Petit Pont Is Redefining Basics

Petit Pont is the brainchild of two Parisian lovers, Jessica Pichet and Jean-Joseph Junior Vital. What began as an idea to construct a range of lifestyle basics three years ago has morphed into the first collection of luxury underwear and jerseys.

Manufacturing entirely in France, the duo made a conscious decision to produce slow fashion, taking care in the small details and ensuring quality materials and craftsmanship.

office put on our best French underwear and sat down with the couple behind Petit Pont to delve into their unique business strategy, the troubles of working as a couple and learn about the first time Jessica saw Jean-Joseph’s underwear.

Who came up with the idea to found Petit Pont?

JJ After my school finished, I had to choose what I wanted to do with my life. That was the point in my life that I began my emancipation. I wanted to impose my own views and my own style onto something.

J For him, Petit Pont is like the construction of a building.

JJ The first step of style is clothing and the infrastructure of the clothes is the underwear.

J Petit Pont is not just a brand for underwear; it’s just the first step. The next collection will be a range of basics.

How do you incorporate sustainable choices in the manufacturing?

JJ Every product we made, we tested. That’s why we started three years ago; we had to have time to test every prototype.

J Two years ago, Jean-Joseph was in Egypt to buy the best cotton for Petit Pont. We take the fabric from there and produce in France with six women. Each product is made here, which is for me the most important thing. It’s authentic.

What inspired the name?

J Petit Pont is French for ‘little bridge.’ It’s actually a term in football for when the ball goes between the legs of a player.

JJ Petit Pont is a little bridge. We’ve made a bridge between all of our friends’ disciplines. We make underwear, but it is also a collaboration with video, photography, graphic design, musicians etc.

How old are the people on the team?

JJ Everyone is under 30 years old. I think this is the age where all our friends want to produce something, because after this age you have children and work constraints.

Is the collection unisex?

J Yes, we would like to show the relationship between a man and a woman. When we started the collection he would try something and then I would try it.

Will you continue to produce unisex clothing?

JJ No, it’s a menswear brand, but I wanted to invite women to be equal in the first collection.

Why is this important for you?

JJ Jessica always steals my underwear and wears them.

J We were thinking it would be the same with most couples. I think women often push men to buy good underwear because the men don’t care about the quality.

JJ That’s why in the look book we have both sexes. We wanted to show the cozy intimacy inside an apartment between a couple.

Is Paris a good city to start a brand?

JJ Somehow it is good because we have support here from friends and family. But it’s difficult if you don’t know the influential people in fashion.

J If you don’t know anyone, people don’t care. When you say, "I know this guy," people become interested.

But you shot with Stas Kalashnikov and Eric Sakai for your lookbook, so it seems you have already tapped into a group of the young influential people in Paris.

J That’s because we go step-by-step. I worked a lot to contact people and explain our concept. When I contact people, it usually works because they can see how excited we are and they believe in the product. It is like our first baby.

Is it difficult working as a couple?

J The most difficult thing at the moment is that we talk all the time about the brand. When we call we only talk about the brand.

JJ It’s always like ‘I love you but don’t forget to do this!’

What was the first pair of underwear you can remember owning?

JJ You know power rangers?

J Actually, the first time I slept at his home he said that he had prepared the best sheets for the bed and I walked in and it was power rangers! So romantic…

JJ It was a test, which I guess worked because you stayed with me.

What motivates you?

JJ I don’t want to work for another brand, I want to be able to impose my style and my vision.

J I’m really determined to work by myself, to show what I can do and to construct my own life. I know so many people who work so well and I want to be able to connect them, and have them work on our brand.

JJ I want to create something stable to be able to have a basis that I can build on top of and create my life with her.

Petit Pont will be launching with an exhibition in Paris from 17 hr-20:30 hr on May 25 at 20 Rue Saint-Claude, 75003 Paris, France.

Fashion

Dr. Martens x MM6 Maison Margiela reveal their first capsule collection

November 12, 2024

Dr. Martens and MM6 Maison Margiela have teamed up for the first time to launch a Fall/Winter capsule collection that reinvents classic footwear with a fresh twist. The collection combines four iconic Dr. Martens styles—the 1460 and 1490 boots, the 1461 shoe, and the Penton loafer—into three unique hybrid designs, each with MM6’s special touch.

Revealed at MM6 Maison Margiela’s AW24 show, these designs mix familiar Dr. Martens silhouettes in surprising ways, adding bold new details. Each piece has Dr. Martens’ signature yellow stitching and AirWair heel loop, along with MM6’s unique numbered imprint.

The Dr. Martens x MM6 Maison Margiela collection launches November 19 on both brands’ websites, in select MM6 stores, and at limited retailers.

By Enzo Holdt
Photography courtesy of Dr. Martens and MM6 Maisoin Margiela

Fashion

Lennon Gallagher’s Future Heritage

November 08, 2024

At London's The Dublin Castle, Lennon Gallagher’s band Automotion played a gig on the same stage once christened by The Killers, that birthed The Libertines. The pub’s indie-soaked history was the perfect match for the genuinity of the trio’s setlist — a nod to the bands who had found their "break" there decades prior.

The crowd, clad in blazers and button-downs, was packed with Lennon’s family and friends, celebrating the launch of Napapijri’s FW24 campaign with mixed drinks from the open bar and a cig on the Camden streets. Starring Lennon and his mother, Patsy, the campaign channeled '90s influences from padded puffers to elastic drawstrings. Scattered through the crowd, the styles nodded to silhouettes remembered through the lens of Napapijri’s classics.

After the show, office caught up with Lennon to discuss London winters, working with his mom, and family traditions in the Gallagher household.

By Julia Silverberg
Photography by Lin You

Have you been to The Dublin Castle before?

I’ve actually been a few times. It’s an iconic pub, and they pour a good Guinness.

It's historic — I heard Amy Winehouse would occasionally pull a pint there. How did it feel to perform at the venue?

It felt great, especially because most of the people in the crowd were my mates coming to support. It’s also fun performing in an intimate venue like The Dublin Castle, makes it more special.

Do you have a favorite memory of going out in North London?

It’s hard to pin down just one, North London has the best pubs.

Yeah, now is the best time to be inside at the pub. How would you describe London winters?

Wet.

Tell me about your band, Automotion.

We’re currently on our European tour which has been a lot of fun. Our music video for our new single, "Inferno," has just been released and we have some cool stuff coming up too, but you’ll have to wait and see.

What artists are influencing you right now?

At the moment, I’d say Black Midi. I’ve always enjoyed their music, but now they’re on repeat with Duster.

You get that from your sound and style; what’s the best outfit to wear for a show?

Leather trench coat, always.

You've always been into fashion, and you recently got to model alongside your mom, Patsy, in Napapijri's new campaign. What did working with the brand mean to you and your family?

It was fun to see each other working in a professional setting, so I guess it gave us both an insight into a work perspective of each other's lives which we don’t normally get to see.

Is there a moment from the shoot that stood out to you?

Probably the shots were my mum and I had to look at each other with serious faces. Was hard not to laugh, but we managed to keep it together

Do you have a favorite piece from the "Future Heritage" collection?

I’d have to say the 1990 Anorak, it’s a classic.

What fashion traditions have persisted in your household?

I think it’s always about being comfortable in what you wear. It’s a cliche but I’d say comfort is key.

Fashion

Go As You Please - Ann-Sofie Back 1998-2018

In this conversation for Office Magazine, Ann-Sofie Back and co-curator Nicole Walker open up about the deeper themes behind their new exhibition. They discuss everything from fashion and creativity to personal reflections on legacy, death, and the journey of curating Go As You Please.

Interview with Ann-Sofie Back and Nicole Walker

NW If you had to choose one garment from the whole archive to take with you to the grave. Which one would you choose?

ASB It varies from day to day. Right now it’s the red wig sandals we put in the exhibition last night. I can never look at my designs as singular pieces, it's what they’re combined with that makes them special. I actually have an aversion to dresses because of this. It is too easy.

If you have a t-shirt that sends out a certain message, you need to pair it with the wrong shoes to erase the shirt's message in order for the look to be ambivalent and possible to read in different ways. Sending out a clear message is failure.

What has been the hardest decision you have made in terms of your work?

NW I think the hardest decision is how much I’ve had to compromise my creativity to be able to earn a living as a stylist. Like it’s half styling, half being an actress / people reader-pleaser. Or at least that’s my approach. With commercial projects, it’s always this draining, unhealthy feeling of selling your soul to a monster of capitalism. It’s really not why I do what I do. But I do love money!

And in all honesty, I think just carrying and taking one million bags of clothes/shoes and other shit around is exhausting at times. But I also enjoy pushing myself and my body to the limit. To the breaking point- which is compatible with being a stylist, it just also really means I will most likely die from treating my body like shit - but I’m ok with that!

This exhibition is all about death. Did working on this exhibition made you feel differently about dying in any way?

ASB Yes totally. It’s been a grieving period, and working on the exhibition and book for the past three to four years has helped me accept death and say goodbye. I feel like I’m done, I’m free, I can die now. My sense of self has been tied to being a fashion designer, but now, I’m free of that. The reason for keeping my design archive from 1998-2018 has always been to make this exhibition, but the death theme came maybe a year ago after going through some very dark times personally.

Tell me why fashion is the most important art form?

NW I don’t think it is. The reason why I love fashion is that it’s always going to be low culture. Fashion is never going to be considered fine art. And I love that. Fashion is that desperate little sibling constantly seeking validation.

Do you?

ASB Yes, everyone is involved has a say. Which makes super annoying but nonetheless more interesting and difficult to work with. You have the restraints of wearability and that the costumer and the constant question “do you think fashion is art” who cares?! But it is not.

NW So what is the most annoying thing about fashion right now?

ASB Since I’m not actively “in the business” any more I don't have any particular hates atm. People still dress ugly as shit though hahah.

NW If you could call someone dead, who would you call and what would you talk about?

ASB That thought is really scary. Firstly, I have a phone phobia and then talking to someone dead… I would call my dead dog Beverly and listen to her snores, huffs and puffs I think. I would tell her “cheese” and “ball”.

Do you want to be cremated and put in an urn or spread out someplace or buried in a coffin in the ground?

NW I want to be cremated for sure. I hate the idea of my body rotting or being eaten by worms and stuff. And would like to be spread somewhere nice, preferably somewhere warm like a desert or into a volcano. Or spread into multiple container necklaces, so people could be walking around with me around their necks. Would you wear my ashes around your neck if I die? :) I can put you on the list of potential owners of my ashes.

ASB I wonder how much ashes a body has? I don’t think I would wear you. However, you would get a special place in my house. A Shrine.

NW Ok, Shrine works for me.

Which is your favorite look in the exhibition, tho? You have to choose one.

ASB I can't. Maybe the first one you made still. Or the one with my baby teeth.

What about you?

NW That’s so funny, I think the first one I made or the one with baby teeth too.

ASB Isak (The Deputy Director at Liljevalchs, the gallery) was asking why I wanted to do an exhibition with my archive and not an archive show? Would you have liked to do that instead?

NW Like a runway show? No, I prefer this set up. I want to see your creations in an art Gallery. I walked through the exhibition, now that it's almost finished, and I got very emotional. I love the way it turned out, and I’m so in awe of what you’ve created, and I’m so happy to have been a part of this.

ASB I feel the same. Thank you for being a part of this and hanging in there through the very, very long process.

NW What happens for you now when the exhibition is almost done, what are your plans for the rest of the year?

ASB It will feel empty, post show-blues for sure. However, there is a lot happening and to do with the interior objects I am designing under the name Gnilmyd kcab. What about you?

NW I might move to Tokyo for a while, but it’s all up in the air at the moment. Which feels exciting and life is behaving beautifully strange and I just hope Trump does not win the US election next week cause if he does it really feels like everything will go to total shit.

RIP.