don't think of the things I don't like because women, by themselves, if it doesn't fit them, they don't buy it. There are trends that people try to push. At the end, women make it right or wrong. A woman doesn't like boxy clothes, she doesn't like to look bigger. They don't need me to decide what trends should work or doesn't work.

Designer Roland Mouret.

Photo by © Gary Fountain

Designer Roland Mouret.

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A Clear Choice

Texas handbag brand Consuela debuts clear collection for stadium use

Photo courtesy of Consuela

These bags fashionably comply with stadium rules.

Transparency is key for this new stadium-friendly product line by Austin handbag brand Consuela. The new line recreates the brand's top-selling silhouettes in a clear material that makes them easy to carry at venues with long security lines.

This is the first time Consuela has produced clear bags, press materials say.

It's certainly possible to pack any small bag and spend a minute on a security check at the gate, but if attendees want to carry more, sometimes venues require a clear bag; at Reliant Stadium, for example, a non-see-through bag can only be four-and-a-half inches by six-and-a-half inches or smaller.

Conseula clear bags You don't have to put bags in the "tool bag" silhouette.Photo courtesy of Consuela

Each clear Consuela bag has a bit of personality thanks to a printed, opaque strip of material across the top and a colorful strap that's interchangeable for different carrying styles: wearing the bag crossbody, on the shoulder, or as a clutch. Leather accents also elevate each piece, which contains interior pockets, a credit card holder, and a removable piece that gives the base structure or, when it's removed, allows the bag to collapse.

With three shapes and three patterns or colorways, there are nine distinct bags in the collection. The largest style is 11 inches by nine and a quarter inches, with a three-inch depth. Two smaller styles are more clutch-sized. The top material can show off a colorful paisley-like design, leopard print, or an understated cream leather to match the rest of the trim.

Conseula clear bags Grouping items in smaller cases can make a clear bag look neater.Photo courtesy of Consuela

The new collection ($125-235) is available now at consuelastyle.com. Shoppers can also check the bags out in person at Consuela's Katy store at 23501 Cinco Ranch Boulevard. Other retailers selling Consuela bags can be found through the brand's store locator.

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