If you thought fashionable knitwear began and ended with the poncho, then Marion Mille’s designs probably aren’t for you. Instead of producing psychedelic jumpers, which could have been knitted by your gran circa 1989, Mille’s clothing is the epitome of French chic; minimal and neutral without being uninteresting. Working predominately with jersey and knitwear, she skilfully manipulates heavy knitted fabrics with the same ease that another designer might play with silk. Wool dresses are given structure through clever stitching and pintucks, while plunging necklines move jersey one-pieces away from the realms of the teenage hipster, to the world of the Parisian sophisticate. However, it seems Mille’s sophisticate knows how to experiment with layers and atypical silhouettes; where an ordinary designer might conform to the ordinary concept of the ‘little black dress’, Mille’s LBD has a skirt with voluminous pockets, and is topped with a chunky high collar snood-like scarf.

It’s no surprise that Mille understands how to design clothes with lasting appeal, after graduating in Fashion and Applied Arts, she joined renowned French designer Vanessa Bruno’s team in 2000. She left to start her own label that now also includes an accessories collection of both jewellery and headwear; thick chains and lariat necklaces, along with exaggerated headbands display the playful side of Mille’s work and as a result she is now widely stocked in Japan. No-one says it better than Marion Mille when she announces that her “clothing is not for fashion victims looking for the latest thing. It’s about being well-dressed, not overdressed.”