La Fille d’O, a Belgium lingerie brand, is the enfant terrible of the lingerie world. Contradictory in a sense, because La Fille d’O is one of the few that literally celebrates the female body in all it’s forms. Without making concessions in quality, comfort or style La Fille d’O combines sexy avant-garde designs with shapes that bring out the well-rounded beauty in every woman’s body, without pushing or pressing.

Murielle Scherre is the founder of La Fille d’O and a remarkable woman. Besides pushing her brand to international success Murielle wrote and published two books, directed, produced and starred in her own porn movie and advocates a playful and respectful relationship to sex and the human body. Call it feminism of the 21st century, call it healthy common sense. BLEND Magazine was so impressed with the beginning oeuvre of this young woman that we met Murielle for a photo shoot and interview.

Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?
I grew up in the city and the country simultaneously. My mom was a city girl and my dad a countryman so I traveled between both worlds since the day I was born. We moved twice a year from one house to another.

I remember the white sheets covering all furniture when arriving, with each new season. It always gave me a feeling of surprise even though it was a familiar place like my very own home. My childhood never really stopped I guess. I still have that same view upon life. Although I have a little less illusions, but my dreams make me fly like they used to and I expect animals to talk back. All the time.

What prompted you to set up La Fille D’O? What were your first ideas?
Frustration. Stubbornness. I was so irritated by the lingerie industry not keeping up with fashion. Their mindset is archaic. I find that weird when dealing with the fiercest asset of our lives: our sexuality.

This business could be flexible and playful in a respectful and thorough way; like naked jungle kids messing about. Now it’s just superficial, sexy and so obviously using the same tools over and over again till I get sick with boredom. That open mouth. That lipstick shade. The available eyes. It’s so uninspiring! If that truly is the vision of female beauty it makes me really sad and motivated to show how I see women.

To me the human body is such an ingenious machine of wisdom and joy. Women are so overwhelmingly beautiful when they are the least aware someone is watching. How the chest curves into the armpit. How the neck is connected to the spine. I love showing that. That gives me inspiration all the time. My hands can’t even follow the pace of my head.

Where do you see your lingerie in comparison to other lingerie designers/brands?
What other lingerie brands?! (laughs) All I see is companies trying to make money, selling dreams invented by marketing teams. I don’t care about that fake dream. Other brands tend to sell a strategy to get rich by labeling it under ‘sex’. Their product has no content.

We make lingerie for women, to support them and see themselves anew; for men, to look at and discover with their hands. All I want is to keep making enough money so I can reach my goal of developing lingerie that supports any body type or situation.

We started of doing A, B and C cups. Now we make A to G cups. We make prosthetic bra’s and breastfeeding bra’s. I want to recreate the basic needs of lingerie for women of today, whatever they are up to or body they have. Rrrrr. So much more work to do.

What makes you passionate about creating lingerie?
Lingerie is a wasteland. There is nothing out there that combines aesthetics, ethics and technique. That drives me mad. I see a lot of brands aiming their arrows at just one of those assets. Great look but cheap material. Great fabrics but poor fit. Perfect support yet making you look like cheap candy. I hate or/ or when it comes to lingerie. In lingerie you get a chance to make women happy with pieces of fabric. Like modern day alchemy! Nothing more motivating than that.

What or who influences your work?
Energy inspires me. It pokes me like music or like the people who enjoy my lingerie. How they send me pictures of themselves with their newly bought undies. I love seeing how my ideas live on and influence their lives. Like little seeds I blow into the air that land in new places to become variations of the energy I gave them in the first place.

I am blessed and cursed with pretty alert senses so I just need to open those windows to the world and it starts pouring in. Quite practical yes sometimes a tough skill to master.

You also wrote two books that revolve around your sexuality and sexual experiences. Where do those books stand in relation to your lingerie? Do you see them as complimentary to your oeuvre or detached from it?
I created La Fille d’O 8 years ago. I allowed myself 7 years of play. To discover. In the next 7 years I will put those skills to work creating only lingerie. But in walking down all those side paths I learned what I can and cannot do. Like studying and now doing my thesis, practicing what I have been preaching.

I cannot separate my self from my brand and I don’t want to. But now is the time to detach La Fille d’O from my face and person. La fille represents more than just one woman…

You created quite some commotion with your erotic film ‘J’fais du porno et j’aime ca’. How did the idea of making that movie come about and what were your goals?
It was necessary to make such a movie. So I did. People have talked about sex too darn much. So have I. I felt it was time to shut up and show what I mean.

Where you surprised by the prudence and political conflict your movie conflicted?
No. Everything happened like expected. Which is boring sometimes. Predictable. What makes me glad is that we showed a different sight. Like opening the windows in a damp room. Similar minds need this oxygen to keep doing what they do.

What tradition do you see yourself in?
The tradition of standing on your head at least once a day.

Future goals?
I would love to grow a wonderful yet tiny team of likeminded people and extend the experience a little more. Show me slowly what I only know the limits of, like Leonard would say.

What are your plans for La fille D’O in the near future?
We are opening our first shop on the 15th of December at Burgstraat 21 in Ghent. We just launched a smart website experience, we developed with Famous. I am taking the new bikini collection to the salon de la lingerie in Lyon in January. I am having lunch with my friend at her new home tonight. Tomorrow I will be painting the basement of the new shop pink. I am visiting the sales team at Selfridges next week to teach them the tricks about La Fille d’O. They will start selling my collection there by the time you read this. I just watched the video we created for BLEND. Tomorrow I will sleep in my boyfriend’s armpit again. These are a few of my favorite things.

by MAXI MEISSNER

visit the website:
La Fille d’O

Credits Photo Shoot
Model: JeanPaul Paula
MUA: Calos Saidel
Fashion: Murielle Scherre, La Fille d’O
Photography: Lonneke van der Palen
Videoclip: Narayana Sewnandan
Many thanks to: Studio Blommers & Schumm
Art direction & production: Narayana Sewnandan