Getting ready for a party in the “fit check” era can feel more like dressing to be seen than dressing to get dressed. Writer and influencer Camille Charrière recognizes this reality of modern fashion as someone who posts her fair share of OOTDs to 1.3 million Instagram followers. Still, she sensed the typical holiday party wardrobe was in need of a major vibe shift.
It’s arriving today in the form of her debut collection for Mango, where another type of ‘fit pic inspired the entire line. Gathering influences for the 60-piece capsule, Charrière felt a magnetic pull toward paparazzi snaps from the ’90s and early 2000s. You know the ones, depicting a Carla Bruni or a Kate Moss flitting between parties in outfits they presumably picked because of how they felt wearing them and not because they knew they’d be photographed.
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“At that time, photography and celebrities were a lot less staged. Everything felt a little more authentic and sincere,” Charrière reflects to BAZAAR in an interview before the collection’s debut. “It wasn’t the way we do things now, where everybody kind of produces their own photoshoot before, during, and after every party.”
Charrière spent almost a year channeling that energy into her Mango collection of shimmery mini dresses, lace suiting, and nostalgic yet party-appropriate knits. The through-line? “It’s all about reminding ourselves of a time when we dressed for ourselves,” she says.
The highlights of the ready-to-wear edit are all some form of dress: floor-length, semi-transparent gowns with sequin embellishments, satin midi slips in lime green and leopard print sparkly minis. Let’s just say, Paris Hilton’s twenty-first birthday party outfit was definitely on the moodboard (and the collection’s metallic mesh mini is the closest you’ll likely ever get to owning it).
“I’m a sucker for a mini dress,” Charrière explains. Her affection comes mostly from an “indescribable” draw to shorter dresses, but she appreciates their practicality too. “I love dancing, and you can’t really dance in something that’s long and going to get walked-on. It will get damaged—I speak from experience here.”
The dresses come with accessories that could have guest-starred in the “Bejeweled” music video, including low heel sandals for dancing past midnight and a strappy, rhinestone-dotted bralette to wear under a purposefully unbuttoned top.
While these glitzy details are all over the paparazzi references Charrière mentioned, they also reflect the clothes she enjoys above all others. But maybe “enjoy” is too mild to describe how pulling on a sequined mini makes her feel: “I sometimes joke that it’s like taking a shot of tequila. Like, a good dress does the same thing to your confidence as having that bit of Dutch courage. And you don’t even have to have a drink—if you’re wearing an amazing outfit you’re going to feel like a different person.”
After nearly a year of anticipation, Charrière is hours away from hosting her first party in her own designs. It’s a takeover of the Lycée Henri-IV, a prestigious school in Paris that isn’t usually open to the public (and has some swoon-worthy interiors). Charrière’s formative partygoing years were spent in the Paris suburbs, so the location is equally sentimental and extravagant.”I won’t say it’ll be better than my wedding because that will upset my husband,” she laughs, “but I take any night that I organize very seriously.”
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In the style of her early-aughts icons, Charrière is is saving her outfit reveal for the event itself. She does admit to considering more than one look for the evening, a move that she considers both glamorous and practical. “Even it’s a regular night out, I have been known to change,” she explains. “If you’re going to wear something long and extravagant, it’s worth a change. It’s worth it to keep people guessing. People love to see the new option.” When the party cameras inevitably come out to capture each one, no one will blame her for posing.
Mango’s collaboration with Camille Charrière is available now on mango.com.