Coming from five generations, Marchand Drapier, designer Benoit Carpentier learned the basic skills of design, leadership, craftsmanship, and quality.  He gained enormous support from his parents, his wife [Emilie], and his kids.  Throughout the years of experience he has learned how to produce good quality, “when you cook good food you reap a good meal.  I have learned how to select the best.  I know the good suppliers and I take confidence in my suppliers, from my parents and my family.  They trust me and gave me help to start and develop great fabric, which is very important and very detailed.” 

–I love the small details of a designers’ collection.  I was drawn to Marchand Drapier’s collection, the logo ‘scissors’.  “I wanted to do something very classy and very crazy inside.  The concept is male and female, very sexy, luxury, tradition, very clean, and very sexual.”  Benoit is comfortable with his sensualistic side and wants to give the same concept to his collection and to his clients.  “Not just for one type of man, not for one age range.  It is for all types of men.  You can be in your 20's, 40's, or 60's.  Even, if you are a banker, or a lawyer, etc.

–Benoit took a chance in designing on what I call a ‘porno’ shirt.  “Nobody wanted to print it because it was too porno.  When they say they don’t want to print, I must go against the way, you know what I mean?"  –Yes, I do.  “People told me that I shouldn't do it and told me don’t put this and don’t put that.  I want all the porno details inside the shirt; I’m also using it for lining.  It’s a contrast between something classic and something very trendy and very chic.”  –Benoit gave me the ‘porno’ shirt, my first thought was ‘Oh My’.  But, I would say that it’s done very tasteful and classy, more like art.  If a woman decides to buy this shirt you will have to wear it ‘rocker chic’ style.  Many women come and buy from us.  I find that many women like the ‘man’ look, and there’s a big lack in women fishing for this type of product.  Women like to take certain things from menswear.  In the future I want to design for women.  I’m sure for the women we can make a big business.”

–Marchand Drapier collections are made in Italy.  They provide made-to-order pieces, also the spring/summer 2010 collection can be pre-ordered, as well.  Benoit describes his spring/summer 2010 collection as “simple, elegant, and very fresh, chic, very classic, using pastel colors, which are perfectly cut.  Men can be very complicated when it comes to their clothing.  I think that the customer wants to do something more secure, so we are dedicated to working on a classic line with many small details, while keeping the look very fresh.”

 –With Benoit’s knowledge of the fashion business, he shared three tips.

1. You need to have a goal.

2. You need to know exactly what you want to do.

3. You need to be true; that means to yourself, your brand, and your line.  If it isn’t coming from the inside of you, you will never succeed.

–Benoit finds inspiration from classics, traveling, from the street, reading old books; like “’Love is in the Air’.  A book will make you think about something or dream.”  –Benoit describes himself ‘Like being a century tailor’ and describes his ideas inspirations as a recipe ‘stir with my sensibility’.  “It is important for me to design what I would like to wear and it is very important to create a collection where you can mix it.  You can wear a very classy suit with a pair of tennis shoes.  I would like the customer to take from and put the pieces together and ‘make his own statement’.  Marchand Drapier is “unisex because I am designing the line with my wife [Emilie.]  She doesn’t design but she’s my support, she works very hard.”  –Benoit describes his partnership with his wife “I’m the butterfly, she is the flower.”  My wife wears the shirts and the blazers.  I think it’s very sexy.  ‘Men's white shirts can be very sexy on a woman.’” 

 www.marchand-drapier.com