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Designing her own label for just 4 years, Jaclin Chouchana has taken off big time. Her designs are sold at Barney’s New York (4 stores nationwide), Harvey Nichols in London, Colette in Paris (the hottest shop du jour), all over the South of France, throughout Australia, Southern Asia and the Pacific Rim. Her swimsuit line is even younger, this is her second collection, and its renown has just skyrocketed. She has received great response by the fashion media, and in a very short period of time has joined the pantheon of the great swimsuit and ready to wear designers.
Using double-layered jersey in both her ready to wear line and her swimsuits, the beauty, luxuriousness and stretch of the fabric creates a liquid and sculptural silhouette. Jaclin is very conscious of the variety of sizes women come in, acknowledging the fact with an array of choices of leg cuts and necklines for the one pieces, as well as for the bikinis, which can be bought as separates in different sizes
We spoke to Jaclin from her studio in lovely Perth, Australia. Warm, charming, energetic, and very creative, we had a great time talking with her.
FF: Tell me a little bit about where you grew up, and your early influences.
Jaclin Chouchana: I grew up in Perth (Western Australia). Architecture has always had a big influence on my work. I’ve always been interested in architecture -- and cinema. They’re probably the two things in the background.
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FF: And what sort of architecture caught your eye early on. Was it something local, or things that you saw in books?
Jaclin Chouchana: Yeah. I’d say it was sort of very much Fifties, Sixties and Seventies architecture really, like really simple neutral colors and a minimal sort of feeling.
FF: And any particular architects?
Jaclin Chouchana: Philip Johnson’s glass house was really important. And obviously Frank Lloyd Wright. Alvar Aalto, I think he’s great. I think those sorts of architects.
Editor’s note: Alvar Aalto, 1898 to 1973, was a Finnish architect, regarded as the best exemplar of 20th Century Scandinavian architecture. His style of design stressed informality and personal expression as a departure from the geometric designs common to the early modern period. Aalto was said to "express the spirit of Finland." A friend of Arp and Brancusi, Aalto was said by a Swiss art historian to have dared "the leap from the rational-functional to the irrational-organic." His buildings stand in countries across the globe.
Jaclin Chouchana: He had an exhibition at MOMA a couple of years ago when I was first in New York. He does like -- he’s on bricks and he’s on tiles, and he’s really clever. I’ve got a beautiful Alvar Aalto vase. He’s really amazing.
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FF: And as far as cinema, what would you say -- what kinds of movies? Any particular movies?
Jaclin Chouchana: I like John Cassavettes.
 John Cassavetes and Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby |
He did a lot of movies in like the late Sixties early Seventies, I think till he died. And his wife, Gena Rowlands, played the lead, and she always wore like -- Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurant and things like that from the Seventies. So that sort of thing really influenced me.
FF: Yeah, I remember some of those movies he directed her in too. They were really good.
Jaclin Chouchana: Yeah, yeah they’re great. Gloria was amazing.
 Gena Rowlands in Gloria with those fabulous blond curls. |
And have you see it?
FF: I have.
Jaclin Chouchana: Yeah -- do you like Gena?
FF: Very much and ...
Jaclin Chouchana: I love it.
FF: I also liked A Woman Under the Influence.
Jaclin Chouchana: A Woman Under the Influence is fantastic isn’t it.
FF: It really is.
Jaclin Chouchana: Opening Night -- have you seen her Opening Night?
FF: No, I haven’t seen that one.
 Gena Rowlands in Opening Night |
Jaclin Chouchana: Opening Night’s fantastic. Yeah.
FF: Oh I’ve got to watch that one.
Jaclin Chouchana: I’ve seen every film he made; he’s incredible.
 Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, John Cassavetes in Husbands |
Editor’s Note: John Cassavetes was a pioneer of American cinema verite fiction. His most famous directorial achievements included Faces and Husbands. Cassavetes believed strongly in improvisational acting. He acted as well, and played leading roles in The Dirty Dozen and Rosemary’s Baby.
FF: That’s an interesting person to mention as an influence -- Cassavetes’ films, because they’re sort of gritty and glamorous at the same time, and usually people say, oh Audrey Hepburn, or something much more obvious.
Jaclin Chouchana: No I was -- I like Gena Rowlands.
And her hair. It’s like she wore great clothes, but her hair, every time he shot her he shot these big mottled blond curls like hanging over the front of her brow. And every time she had like big black eyeliner and the cloggy mascara. Was always like really, sort of manic you know.
FF: I know.
Jaclin Chouchana: Yet she was always wearing like THE most beautiful sort of clothes you know -- really conservative sort of clothes, but she was acting like a madwoman.
FF: Right exactly. But I always was really amazed by her hair also.
Jaclin Chouchana: Were you really?
FF: Yes.
Jaclin Chouchana: Every time he shot her, these masses of blond curls cascaded into the camera. Amazing.
FF: I know. I know. It’s funny.
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