ICICLE, a name known to professionals and just waiting to be discovered by the world... Far from the negative image associated with ‘Made in China’, ICICLE is making its mark on the global fashion scene with its heritage, rich materials and niche production methods. At the helm of its artistic direction since 2019, French designer Bénédicte Laloux imposes her minimalist style, follows her principles of singular beauty and pushes the fashion house further onto the international stage every day. We met with her to learn more about
A couple's vision...
In the 1990s, China experienced its first major cultural, economic and fashion shift: clothing moved away from its collective and functional role to become individual and representative of a unique identity. In 1997, luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior still seemed a long way off for the Asian giant.
And yet, it was in that year that Shawna Tao and Shouzeng Ye decided to launch ICICLE in Shanghai. A brand, or rather a fashion house, promoting exceptional materials, respect for people and the environment, but also clothing that moves away from overproduction by ensuring impeccable style for years to come.
Its main philosophy? A trinity of Chinese values: sincere respect for the world around us, kindness towards others and appreciation for what we have been given. In the space of twenty years, the company has established a recognisable DNA, expanded to a network of 236 stores and begun to spread its art across borders to the fashion capital. This has been particularly true since the appointment of its artistic director: French designer Bénédicte Laloux, whom we met.
Discover ICICLE through the eyes of Bénédicte Laloux
An almost obvious profile, a natural choice... In 2013, while the China-based studio was at the helm, the founders met Bénédicte Laloux, a young designer who had worked for Celine, Lanvin and Chloé. The harmony was immediate. She embraced the principles of ICICLE wholeheartedly and took charge of the creation of the ‘Atelier’ collection. A few years later, in 2019, she was appointed artistic director of the fashion house, orchestrating the work of the teams in Paris and Shanghai.
When we visit her at her offices to find out more about the label she has been championing for six years, the first thing that strikes us is her ease. Bénédicte Laloux immediately fills the room, plastered with mood boards and fabric samples, with her radiant light. Almost inspiring...
Before sitting down, she offers us a tour of the upcoming collection (still strictly confidential until Fashion Week in March) and invites us to try on a few pieces to get an idea of the fit. From there, the exercise begins and the designer literally immerses us in her world: that of a fashion house in tune with nature. Interview.
Tom Kuntz: To start with a simple question: how would you describe ICICLE to someone who is not yet familiar with the fashion house?
Bénédicte Laloux: Today, we are well established in the fashion world, among designers and professionals, but not yet among the general public. I would describe ICICLE as a lifelong companion: profound clothing, designed to last, respectful of the environment and the customer. Our materials are noble and natural, and our finishes are very meticulous. These are humble pieces that leave room for the personality of the wearer to shine through. An ICICLE coat, for example, should be both a cosy blanket on the plane and a chic piece when you land. The garment should accompany you through all stages of life.
Who is your wardrobe for?
B.L: We don't really have one. That's one of our strengths: a sophisticated woman can wear our cashmere jumpers, and another woman in jeans and trainers can wear our coats. Minimalism allows for this: personalities are grafted onto the garment, without being constrained by it. A coat can remain very simple or become a dress with a belt. I want to allow freedom.
ICICLE was born in Shanghai, but its heart is also in Paris. How do you communicate between the two centres?
B.L: Initially, I was the first French employee in the design department. Today, there are many of us and the studio has grown considerably. My role has been to bring creative tension, to push the designers to go further and to renew the silhouettes. Shanghai brings a very strong discipline, particularly in terms of ecology: no waste, little unnecessary development, and a genuine respect for materials and the work of the teams. Paris drives creativity. It is this dialogue that drives ICICLE forward.
How do you respond to the needs of both European and Asian wardrobes under the same brand?
B.L: Our different lines allow us to appeal to multiple customers, regardless of the continent. Some want novelty, more eccentricity and Japanese-inspired cuts. Others prefer to stick to the essentials, variations of the same models in different colours. The two coexist very well thanks to our minimalist approach. When I arrived, I brought new volumes, looser or more structured cuts. For their part, the studios offered me incredible materials, which were often unknown to me, and a very structured production process. We feed off each other.
You mentioned materials: what makes ICICLE's materials so special?
B.L: We work almost exclusively with natural materials: silk, wool, cashmere, linen, hemp. Very little cotton, almost no synthetics, and no leather in the garments. The most representative material is Canton silk, dyed with moistened mud and dried in the sun. It's an ancestral craft that is highly dependent on the weather: some summers allow for more production than others. We also play with the natural colours of animals, for example by mixing yak hair with cashmere goat hair. This creates shades that are impossible to obtain otherwise and are completely unique.
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How does your creative process work? Do you start with the material or the cut?
B.L: Very often, I start with the material. I drape it spontaneously and see what it tells me. Natural materials dictate a way of working: they provide volume, hold, softness or rigidity. Creativity comes next, but it always starts with the fabric.
Your autumn-winter collection spoke of the home as a refuge. The spring-summer collection opens with a window. What does this evolution tell us?
B.L: The first collection served to present the house: its internal workings, its relationship with the workshops, the materials, the creative process. ICICLE is a house in the strongest sense, almost a home, because clothing is thought of as a life companion, as I said. For the second collection, I wanted openness. The window symbolises this view of the outside world, a desire for dialogue after this very intimate first chapter. It's a second volume, more open, more focused on others.
The collection also incorporated the theory of the five Chinese colours. Tell us about that.
B.L: I had to learn it, because I'm not Chinese, but I spent a lot of time in China. The founders have a philosopher friend who explained the symbolism to us: white for metal, red for fire, yellow for earth, green for wood and black for water. Nowadays, it's almost instinctive. It's a poetic, very harmonious language that helps me balance colours in a contemporary wardrobe.
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Will this symbolism continue to influence your designs?
B.L: Yes, because creating with constraints can be very stimulating. The five colours offer a natural balance. I can play with the proportion of black, the intensity of red, the exact shade of green. We won't always do that, because I also like pink, for example, but this harmony remains a beautiful foundation.
Let's go back to your cutting vocabulary. Your silhouettes play with fluidity and structure. Is this an approach you are still developing for ICICLE?
B.L: Yes. In the latest collection, there was a lot of interplay between transparency and opacity, between structured pieces and very loose pieces. The curtain dress, for example, came from a simple tightened rectangle. Movement is essential at ICICLE. Even very strict geometry can become fluid depending on the fabric, and vice versa. This dialogue between structure and fluidity is really at the heart of the brand and my work within it.
©ICICLE/SPRING-SUMMER 2026
We've heard about the arrival of a creative director for ICICLE menswear. What can you tell us about that?
B.L: He arrived in September. He is starting his first sketches and the first fittings are taking place. His role is to bring a more distinctive, more elegant, more fashionable vision for men, while respecting the brand's DNA. I was doing menswear from Paris, but often from a feminine base. He comes from pure menswear tailoring, with dedicated workshops. It's a new story and a new dialogue.
Finally, how do you see the future of the house?
B.L: We have a lot of desires and a lot of ambition. We will soon be presenting our third collection on the official calendar of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, and the idea is perhaps to move from a presentation to a fashion show, with women's and men's collections together. We want to expand our reach: increase the number of meeting points, go to other cities, other countries, increase communication and press coverage. We have been discreet while consolidating the fashion house. Today, we are ready. There is no longer any reason to be shy: we have real quality, real expertise, and we want to make our mark even more.
Translated by Bethszabee Garner
