Isabel Marant has been mastering her back crawl at the same nineteenth-century swimming pool since she was 18, where few recognize her as the namesake designer of one of the most sought-after independently owned labels in France. “I meet other people here that have nothing to do with fashion,” she says. “It’s quite restful and removed.” After inviting NOWNESS to document her daily routine, Marant took time to reflect on authenticity and femininity today.


On fashion as therapy “I always say that when I feel shitty, going into a shop and buying a great piece of clothing can make my day, and I don’t need to see a psychoanalyst. I think you bring real pleasure and joy to the people who wear something in which they feel good.”

On being copied “There are a lot of people who think it’s easy to be in fashion. They just buy things and copy them without having any real ideas. It’s something that has accelerated because of low-cost garments, and I’m a bit pissed off by people peering at my work—but I still think it’s better to be copied than not, it means that you have achieved something.” 

On femininity “I love femininity in a woman but not when it’s sexualized. My first fashion show was in 1994, at a time when fashion had become very sexual, and I did not recognize myself in that at all. I was always more into a certain poetic aspect of femininity. I see tiny details: gestures, legs, shoulders, a neckline, a smile—a really beautiful gaze is much sexier than large breasts."