Bubble Mood

With an eminently fun-sounding name and two chic Parisians at the helm, the Bubble Mood brand fuses fashion and flair to impressive effect. Fresh from yet another jet-setting, inspiration-finding trip and in the midst of putting the final touches to what promises to be a tantalizing A/W 2012 collection, founders, Olivia Gurdjian and Margaux Painvin chatted with CreativeHunt about the challenges of establishing a brand in China, its unique – not to mention international – concept, and the story behind one of Shanghai's coolest up-and-coming labels.

"We met in Shanghai five years ago at a pool party", Margaux recalls. "We had a good feeling from the beginning and started working together on freelance projects - Olivia and her husband already had Warehouse Studio and needed a fashion designer for some of their work. That's how we started to collaborate together."

Bubble Mood was officially launched in 2009 and from the outset made it their mission to create clothing and accessories with a personal touch, as opposed to slavishly following trends. With a team like Olivia and Margaux, that means travel and lots of it, as well as a healthy dose of Parisian chic. Olivia explains: "I love H&M or Zara, but it makes everyone look like clones, no matter how creative they are. We wanted to do one-of-a-kind items and limited editions, as opposed to mass production, and to do that, our clothes follow our own inspiration, rather than trends… I think that's the Bubble Mood philosophy".





The pair travel extensively around Asia seeking unusual prints, gorgeous fabrics and, most important of all, the inspiration behind the clothes. Rummaging through racks of clothes at their Wulumuqi Lu studio, Margaux pulls out a beautiful coral coloured dress, perfectly encapsulating this fusion of culture, travel and fun.

"First of all, the flower print feels very Asian somehow - Indonesian, perhaps. But it's the shape that's most important. You see when it's worn, it's very narrow at the bottom so you can only take quite small steps, which is something of a Japanese influence, but the top is very open and loose which is more French style I think".

Another such example is a Bubble Mood take on the traditional Japanese Kimono, its colourful crazy print contrasting with an eminently classical shape. To touch, it's a beautifully soft silk, in keeping with the brand's preference for natural fabrics, with cotton, bamboo, and for next season, leather, all being favorites for the capsule collections.





Inspiration is one thing, but success in China is quite another. What, I wonder, are some of the challenges of establishing a brand in a market so different from that of their native Europe? They're both adamant: "It's taste". Margaux explains: "We want to target both Chinese and foreign consumers and we're constantly trying to find a compromise between the two. Shape is different, and colours too – last summer we did a collection that was 70% white and it just wasn't popular with Chinese customers. Also, Chinese girls are very comfortable about showing their legs, but maybe not so much with tops that fit more loosely around the chest, for example – for foreign girls it tends to be the opposite. We're learning more and more about this kind of thing and bettering our understanding… it's a good challenge and an interesting one to have!"

Timing is an issue too: where shops in Paris, for example, demands samples of a collection one year in advance, that lead time is slashed to just 4 or 5 months here in Shanghai. It makes for a complex schedule, but one that the duo are negotiating through ongoing discussions with various stores here in China, Kapok in Hong Kong, as well as various Paris-based retailers.




In the meantime, and in keeping with their 'one-of-a-kind' philosophy, Bubble Mood hold regular private sales in unexpected, pop-up locations. "Our first one was at Enoteca during their Sunday brunch. It was great – we invited a DJ and it was just very relaxed – more of an event as opposed to a straightforward sale, and more conducive to people really interacting with each other and the fashion", explains Olivia.

Of course, not everything produced by the girls and their band of Shanghai tailors is one-off, and their basics range will soon be available to purchase via a dedicated online shop – another practical and logical move to target Chinese consumers. It's the limited editions, however, that are perhaps the most interesting, and to our eyes at least, desirable – largely thanks to their unusual materials and prints. "We find fabrics everywhere – Vietnam, France, Thailand, and of course China", explains Margaux. "We just buy what we like, no matter whether we have a clear idea how it will be used… I was in Scotland recently and bought some wool tweed. It's amazing, I don't know how we're going to use it yet, but it's great!"




Future endeavors include a range of home and travel items – think cushion covers, eye masks and blankets – as well as a dedicated Shanghai store further down the line. For now, though, Olivia and Margaux are busily pulling together the final strands of next winter's two tier collection, featuring leather and silk for more formal attire, and jersey for the more casual.

To see for yourself, be sure to head to Bubble Mood's next sale in December - keep a close eye on their website for details. If that's simply too long to wait, then be sure to head to the November Night Market at Dada where the girls plan to set up shop. For all of that and more, click here.