FASHION FOCUS: Thylane Blondeau couldn’t find that perfect sweatshirt, so she decided to design her own. And that led to the 17-year-old French model and actress — a L’Oréal Paris brand ambassador — to conceive a full urban clothing line under the brand Heaven May (after her middle name), WWD has learned.
Blondeau’s followers — she has 2.4 million on Instagram alone — will be able to rock the look sold on her own site, heavenmay.com, starting Oct. 11.
“I have a lot of fans, and they’re always like: ‘Where did you buy this? Where did you find this?’” she said. “And I was like, everything they like I am going to do it for them and for me.
“I wanted to do my own brand, my own thing,” she continued. “I love clothes.”
Her first sweatshirt was black, with her label’s logo on the back. “Then I did pants, and after had to do socks and shoes — everything,” explained Blondeau.
Comfort was key. One sweatshirt has a hood that can be zipped up over the wearer’s head. “So I can hide my face — you know, when you are sleeping on the plane,” said Blondeau, who has been working with Paris-based designers, sending them drawings she makes on a tablet from the South of France, her home.
Heaven May has grown to include T-shirts, pants, leggings, sweatpants, jeans, dresses and jackets, which are reversible. The collection launches with 36 items, coming in various colors and prints, such as camouflage. Hoodies will be priced at around 150 euros and jackets at about 300 euros.
Heaven May won’t stop there. “Maybe there will be a second collection, and maybe a drop one and drop two,” Blondeau said, adding Heaven May could grow to include bags, sunglasses and other accessories, and possibly become a lifestyle label in the future.