La Petit Trou’s New Collab (& an Interview w/ Zuzanna Kuczyńska!)

vor 4 years

Ribbons and bows, Le Petit Trou and & Other Stories, oh myyy!

Le Petit Trou is a Polish lingerie and sleepwear brand with some serious inclinations toward the romantic. There are frills, there are hearts, there are ribbons and there is lace and there are even ballet slippers, if you weren’t yet convinced of just how sweet this brand is. For those of you that are in the Berlin black rubber scene, perhaps this makes you recoil. But for those of you that are in the Berlin rubber scene, perhaps dabbling in some sweetness might be a weird enough kink for you to be drawn in for a night or two. ( Try it, you might like it!)

Le Petit Trou itself is a bit of a luxury. A darling pair of black panties with printed bows goes for around 60EUR. A ribboned bralette starts at 80 and crawls upwards from there. And then there is the nightwear, a total Victorian dream: long gowns with puffy sleeves, in organic cotton (this specific piece, the Aurore, goes for 220EUR, I would spend an entire month in it.) The price for this kind of beautiful liveability and comfort has always seem justified to me … But then some good news arrived in my inbox …

A COLLABORATION! A collaboration with Le Petit Trou and & Other Stories ! They have been linking with some wonderful designers this past year in their Co-Lab (see: Julia Brøgger , and the slipper collection with HUMS .) But THIS collab brings me extreme excitement. This kind of collaboration means I can soon choose a multitude of pieces to my heart’s content, for the price of one normal set, and who isn’t needing more inspiring loungewear these days?

And then, as if the news wasn’t good enough for me, I was also offered the opportunity to ask Zuzanna Kuczyńska, the designer and woman-in-charge of Le Petit Trou, a few questions.

Hi Zuzanna! It’s a pleasure to be able to peek into your mind for a little bit. I have been an avid fan / wearer of your beautiful creations, and was totally delighted at the chance to say hi from afar and vocalise my excitement over this collaboration! First off, I wonder what your lockdown has been looking like. What have you been wearing, watching, doing …?

During lockdown, I wanted to feel comfortable. I believe everyone else did, too. At the beginning, I spent all my time wearing sweatpants and leggings … but I chose delicate materials I felt the best in, such as cashmere. I would add a pair of Le Petit Trou ballet slippers. And then of course our lingerie. There were entire days I stayed in pajamas, but I would choose more fancy ones, like with fringe. Other days, all I needed was my beloved jewelry, high waisted jeans and a simple t-shirt. And then when summertime came, my go-to outfit was my absolute favorite: a light dress. I. felt as if I was doing everything at once. I have a small boy who just loves to play.When we were forced to stay at home, we had an opportunity to experiment with cooking, and we caught up on movies and TV series. We also created our first Le Petit Trou Spotify playlist, which was an inspiration for the one for & Other Stories, which you can listen to here

What women are some of your inspirations when it comes to designing?

I am most inspired by independent women: the women that do what they love, what they’re passionate about. The women that are strong, but at the same time allow themselves to be vulnerable and show weakness, allowing themselves to be human.

What time period resonates the most with you, stylistically speaking? For me it is the Victorian era of bundles and heft in volume, yet it is done with such light materials like tulle and laces. Perhaps that is why I am so drawn to Le Petit Trou!

I love the 70s! I love how feminine the clothes were back then, they’re really inspiring to me. I love vintage hunting so I have some beautiful pieces.

In this collaboration with & Other Stories, how did the process differ from your own? Was it made easier having a larger team in production, or did you still have total creative control?

It was a special time. Sadly we began the design process within the pandemic outburst. Face to face meetings and sample checking moved to online. It was the first time we worked in such a way, and a part of me regrets that we didn’t have an opportunity to work hand in hand with the & Other Stories team in Stockholm. In spite of that, I am beyond graceful for the experience and what we managed to accomplish!

Do you personally wear & Other Stories? I am obsessed with their accessories! My leather wallet has been going strong for three years now.

Yes, I adore & Other Stories and I have been a client for many years now. I remember times when & Other Stories wasn’t yet available in Poland and the closest store was in Berlin. Every time I came to Berlin, I couldn’t help myself from buying something, be it a piece of clothing or a small accessory. That is one of the reasons I was so happy for this collab, as it’s not only close to aesthetics of Le Petit Trou, but also to mine personally.