AUTHOR: Sarah Xu
GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Victoria Cha
COPY EDITOR: Shaye-Love Salcedo
Located in Le Marais in Paris, and helmed by Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran, the LEMAIRE brand epitomizes a timeless Parisian style that is cosmopolitan, sophisticated, and rich in influences. The brand follows a transcending journey from historical feudal aristocracy to contemporary democratic individuality. Crafted from fabrics chosen for their texture and durability, LEMAIRE’s wardrobe is designed for everyday wear and is eminently modular—its supple silhouettes and soft colour palette allow pieces to be restyled and accentuated over time.
Garments from different collections and seasons can be effortlessly paired while preserving the subtle space around the body as it moves. Influences from traditional Asian clothing are evident in elements like deep pockets and sleek designs, symbolizing moral integrity and evoking the allegory of the perfectly proportioned home as a shelter for a peaceful, self-assured life. Practicality from workwear and military garb lends sturdy finishing to the wardrobe, while age-old techniques illustrate a deep respect for time and nature. The colour palette features an array of neutral, earthy and muted tones that highlight the pure lines of the silhouette and flatter the face and body.
Whether in coats, jackets, dry silk shirts or soft tops, neatly tailored pants or elegant skirts, the LEMAIRE figure embodies a devout traveller on the Silk Road, with a spirit grounded in Buddhism and a dignified yet isolated glance. The trajectory made by a pair of leather shoes tells the story of one’s journey, while the wrinkles on fabrics mingle with nature’s evolution. The minimalist croissant bag is light enough to disregard philistinism. Shadows cast by ethereal movements witness the unity of experience and emotion to achieve an elevated superego.
This distinctive fashion manner has been dubbed “a writer’s wardrobe”— representing an isolated yet dignified individual whose effortless style emerges from heart and mind, with charisma as refined as a blank page.
- Sarah Linh-Tran
Before entering the world of fashion and LEMAIRE, Sarah-Linh Tran cultivated herself as a storyteller with a multidisciplinary background in English, Liberal Arts, and Book Publishing. As the creative director of LEMAIRE, she introduced collections with a new silhouette based on her intention that a personal, inward-looking relationship with clothing serves as a metonym for expressing her multi-faceted identity shaped by a diverse cultural background. In an interview with Magazine B, she remarked, “Adding some porosity to my wardrobe meant I could transcend temporal, spatial, and social constraints, which I think is in line with Lemaire’s vision.”
Sarah embodies the excellent figure of a Parisian woman in the collective imagination: effortlessly casual yet elegant, soft yet mindful, detached yet maintaining an appreciable personal life. All parts of her presence point to this image – natural makeup, her casually flowing curly black hair, the small strands sometimes concealing her clean eyes filled with sagacity and curiosity, and a petite, slender frame. One can meet Sarah anywhere in Paris, serving as an active brand ambassador in her LEMAIRE style outfits: knits layered under draped coats, shirts tucked into curved pants, Chelsea boots, rolled-up shirt sleeves, and thin belts tied with a rebellious attitude.
For Sarah, the ultimate luxury in today’s world is are stable life, wardrobes, and time spent on meaningful pursuits aligned with self-concept. This philosophy is the profound thesis of LEMAIRE’s originality, craftsmanship, practicality, and durability.
- Kim Min-hee
The South Korean actress Kim Min-hee, is regarded as an indispensable muse for LEMAIRE. Her beauty evokes the Eastern artistic concept of “Liubai” (leaving Blank Space), inviting the audience to interpret and discover. It’s rare to find a female celebrity whose beauty blends the contrasting temperatures of spring and winter, requiring a refined eye to appreciate fully. With her long, narrow face, high cheekbones, lean frame, and soft, innocent eyes, she embodies the duality of a tree in winter, a thawed lake in spring, or a gentle deer.
Kim Min-hee’s career highlights are often intertwined with her association with LEMAIRE. At the 77th Locarno Film Festival in 2024, she sat in a simple black shirt and pants, with the wind gently blowing her hair, captivating every glance with her poise and charm. In 2017, she became the first Korean actress to win the Silver Bear for her performance in On the Beach at Night Alone at the Berlin International Film Festival. Her minimalistic dresses or jackets, paired with her effortless hair flicks and misty, dewy eyes, created a haunting allure. At the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016, a seductive black lace dress was transformed by her confidence into something more profound.
Her personality is always magnified in performances and films. A natural expression of emotions and actions, while the nuances of her temperament are hidden between the brows and eyes. She is complex—a lonely, mysterious island, a black butterfly ethereal and wild in the fog, or a fallen leaf in autumn, fragmented yet preserved.
The formula for becoming a 21st-century writer might be: a liberal mind + an ambiguous temperament + a sense of mystery. The “haughty” brand and style aren’t inclusive religions in a diverse context, but they motivate their followers toward purified free will and elevated superego by embracing authenticity. On this endless path, one filters out external criticisms and concentrates on the inner truth. Senses of ambiguity and mystery emerge from this honest confrontation of battles, seeking clarity among obscurity. Attractiveness is not the goal; serenity is a midpoint. However, a unification between mind and expression is the ultimate destination.
