Italians sure do it better. We have been obsessing, along with a multitude of celebrities, about Au Jour Le Jour and their latest show and thought it would be best to have a chat with them while we were in Italy. Read on to find out what brought Mirko Fontana and Diego Marquez together to create one of the hottest brands of the fashion world.

The name Au Jour Le Jour, where does it come from and is there any curiosity towards it?

Our brand could be defined as a contemporary style interpreted through a “chic and fun” spirit, in line with the daily attitude and mood – hence the name au jour le jour, a French phrase which means “day by day”. The name is inspired by Samuel Beckett’s quote: “Quand on a été tourmenté, bien fatigué par sa propre sensibilité, on s’apercoit qu’il faut vivre au jour le jour, oublier beaucoup, enfin éponger la vie à mesure qu’elle s’écoule”

You are two, how do you manage the creation of your collections?

Sharing ideas and discussing them is fundamental for our creative process. Sometimes the debate becomes passionate but allows us to grow and take our creativity to the highest level.

Are there disagreements and how do you go about them?

Of course there are, but we’ve been always able to sort them out thanks to the mutual esteem of each other’s talent.

Many celebrities wear AJLJ, from Rita Ora, to Gigi Hadid – women known their strong personalities. Is this the kind of woman you are inspired by?

Au Jour Le Jour women are cultured and relaxed, refined but ironic. Protagonists of the modern living, who move with energy, spontaneity and a nonchalant elegance through the international capitals, bringing with them the class and uniqueness of the Italian style.

You design for both men and women, which one is more fun and why?

Our creative energy expresses itself at the fullest in our women’s collections where we are totally free and inspired. Men collection is a project we love and are sure will improve Au Jour Le Jour brand identity.

Your latest SS16 collection has been in the spotlight because of its collaboration with the famous Italian detergent brand- Dash. What was the drive behind this project? 

This year is the 50th anniversary of Dash- the most famous brand of detergent in Italy, and we partnered with them to celebrate this occasion- a meeting of minds motivated by the common philosophy of innovation, fabric care and research, developed to enhance garments, both creatively and technically.

This SS16 Au Jour Le Jour collection takes inspiration from the «spots», interpreted through unique mix of colours, avant-garde materials and the 3D details, in a continuous wave of pop boldness and rock femininity.

You are known to be an extravagant brand that uses prints, logos of brands that are not in the fashion business, creating a link between different worlds. What is fashion to you?

Fashion is not just producing garments but also telling a story. We often get inspiration from concepts, images or trends that have nothing to do with the world of fashion and we want people to get inspired in exactly the same way though our designs.

What would be your advice to those who are new and are about to start up? 

Our participation to “Who’s On Next” in July 2011 and consequently to the showcase at Palazzo Morando in September 2011 offered us the possibility to present our collection to a wider public. At that time we already had a significant retail distribution in Italy, but thanks to this talent contest we were exposed to a much more international audience.

Milan is often associated with several established big names that have complete hegemony over the fashion week calendar, penalising smaller brands that have very limited chances to find their own space in the system. On the contrary, in the recent years Camera Della Moda Italiana has been offering great support to emerging names, both Italian and international: it is important to see these opportunities and take advantage of them in the best possible way as we did. Lately, international fashion schools based in Milan have been playing a pivotal role in not only educating younger generations, but also in offering their structures and network helping them enter the job market.  We are proud to be an Italian brand, born and grown here in the first place thanks to the support of the Italian fashion system.