29 January 2025

It’s a familiar silhouette that street style photographers love to immortalize on the outskirts of fashion weeks around the world: Anastasia Barbieri, former fashion editor of Vogue Homme and fashion editor to the world’s most prestigious magazines for over twenty years, is instantly recognizable with her masculine yet feminine tailored suits. A long-time friend of A.P.C. and an admirer of its gender-bending wardrobe, she has teamed up with the Parisian brand to create an urban-chic womenswear collection that allows everyone to embrace its timeless, sophisticated appeal.

“It’s a paradox, but that’s how it is: the apex of femininity comes from stealing clothes. Ever since A.P.C. was founded, the women’s collections have played with the codes of men’s tailoring. Beyond the cycles that determine fashion “trends” (animal print, the return of grunge, the eighties revival, etc.), we must wonder why the “man’s suit” remains so powerful. It seems to say, “I am integrity and power at the same time”. It has the universal power to convey a sense of presence and confidence that is sometimes sorely lacking in ladies’ wardrobes, which all too often leads to a certain “objectification” of women. If, to paraphrase Proust, a man’s attractiveness is enhanced by a suit, it takes someone of the class of French actresses Delphine Seyrig or Stéphane Audran not to look stupid in über-feminine attire. Anastasia’s silhouettes help to correct this injustice.” — Jean Touitou on the Interaction

Credits: Małgosia Bela photographed by Mikael Jansson in Paris.

29 January 2025

Q&A - an interaction in four questions

1. How would you define the look you had in mind for this collection, and how do you hope women will make these pieces their own?
AB: I was very flattered to be approached by Judith and Jean to work with A.P.C., a brand I’ve known since my youth. I’ve always appreciated their timeless pieces with a certain nonchalant spirit. I like the idea of a wardrobe that can be passed on from one generation to the next.

2. When and how did you realize that playing with the codes of men’s tailoring was a way of sublimating femininity?
AB: I’ve been wearing men’s suits since I was 17 or 18. I felt comfortable in them and, in a way, I found my ideal uniform. It’s an androgynous look that doesn’t erase femininity.

3. How did you choose the fabrics for your A.P.C. collection and what do they say about your vision of style?
AB: I wanted to offer jackets that could be worn all day long and paired with wardrobe classics: tuxedo shirts in striped poplin or faded denim, cashmere sweaters, wide-leg trousers. I also worked on double denim to create a casual uniform silhouette and a tuxedo you can wear from morning to night. I also imagined a midnight-blue double-breasted wool gabardine blazer that could be worn in the city or on a boat, with buttons emblazoned with my family crest - a tribute to my parents’ style. Finally, the double-breasted checked wool gabardine jacket reminds me so much of the look of characters in Italian movies with Marcello Mastroianni or Ugo Tognazzi, as well as American actresses like Gena Rowlands or Diane Keaton.

4. Accessories add a touch of humor to your creations. Do you think humor contributes to elegance?
AB: The accessories and jewelry are a nod to the epicurean lifestyle I share with Judith and Jean. Our friendship is also based on curiosity and a love for the good and beautiful things in life…