When Caroline Vreeland was in her early 20s, she would visit the Kiki de Montparnasse store in Los Angeles nearly every day.
“I just remember when I was young and living in L.A. and working three f–king jobs,” Vreeland told WWD. “And I would walk home and I would go into the Kiki store and I couldn’t afford anything there. But I would go in and I would just be so inspired.”
These days, Vreeland is still working many jobs. But they’re slightly more lucrative: singer, songwriter, actress, model and editor. Now she’s adding fashion designer to her résumé — and she’s working with the brand she loves so much.
The Kiki de Montparnasse x Caroline Vreeland capsule collection lands exclusively on Farfetch today. The collection comes in two styles — a bloomer and a thong — in white, bordeaux, nude, black and red, with small images embroidered on the pieces that reflect Vreeland’s personality. Like the manicured hand holding up a stick of lipstick, or the bright red lips eating pasta.
“I wanted to make a comment on women being told to quiet down,” Vreeland said, regarding the lips design. The wine glass is a nod to Vreeland’s love of cheap wine.
“I’m a self-proclaimed wino,” she joked.
Vreeland teamed with Jose Vega, vice president of design at Kiki de Montparnasse, who she now calls a friend, to create the pieces.
“I’ve always loved the elevated sexuality that Kiki has,” Vreeland said. “There should be a healthier impression of sex. I don’t think any of it should be taboo. That’s what Kiki’s brand is about.”
In addition, Vreeland said she was drawn to working with Farfetch, the online luxury fashion retail platform, to learn more about the business side of fashion.
Farfetch, which went public in September 2018, sells luxury bras and underwear from names like Bordelle, La Perla and Moschino, among others, in addition to branded pieces from Kiki de Montparnasse.
“It’s great to be able to exclusively feature the collection,” said Holli Rogers, chief brand officer at Farfetch. “We’re sure our customers who are fans of both Kiki de Montparnasse and Caroline Vreeland will be thrilled to discover it on Farfetch.”
Vreeland, who has 392,000 followers on Instagram, said she doesn’t consider herself a fashion influencer. (Although her great-grandmother is former Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, which she said is “an amazing thing to have in my legacy and my blood.”) Vreeland said she’s a musician first and foremost. Her latest single, “Stay Drunk With Me,” comes out on Halloween.
Still, she said, fans are constantly reaching out to her for style advice.
“They want to know how to feel confident when they have like, large butts, and what to wear and where they should shop,” Vreeland said. “That’s something that I really want to tap into. I think these sexy little thongs that we’re doing and bloomers are really a jumping off point.”
The Kiki de Montparnasse x Caroline Vreeland limited-edition collaboration, made from crinkled chiffon, range in size from XS to L and retails at $75 for the bloomer and $55 for the thong.
A representative from Kiki de Montparnasse said the company is excited about working with Vreeland and is open to future collaborations.
“She’s a muse to the brand,” the representative said.
Kiki de Montparnasse, the luxury intimates, loungewear and swimwear brand, was established in 2005. The brand closed all of its retail locations in 2016 to instead focus on its e-commerce and wholesale operations.
“The things we wear under our clothes are not only for a lover,” Vreeland said. “They are for us, a sweet secret, an added luxury. I’m excited to see where this goes from here.”