The launch of French-inspired label Plongée

Yesterday we were invited to the launch of the French-inspired, British clothing brand Plongée, down at the Riding House Café, London. It was a very intimate launch, held downstairs in the private dining area of the venue, The Stables. Guests tucked into canapé-sized dishes of pork belly, steak crostinis and seared scallops. We were welcomed by John (the founder of the label) and his girlfriend, who was proudly sporting one of the polo T-shirts from the collection.

The event marked the launch of the website, as the label is solely based on-line, and already boasts an impressive on-line following via social media. When being introduced to John, he told us all about his holidays in the south of France as his main source of inspiration behind the project which he describes as his baby. Plongée he explained to us non-French speakers, “means diving in French, what made me come up with the name was the signs I kept seeing saying ‘No diving’. But the idea behind the brand isn’t based on restrictions, it’s based on the relaxed, care-free vibe which is so apparent in the South of France […] where girlfriends happily walk around in their boyfriends T-shirts, and aren’t fussing over their hair and make-up, people sit around camping out in cool shorts and airy shirts. They aren’t bothered about wearing the latest trends, but rather opt for simple casual comforts.”

That care-free approach is something Plongée worked hard to capture through the visuals on the site. With crisp clean images of smart student types hanging out on the beach and happily exploring the great outdoors. John explained that the initial collection is made up of 34 pieces, including men’s T-shirts, polo shirts, rugby shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts; as well as women’s T-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts.

The current colour palette was chosen after much consideration and includes blues – baby blue, turquoise, navy – and grey, black, white and red. The next step will be expanding the palette John explained, and then in a year or so they’ll be moving on to add bottoms and accessories to the collection.

The full range is available on-line here, priced between £24.99-£59.99.

Siobhan Copland
Photos: Courtesy of Plongée