Combined with a dose of nostalgia and futurism, Paolina Russo perfectly blends traditional craftsmanship and contemporary technology from their studio in London by combining handmade techniques with industrial production. Working closely with the manufacturers in factories, Paolina Russo thrives on a collaborative culture. They push the frontiers of design that got them recognized at this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 list for Arts & Culture, The Paul Smith Foundation, additionally in 2023, they were the recipients of the Zalando Visionary award.
We met the duo Paolina Russo and Lucile Guilmard during Paris Fashion Week, where they had a collection full of cult items with talismanic meanings, like a gold and crystal-cast Tamagotchi-turned-compass and a nod to the early 2010s, when Justin Bieber ruled over a world that was doomed to fade in 2012.
Paolina Russo was founded in 2021 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, also a tough and strange time I imagine with COVID. How did you two meet and what was your vision behind the brand?
Paolina: Hi Vein! I’m Paolina. It’s so lovely to speak with you.
Lucile: Hello! I’m Lucile and I met Paolina shortly after finishing my MA at Central Saint Martins. At the time, we were both finding our paths: Paolina had already launched Paolina Russo after her amazing collaboration with Adidas Originals for the Tokyo Olympic Games. I was working at 1 Granary while developing my creative projects on the side. We ended up sharing a studio — mainly to split the rent (because, let’s be honest, London isn’t exactly cheap!).
Paolina: But as we worked side by side, constantly catching glimpses of what the other was up to, it became clear that we shared a similar way of thinking and a deep curiosity for how fashion can connect people and create community. That’s when we decided to join forces and begin shaping the world of Paolina Russo together.
Lucile: From the beginning, our vision has been about creating clothing rooted in community — pieces that are both playful and protective, inspired by personal memories but designed for the future. For us, it’s always been about storytelling — through textiles, silhouettes, and shared experiences.
Do your roles in the brand vary?
Lucile: We make all major decisions together — creative and business — and then we split the execution. I tend to focus more on production, distribution, and sales. It’s the part that stresses me out the most, so I kind of face it head-on.
Paolina: And I take care of studio management, product development, press, and communication — which has become a whole world of its own! We were both trained as designers, so learning how to run a brand has felt like a second education. But there’s creativity in every part of it — even spreadsheets — and we genuinely love that.
Lucile: That’s how we handle the recurring parts of our work — the things that come back each season. But when we begin something new — a project, a partnership, a collaboration we’ve never done before — we always start side by side. In those moments we figure it out together as a duo. Usually with a lot of laughing (and a bit of chaos) in the process.
Paolina is from Canada, and Lucile is from France, the brand is from the UK with sports energy remixed with DIY arts-and-crafts. What were you two like growing up and were you always interested in fashion?
Paolina: I grew up in Markham, Ontario, a suburb just outside Toronto. As a kid, I was really into sports — I even have a black belt in Taekwondo. I always had a strong creative side. Any activity that helped me escape into my imagination was encouraged by my parents – I was into painting, arts and crafts, and video games. I was on the internet from a very young age exploring blogs, myspace, music, and YouTube as a means to find out more about the world outside of my suburban town. I think all those things play a massive influence on my work today.
Lucile: I grew up in a small village in the French countryside, and there wasn’t much to do, so I spent a lot of time making things with my hands — sewing, embroidery, carving, building worlds with cardboard. My parents weren’t involved in the creative world, but they’ve always been incredibly supportive of my interests. Growing up in a small town, I developed a real sense of resourcefulness and a love for DIY culture. That spirit of creating something from nothing is something that runs deeply through my work. It’s part of how we see the world — self-reliance, creativity, and making do with what you have.
You draw upon folklore and gaming like Zelda in your work, along with your previous collaboration with Roblox. What drew you to those worlds and do you find any similarities between them?
Paolina: Video games, especially classics like Zelda, feel like modern folklore to me. Zelda has been a beloved part of gaming for generations, evolving from its 80s roots into various formats that hold historical significance. The way the story of The Legend of Zelda adapts over time is inspiring. I imagine that in another 20 years, technology will continue to transform how we experience games, much like folklore evolves and is reshaped by each storyteller. With Paolina Russo, we aim to create our own lore and artifacts for future generations to discover.
Lucile: What connects these worlds for us is the idea of myth and shared experiences. Both ancient folklore and digital gaming craft immersive universes through costumes, rituals, and tools. Collaborating on Roblox was cool for us because it allowed us to build virtual spaces where people could engage with stories in a new way. Ultimately, it’s about fostering communities centered around creativity and shared narratives.
Your signature silhouette is the “Soft Warrior”. What kind of energy or feeling do you want someone to have while wearing a Paolina Russo piece?
Paolina: Our pieces are like comfortable armor, especially our knitted corsets. Their form is structured at the same time made from natural materials like wool and cotton making them very comfortable. Our denim has also become a sort of uniform for us and anyone who wears the brand as people tend to wear them every day. Those pieces definitely have fostered a sense of community for us to connect with other people who wear the brand. We hope that when people wear Paolina Russo they also feel like a part of Team Russo.
Beyond the silhouette, you are known for your textiles, especially knitwear which saw you nominated for the Woolmark Prize in 2023. Tell us what fabrics you are most excited about in your Fall/Winter collection and where does this interest in knitwear come from?
Paolina: Knitwear is the foundation of our brand. It’s an ancient technique that carries so much meaning—shape, texture, and emotion are woven directly into the fabric. For us, it’s about creating something from a single thread, which speaks to the craftsmanship we value.
For Fall/Winter 2025, The Ballad of Ramona Blvd merges medieval and early 2010s Tumblr aesthetics, capturing the need for emotional and visual armor for the Paolina Russo warrior in the suburbs. We explored circular knitting techniques to develop base layer thermals with a special stitch that ruches the structure of the fabric, similar to ruching in medieval tailoring used to shape a garment. These pieces blend folk drawings with sportswear functions. We are really excited by this development this season and we can’t wait to take it to the next season’s story!
Call me a Debbie Downer, but I feel like moral business practices are at odds in today’s world, where fascism somehow keeps rising, and fashion brands make environmental claims or pledges that aren’t always supported by reality. How do you approach fabric selection and how would you define sustainable practices?
Lucile: That’s an important question and one we discuss regularly. For us, sustainability isn’t about ticking boxes — it’s about being thoughtful, intentional, and honest. We tackle it at various levels, starting with prioritizing natural fibers and avoiding trims or components that complicate recycling or add unnecessary waste. We design with biodegradability in mind and consider a piece’s afterlife, ensuring it can be recycled or repurposed.
Paolina: Our approach also centers around supporting craft. For instance, we collaborate with women artisans in Peru who crochet pieces from their homes. These partnerships help preserve traditional crafts and empower communities by providing fair income and flexible work opportunities.
Lucile: We also believe technology can sustainably enhance craft. At ComplexCon in Hong Kong, we teamed up with FabriX and DressX to create an augmented reality experience, allowing people to virtually try on our pieces and pre-order them on the spot. This reduces overproduction by producing only what’s ordered, offering a more conscious and interactive shopping experience.
What is the most exciting textile you have worked with?
Lucile: Honestly, it’s a textile we created from scratch. We developed 100% locally sourced and produced wool knitwear pieces for our Woolmark competition collection, and those pieces still feel iconic to us. They were layered with craftsmanship at every step. First, we visited Laxton, a yarn spinner in Northern England, where we developed a custom yarn from wool sourced in England. Our journey continued to Glasgow, where we met with Cavan Jayne, an expert in natural dyes who we worked with to dye the yarns and garments. All the dyes used were naturally sourced from the UK — from rocks, spices, and flowers. We then knitted the yarns into garments in London with Loop, our knitwear development lab.
These pieces are fully natural, biodegradable, and all made in the UK. We wanted to showcase the power of local manufacturing and natural materials. The design is meant to decompose and eventually grow wildflowers over time — there’s something magical about the garment as a living entity.
What challenges do you face and what solutions have you found?
Paolina: We’re a small team, so one of our biggest challenges is capacity, there’s so much we want to do, but only so many hours in a day. We’ve learned to grow slowly and surround ourselves with collaborators who share the same vision. We’re fortunate to be part of the Paul Smith Foundation Residency at Studio Smithfield, supported by the Mayor of London, Projekt, and GQ. This mentorship and studio space in the heart of London for a year has been invaluable for a business at our stage.
Lucile: Running an independent brand also means dealing with the usual struggles: rising production costs, supply chain delays, and the ever-present MOQ challenges. Our solution is creativity. We’re always problem-solving to keep things moving forward.
If I stepped into your atelier, what would I find and what music would be on your playlist?
Lucile: You’d find mood boards taped on every wall, piles of reference books, a huge fabric stash that’s slightly out of control, and a lot of laughter. The space is chaotic and colourful in the best way.
Paolina: And the playlist? It really depends on the mood. If it’s crunch time, you’ll hear K-Pop or Justin Bieber blasting.
And finally, what are you most excited about?
Paolina: We are really excited about the upcoming launch of our online store www.paolinarusso.com !!! Finally !!! Stay tuned
Portrait by Aidan Zamiri
Fall Winter 2025 Lookbook Credits:
Creative Direction Paolina Russo & Lucile Guilmard
Photography by Dean Hoy
Stylist Samia Giobellina
Casting Emma Matell
Makeup Ana Takahashi
Hair Shunsuke Meguro
Shoes Converse
